Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-09-28

mails and our railroads. Even as it is now naVigateu
by horse power propulsion, the James river and IA
nawba canal can, and does carry freight 200 miles, as
cheap az the Virginia and Tennessee, or Virginia Cen
trail railroads will or do carry It lOO miles. oe Tue
difference in favor of the rcatrr line from LynchouTg
to tide water al Richmond, over the South SIDE ana
Civ Point rail roads from the same point to tide wa
ter at City Point is, respectively, on 9OO lbs or a hid OF
bacon 81 g.; on pig lead and copper ore per ton $3 o2i
on coal 81 ~. and on plaster 81 SO per ton. Here we
find that coal. lead and copper, are carried on the ca
ma. for less than half the charges on these rail roadr.
If such be the difference in favor of water transpor'
tstion, under present circumstances, what may we
not expect from the introduction Of steam, which
must eventually operate with still greater influence III
favor of our rivers, slack water navigation and Ca
nsls7 Under such circumstances, then, the shorter
We can make the defiance, by rail, from Richmond to
Knoxville, the more certain are we of controlling the
trade of that rich and attractive part OF the Union
If we can put the wheat, cotton, bacon, &c, of the
South. West into Norfork as cheap as it can be put
into Charleston or Savannah, for the mere Coz, ct
transportation, we would. then, Of course. control that
trade, since wheat ia worth more in Richmond than
in Charleston, and sometimes even New York; and
cotton and tobacco are worth more in Norfolk, the
latter place being 800 miles nearer to New York than
the former. Another great consideration would re-
suit from the fact that all imported goods, and goods
manufactured at the North, could be obtained through
Norfolk and Richmond cheaper than they could be
obtained through Charleston or Savannah. The
trade over the Virginia roads would be the most pro
htable to the people of the Southwest.
The noble Tennessee river, flowing for hundreds
of miles through q rich country, has in effect lie
mouth more at Chattanooga or Knoxville, than ON the
Ohio. The produce of the wide and fertile region
through which it runs, will come up to meet the iron
horse from Georgia or Virginia, and the further it
oon 20 by water, tho more certain will It be- 10 reach
the tides at Richmond. There can BIZ no reason why
il should not ascend the Holston, $50 miles above
Knoxville, even to SaItville, siuce a splendid slack
water navigation can be elected to the salt and plas
ter works at Saltville, for a very small sum. Per
haps there is no stream of like extent, away from the
influence of the tides, that is more applicable to steam
navigation. At present, large quantities of salt and
plaster descend this river to Knoxville, and even
to the Muscle Shoals of Alabama. Independent
OF the immense advantages this improvement
would give US over the trade Of the South West,
which, in fact, it would secure, beyond the control
Of any other party, the items of plaster and salt
alone would be inducement enough to make the river
n~svigable for ordinary steamers. This navigation
would give a water communication from Saltville 10
Chattanooga, Of from 800 to go miles. From Salt
vile to Lynchburg ia 1856 miles. But, by making 4
branch from BOnsack's to Buchanan, thu distance,
or portage from the head Of the steamboat
navigation on the Holstou, at Saltville, TO the
James River aud Ksnawhs Canal, would not
- -..L 20 49,, .,, I Su ALLAN Tho mat nf ,tona.
%portation on the IIolston would not be more than
one cent per ton per mile, or IS cents per bale of cot
ton per 100 miles, or 81 % per bale from Decatur. AL
abams, to Ssltville, Virginia. From thence at ordinary
charges by rail road, or according to the charges on
the Georgia rail roads, would be- "a cents per bale, for
l5n miles between Saltvills and Buchanan, or 81 10
per bale from Decatur to this point. From Buchanan
to Richmond the Canal Company propose to charge
one cent psr ton per mile for tolls and freight; but
putting cotton on a par with lead, coal, and copper,
SC, and calculating at the net ton Of 2,00o pounds
we have 50 cents per bale. This would make the
cost of cotton in Richmond. allowing II cents per
bale for tr~anshipments, &c., 81 80, which would un
doubtedly command this trade.
Tue figures which We have given above are higher
than the rates now charged on other roads and navi
tt0n6 -mCcn nlEutE lDdu luUt6 " view 1Wh, VIZ
land or Oaio; and, We think, quite within bounds
But there is still 4 margin of ~ cents per bale be
tween Decatur and Richmond, as IS per bale deliver
I'd on board, at Richmond, would ensure us from
competition in any other quarter; and at such prices
or rstes we might pass all, or nearly all, the cotton OF
the Southwest through our hands to New York; and IN
return, ship our friends in Tenneasee, Alabama, MirSis
sippi and the adjoining States, imported goods and the
manufactured articles of the North. Theirs would still
be another great advantage that we would reap from
our ability to obtain cheap cotton. Our own manu-.
facturers would be benefited to a great extent, and
there would DO inducementsf for otberst TO embark in the
manufacturing business at "Centrsl." Lynchburg, Pc
tsrsburg. Richmond and othar places. Our canals and
our railroads would find plenty to do; our merchants
would be able to extend their bueiness, and, in con.
nection with other developments in the mining and
manufacturing business, our people would begin t.
thrive, and prosperity at last TO dawn with iuturu
promise on our e%xertions.
The projects here discussed are not Wild theoTies,Iir-
possible or improbable nor do We counsel anything
that would be either new or costly. The navigation
of the Holston is required and has been talked OF tor
the salt and plaster business, and the branch road to
Buchanan has long been wanted. The Tall from Bon
sacks TO Buchanan il 2OO feel. and the road would be
on an easy grade. We intend to keep these questions
before the people.
We might 60 further, and propose to connect the
waters of the New river, through Cripple creek, or
une Of ito upper branches. with the waters of the
H.lstou, and thus connect Central" on New liver,
by water. with Knoxville and the whole of the South
west. This would not be an impossibility, or a diff
cult undertaking., under favorable financial oircum-
st~ances-neither would il be al Improbable or Oil
improvidsut one. But We do not wish TO propose
any thing that is not practical under exciting circum
stances, or that would not be- beneficial 10 those works
of the State now made. and languishing for want of
t%raf6c-partly because they are miserably operated
and managed. and partly because their connect
ing links are not completed, their business small,
and au increase not encouraged. The plan We
have recommended. 10 this article, certainly de.
serves confederation from all concerned both
our friends in Tennessee and Alabama, and our
business men here. II is the only one on which We
can RELY, and that is, under existing circumstance.
within our reach, whereby We may secure and con
troll the cotton trade of the Northwest, as we'll as its
other marketable PRODUCTS, and whereby we can az
ford to cell our merchantabls goods to the people
there at fair price,; or cheaper than they can get them
elsewhere. There are three other points outside of
SsltvilIe. where the river trade might meet the rail