Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-10-08
State Convention, as the Democratic candidate 70
that ofce.
THE NEW RIvER-ITs NAVIGATION, &

its widely beautiful, its rich and mysterious shores
Though almost AZ large stream a. The james Ri
yer, and paesng through the very hsart nj Virg
MIA, and the great store houses OF her exhaustles
mineral wealth. by and through Immense and wild
extending coal 1elds; by mountains Of iron ores an
vaet deposits Of salt; by regions Of lead anil cOppe
aud all the valuable aud useful treasures of In
mine; by deep and outrageous forests OF gigan'i
trees and through rich and fer,e valIies and upan
pastures, and by the most romantic and picturesqu
scenes end pleasant resorts, whose pure mountain
air and viruous mineral waters make them not on
ly the store houses OF Nature, but amos an eysu!u
where many OF the evils We cannot avoid In less fa
vored places dare not venture Yet though associated
with sl thoss qualities interesting and inviting
! to the enterprising and adventurous, New River Il
still almost terra incognita. Wshave seen maps
representing the country. both at home and abroad
10 which this noble 'river of the woods" s not ever
dsigned place.
Previous to the advent Of the Virginia and Tennes
see rail road through the South West, that riches
par. OF VirgiriGs domain was almost unknown, enc
the "Woodis' OF our ancestors, was indeed NE"
River" 1t is not 80 long ago, that we have forSottei
how aetonished many OF our Eastern people were
when Governor Floyd ami tbs mountaineers OF tht
South Wes exhibited their minera! treasures, their
salt and plaster their coal and iron, their lead and
copper, &C., or told of the rich and extensive vaee
through which that great trunk line should rum
Thsir description has been more than verified, and
even greater riches than anticipated crowd the
mountains of the South West and the rail road which
was claimed on tho strength of its mineral wealth.
has been erected and the progressive path OF the iron
horse lice along its rich and fertile vallies. Yet whGf
efforts have been made tor their development, public
or prva,el Is not the South West and the borders OF
the New River" still sealed book to mnny of us,
and the wealth that lies concealed 10 these mountains
and beneath their vallies IL vaiueess and useleas
10 us as if il never excited. Capital is not Invited
emigration in not encouraged, information is un-
pought legislation ia slow, internal improvements art
disconnected and unfinished, their management Ii
imperfect labor is below par, enterprise langushes'
practical education myth as far as business acquire
ments are concerned. and agriculture, though our
great dependence, only support is far from being
ss profitable ss it should be under scientific and en-
liphten.d t satmen Therefore, our territories remain
10 wilderness internal RESOURCES undeveoped, our
mining and manufacturing, our commerce Hnd our
trade almost too insufficient TO be named, and our
laoorpg classes ignorant and in miserable poverty;
migration to other States deciIns;e5 population
our en,erprlspg young men 20 TO seek fortunes
in more liberal and enterprsng regions and too man.
of our capitalists and BUSINESS men invest their means
away from home, or buy up vast tracts OF land thai
they may ord it" in comparative poverty, and nglo'
rous iu action. over few indoent and careless
ssyes or degenerate sons. OF some OF our most nooe
ancestors who are forced TO their servlle condition
| nv the circumstances which surround them. The
glorious and often perilous excitement OF the anVep'
trruus miner the scientific and practicai acquire
ments OF the great manufacturer the Douhd'es'
w.nith of The pr;ncely merchant the profitable traor
of The importer &c, SC, are neither experienced h'
enjoyed by our business men generally, and the mani
fold blessings they might scatter over the land 'he
thousands they might employ and make comfortable
the intelligence they might dsvelope, the sciehce-
their wealth might encourage consequently cannot
follow. But to return strictly to our subject, from
which ws have been led by intruding questions which
initiate against the dev.!oPement OF our VAST ho"
vsrious resources We find the New River just a.
nature formed il, when lie deep channel was nrst cur
through Our Western mountains as great hIgn"ay'
rerhaps from the interior TO the ocean, or "shor'
cn,n at least There Ia, however An opening msde-
commencement to improve that river which We are
rlsaspd TO chrouicle, since il promises much tor t'e
future.
r. a. Booth, Esq, OF Giles, and several other gem
,.m,n who are Interested in lands along the rVer'
and who obtained liberal charter last winter Tor
;,s ;mproy.ment have actually commenced opera
.;o,, rbsv haze contracted with a gentleman OF
practica! experience iu such matters, 10 MAKE 'ne
river nsvigsble TOR small steamers i'eu' po'n'
| short distance below the New River White eulphur'
TO Central, on the Virginia and Tennessee ha'i hoao
for the sum of sl5 900! The distance we cannot say
positively but should suppose il to be about - miles
The cbsnn. ia 10 be Is feet wide, and two fest deep
no understand In low water. The gentleman who
has undertaken this work, understands hs business
and ~ are bound to believe that he thinks *lo"o
ouficisn 70 do the work, though it ia less than we
should anticipse Fifteen thousand dollars seems 10
he q very small sum indeed, with which to open
channel for small s;esmers, that distance. we were
told, some few months ago. that It was mpfaotlcao'e
that the New River could not be made naVgao'e an'
now, behold, great part OF the distance 'ro" zen
tra down, actually contracted for, at lees tnah u''
coat of single mile Of rail road. "A few years ago 81
engineer told us that nothing but rail road would o.
practical from Montgomery to the mouth OF the dreen
bri.r, and The. suoh road would be costly snd DO
ess Than 80 miles in length which could not Do Dull
and equipped for lees than $4,000 per mi!e' o
s2,4l000o
We have said that the New River could % naa
navieabe for 81 900 0C0, aud that the boats Oh IN
~E ,tnia Cr
| Ohio could penetrate 10 the heart OF Virginia. ""
cargoes from any part of the West. And that tn'
can and NAV bs accomplished Whist Ia low oe'p
dons demonstrated. a rail road along this rive
would, if We mistake not cost three times as much
slack water navigation, on which steam could accom-
plsh much more than it could on the rail. sac
water navigation, on which the steamers of the OH
could float, would posssss unlimited facilities fo
freight and the cost Of transportation would be lee
than one third the charges by rail- the facilities b
which, would be very limited in comparison.
The distauce from the mouth Of the Greenbrier I
the foot of the great tails of the Kanawh" s ID m'e
and the fall ten feet TO the mile. The engineers
the James River and Kanawha Canal Company, nav
examined this the only difficult part of the river an
reoortsd that il can and may be made uavigaoie 10
ordinary steamers-if We mistake not-o nearly ~
feet long. This fact has been demonstrated by In
.,rumental survey, and cannot be doubted Then,
,his mart can be converted into a common avenue io
TRANSPORTATION, with unlimited facilities for etear
navips,on as far as freights concerned, and at
reasonable cost much less than what would be re
ouired for a 'railrosd the same t;stsnce-we ca
ea.y prove that the river above the Greenbrier woul
coat much ess, and be in every respect much NOR
susceptible of improvement.
! The distance from the mouth OF the Greenorier
TO Central is about sD miles, and the fall aoou. 81
fest or four fee. to the mie which is much less 'ha
hslfhe given fall from the mouth Of the Greenorie
down to the foot OF thu great falls before mentioned
The difference in this amount of fa! alone, Is enoug
for 90 engineer to know, 10 be convinced of the a'
we wsh to demonstrate. Blu; the disposition of II
bed of the river is such, that the principal fss occr