Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-04-06
Z. -
LETTERS,
on 1HE IMPROVEMENTS, RESOURCES AND cChi'
MERGE OF IYRGINId.

ON me IMPROVEMENTS RESOURCES d'D Io''1'
MERGE OF IYRGINId.
NO. viIi
IHPRnvtMfSls CoErlNuEr-1BE VIRGINIA AMI
TENEEssEERAiL ROAD.
Excepting the James River and Ksnawha Canal
the Virginia and Tennessee Rail Road Is lie n'os'
important public work in the State, and one '"a' 'he
people may justly be proud OF, not only as oil n'au
able acquisition to the Commonwealth. Out on nc
count of the enterprise and energy displayed ID DOM
the deIga and execution of this great South
line. The brave aud indomitable mountain spirit
here achieved triumph, perhaps unparalleled in The
rail road history, and shows to the world what '-
ginisns do if they try. 1t teaches our people,
too that the State which produces WARRIORS ana
statesmen, and cages. whose names are immortal
can also produce the lron kings" aud the rail road
kings" Of the agei and now, when the sword IS al
rect and martial ambition slumbers Virginia cals on
her Fultons and her Stephensons, her men OF wealth
aud public spirit to forth and lead The indus.
trous Sons of peace and prospertyto even greater
trumphs than those Of New Orleans or MeIico-to
national influence and commercial power-and re-
celve for themselves the reward of faithful servants
and public benefactors.
Starting from the then small inland city of Lynch.
burg, this line was projected through rich but
mountainous country without the attraction Of pc.
pulous towns villages along the route, and yet 1t
was carried successfully through in comparative
short space Of time; and that too, over the Blue
Mountains and the Appalachian ranges with easy
grades, but without the aid Of New York or Balti.
more capital, or the assistance of English gold II
is due to the persevering energy of the people in the
South West that this great work s not in the same
condition with TOO many of our elder improvements,
that now languish for want of public spirit, more
than the want of mean., though their completion is
Of the most vital consequence to all concerned, and
particularly to the State which, like steamship at
anchor, only awaits orders to "6re up" and sail.
This road passes through, or drains twenty of the
richest counties in the Union. Leaving Campbell,
above Lynchburg, it passes through Bedford, pro.
verbal for tobacco and grain aud enters the Blue
Ridge at Buford's energies into the Valley Of Vir.
ginia below Sslemi and from thence It asoends the
Alleghanies to Chrstiansburg, where it touches the
great Appalachian coalfelds, while it skirts almost
into Tennessee.
We doubt whether any other road could be car.
ried across the Aeghanies, at any other point be-
tween Alabama and the Lakes, cheap aud effectualy
as this has been done we certain that no locality
presents go many natural advantages Whether To-.
Gated by chance, or selected by udicious aud practi
cal men, It certainly could not be better located. Were
It possible 10 exchange the counties Of Roanoke,
Montgomery, Pulaski, Wythe, Smyth and Washing.
ton, through which it passes, after leaving the Blue
Mountains, for the garden spots Of the world-from
Britain France, or SaYony or even our own great
Wost donht tnuob ipdaod yphathar mr. NOT tho
change would be profitable Mountainous and APP.
palachian as those highland counties are, there lie
scarcely an acre Of ground in any one Of them thai,
will not yield to the hand of the husbandman, or the
miner. Unlike slmos, any other country-differing
widely from the Iron, coal copper, or agricutu
raj regions of Pennsylvania or New York, or even
Western Vrgina,w have prolific fields Of wheat and
corn on nsrharstibe beds Of coal; We have all the
constituents Of iron in the same hl-or iron ores and
GOALS and mestones may here be found in close pro1.
Unity and the James, the Roanoke, the New, and the
Holston Rivera spend their giant strength in vain, in
stead Of trsading the mill blowing the forge. But
the Philosophers stone has been found in the hills Of
Montgomery. We have seen huge masses Of the
black diamond-the pure Anthracite dug up from the
bowels Of the earth. We know it will change the
face OF Nature All 1t touches will return tribute
of gold All those who possess the tslismanic trea
ure flourish.
Yet more best in other respects, s this truly mag
niicent region, where copper aud iron and coal are
drugs and limestone hills and limestone valliss-rch.
er than ''Whestland" and moro productive than
thosa Of Lebanon tPa.l -stretch away from the
long blue kittotning, far down into Tennessee. On
one side we have coal and iron, and on the other We
have copper and lead and everywhere We have fields
of Wheat and corn, and lowlcnd meadows, and high
land pastures and yet perhaps, more precious than
all are the sabterrsnsau fields OF Gypsum and lakes
of Salt that lie beneath the rugged surfaces Of Smythe
and Washington But We cannot enumerste, and
there is no comparison-we challenge the world TO
produce all the variety-all the wealth and available
ty-all the grandeur beauty and productions of this
Store house Of Virginia.
For the trade OF this region far down into the ad
Joining States. the Virginia and Tennessee road can
have no rival for the South Western travail and va
liable merchandise and the United States mails she
will soon have no profitable competitor. Under q
liberal policy that tends to encourage the develop.
ment Of her vast mineral resources this road Must
as certainly be productive to Its owners as it will be
and golden showers into the laps Of Lynohburg, and
Richmond and Norfolk.
But it hss the power to monopollze, and monopoly
is dangerous power, if carried far since young
trade, though growing and thriving at present may be
crippled and slanted in ts infancy aud made poweress
to rise. lts interests. however will not be sacri6c
by runous rivalry, and it lie rot possible that Il
men who planned and executed this work. shall lack
Judgment to discriminate between the two extremes
ruin to the trade, or bankruptcy to the road.
The Virginia and Tennessee ka Road is 2O4 miles
in length and it's cost about s7,OOO0O0. 1t has bit
lately been completed, and its connections at the te
minus, with the Tennessee and Kentucky Roads,
are not yet made but it's Southern connection with
Tennessee Alabama, Mississippi, and much Of the
South and West may reasonably be expected during
the present season.
Its receipts are now over half million per an.
NUN, without the full benefits of i:s Southern
nectous and without the assistance OF it's immense
mineral resources, the development of which has
scarcely yet begun. Under such circumstances may
We not Justly conclude. that its prospects fstter
ing. But we must not forget that 1t cost as much Of
vigilance and energy, patience and perseverance, to
manage q road to build one; and that many pro-
eots have failed FROM want of mind as from want of
merit.
The influence of this road In promoting the growth
and prosperity of Lynchburg, and, indeed the whole
country through which it runs, scarcely now be
calculated.
We will merely take glance at the counties
through which it runs, or whose produce 1t drains,
and We shall have another irresstablc argument in
favor of internal improvements.
In $780, the taxable value Of land in those countless
as taken from the CENSUS, was sS 9i2, 647-and in
1856 the State assessment makes it 539l7, 9 or an
increase in six years Of IS 365 55S. This sudden in
crease Is alone the result of internal improvements,
which has cost only 100000. But in this estimate,
the mineral value Of the lands not taken into
sideraton or with but few exceptions. Indeed from