Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1858-10-15

ABUNDANCE of II on every hardI why
should the State of Virginia pay three'htths
of that amount, even If few impractical To-
d.yiduals should think proper to encourage
foreign before home Industry? IL 1t not
emiuently eviient--.s plain as the most pal
pable truth could be--that the gold she send1
abroad IS lost, while that which she spends
at home is in reality not spent? l. she COL
lects it from one citizen and pays It back to
another, is she no, as rich aud a. able as 1t
it were neither collected nor paldg The
wealth of the State Is the wealth If the pep
pie. If the 200 600 tons Of iron, with which
our Railroad, are built aud quipped, were
made in Virginia, the 20,0OU,OOO Of dollars
which We spent for that !run wOuli now be
in circulation among US, or It's equivalent, 10
mines, manufactures and Improvements,
which would be yearly producing not ouiy
the proceeds Uf that vast Investment, but It's
iucrease--and that would have doubled ere
this.
But if it were folly in the commencement
to drain the country OF Its currency, 1t would
be the consumlnatlon OF that folly 10 perse-
we're in the sane rLiaOus policy. IL the IN
tucen.ente ten years ago were sufncient on
which TO base the foregoing statement, Is not
the inducemenl double COW? If II were bet
ter then, 10 so great al extent, Tor frslni"
to make, iastead of buy, her iron, what shall
We say now If she continues In her fatal pol
ley? That very iron, for which she drained
her treasury, Was bought and LAID do"n IN
order to open out and develop those noun
talns of Goals AID ores, for the purpose OF
producing the material at home. Those re-
gions Of mineral wealth are reached; the
Railroads are made; the money has been
spent; but still we hesitate, and are undecld.
ed whether il is better Ito buy or to make.
In vain are our splendid improvements COM
pletej; In vain our vast expenditures, and III
vain, too, are the magnificent gifts OF Ma
ture scattered pru!usely around Us. We DO
not wonder al individuals, who are always
selfish, or sUuless corporations, who care ~
tie for any interest hut thoiI owa. 1t does
not a-tonIsh Us that they should be hllnded
t. their tue interests BY their exclusive sell
tishpess. They would as soon buy an iron
rail from Great Britain as from Virginia, il
they could save thereby penny Tor the mo
Dent Bat that the State should spend her
millions--:hat Virginia should give the peJ-
PIES money to England--.or the material
which they could produce themselves, seems
to US unaccuuutab.e. This il no small mat.
ter 1t does not merely involve the loss OF a
few dollars, or a few buUdreds of thousands,
but it is a matter OF millions, which still
goes on. How the resources OF tue State
can produce 1t, where the money Is 10 come
from, we can scarcely comprehend, unless
some change is medltatet. 1t j. az annual
dram on the resources IT the State, wh'cn
our profits do not warranf. How can We
spend more than we make, without contract.
Ing debts?
IL that money, however, was spent 10 the
State Tor the productions Of our mountains
aud the labor OF our people, instead OF being
drain on the currency OF the State, IL
would, 90 The contrary, teud to increase II.
Even suppose We should pay one..hlrd mo'o
Tor Virginia than Tor English iron, and spend
IS 100000 instead Of S2,OOO,OOO yearly,
would we no, still lie the g.Iner of - ,UUO,-
OUO by the operation? AS long as The
money is in the State, ii is not spent. Sup
pose TIE iron for the Virginia and Tennessee
Railroad was made AZ Lynchburp--and i;
could have been made, VITA profit fpr less
than its actual cost de.iseret-wvu!d DOT The
millions OF dollars OF gold which were seut
to England Tor thut iron now be circulating
10 tne mountains Of Virginia, and wyud not
our manufactures there be furnishing?
But what is done cannot be undoue; still
that which is 10 come, aud that which il
still to be done, should he considered and
done iudciousy aud Understandings; and
the q Iestlon is now appropriately brought
before US. As we before observed, II has
been proposed to erect iron works and roll
ling mill in come available locality for the
purpose Of manufacturing rails Tor the re-
rairs of our roads and for the construction
of Others. Tbs ls sensible proposition,
aud made 10 business manner. We hope
it will find practical men to consider IT, Tue
thing it-eIf Is eninently practical.
There are now, or will soon be, 1000
miles e X ,llrOad, including branches and
sideIings, co structed in Virginia, which, at
one hundred tons Of iron per mile, low
rate, makes the total humber Ct tons usrd 10
their construction abDu, 900 600. Tits Is
independent Of equipment TIE amount OF
lron which will be required to keep these
roads in repair, after they have arrived, re-
spectvey, to the age of ten years, With their
rapidly increasing freight, will be not less
tlitt -D,U'iD tODs per year. l. II- btCii Cd
culated by emineDt engineers that Railroads,
doing even q m derate business, require t.
be relsjd every ten years. aud this IS proved
to be a liberal allowance by the experience
of the Reading Railroad, the YORK and Erie,
and other rJads. on which the rails have not
averaged that lime. We, however, give an
ole allowance, and estimate the wear and
tear on rad and rolling stock to be 10 per
cent. which is undoubtedly, rather below
than above the mark. We thus find it vii!
require 90 600 tons Of irua per ye r, TO KEEP
our roads III operation, exclusive ol the cor
structiou OF new roads, Which should under
literal aud enlightened policy. require 90
900 more, until every part Of she State Is
opened to enterprise aud development. IL
addition to this, the whole OF the great
Southwest, and much Of tbs South, could be
supphcd With IRON from our work; but we
d. not Wish 70 base our sstInates ~ any CAL !
culatlon outside Of the State. o. the 30 =
600 tons OF iron rcquir' Tor repairs aud
construction, by producing it ourselves, We
could ave to the Sta,e MT less than - 000- |
900 per annum.--Rtch. EaYUirer.
Al Foul Place with Fair Name.
The Fa rmont True Nlrginian say: Are |
We moral people? We hope so; hu', real
ly, after the disgrscetn! exhibitions IN and |
a bout the courthouse aud I'll, fJr time, !