Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-09-10
Correspondence of ue Richmond E"qArsr'I
A Tour Through Sirginia ana inc s""'"
,uMOTIvE sKETCHEs-So. AA
-, a., JI;vD1OB.

Correspondence OF tn fIch"'D'N AS'f
A Tour Through Sirginia ana 'hc So"'"
LOCOMOTIVE SKETCHEs-Ho. !>-N
From IL u,rai' 10 At'nSdoa'
In our letter which referred TO "Ceh'r"'' IL" wv
ya,av-- and facilities "a the great future ehi"' '"''
q, ,he Sou,b. Vest wa made come remhrka III regar"
D., ,ha NAVIGATION of IN. N.g River 10 this point a.
thing elninenily practical; snd, Sc wouu again %
mark in THE conneciion iis' more oe'''''. 80.
nation of the aubsci, dee no! Lad u ~ a'e' 'Ne
therein exprrssedi but, on Ihc contrary ~
our conviction, that the navigation "' 'he ave" 49,
ia possibility within our In-ans and our
ment at any time. On the authority VI Ill eNp0
snrsd person, we hazarded the assertion 'n"' WV
million of dollars would make this river na''k"''
from ths mouth of Grsenbrer to the line OF 'he
GINA and Tennessee rail road, aud we oe''e'e ''''
such an amount would Effect The ha''sA'o" -
stream to limited extent. But even II we u'uo'o
that sum- it ia q comparative trIhs 10 elect 'n' s''"'
PURPOSE which would BIZ accomplished hEu 'hu'"
less than the cost Of completing any other loulo
the West to the East Here We follow 'he gre"'
highways Of Nature, the greater part OF tue
on which steam BE- applied in the most 0V"''10'e
manner Wa ca:not however, treat Of this sun)ec'
10 our present number thoroughly; anu WIZ ''oa'
fors defer il until we return from the hana~na' ie'
We NAV here remark that the successful intfouuo'oh
of st.am on canals, which we have INCREASINGLY ad'
yocated, will make great change in the mode oil
constructing, locating and working ,hem as we'll az in
THAR fsvor IA ths common avenues Of trade. Ii We
would uss steam on our water lines. We must make
opr locks rs few and far between as possible and OF
a cspscity to admit our river bosrs-an abundance
of water, also, ls aosoiuteIy ueceoea'J' W. " ~
to this subject again ~ u -
From CsntraI the Virginia and T-nnessee ksil
Road runs through thu rich and beautiful counties OIL
Pulaski Wythe, Smyth aud Washington, which are
principally made up of limestone inrinaon' oordered
with the reesones of the mountains that skirt their
sdprs and occasionally intorsected with local lorna
,iuns of Tho same character. between the-s SAM
s,one formations and the lmestOnes occur the coal
b,ds which pertain, howsv1r, To more rtc1nt g-o"
gical age than the limestones deposits ms t2'eh
.ivs h.ds of iron ure "a well the lead, galrna
which trayerses the Eastern side OF tho valley lie In,
or on the lnesones, and. therefore, these vast and
extensive mineral dep0ss arn 10 the mIdst OF pro-
ductive agricultural region aud hear the line OF The
rail road There are several ranges OF iron ores, on
ho,h .jdes OF the valley, outside OF the Limestone
formation which probably, still more extensive
than those within it. aud equhlly as rcii Inc eh'st
sncs of those in connection, with the coaf ana
the taciliIies which are now Afforded by the COVE
| ni.pce of the Virginia and Tennessee Kali Road and
Nh. advantage of being located in an old or we'll set
tied and profit: farming distrc',oughttn be sufhclen'
Inducements, TO attract any amount OF mining ana
manufacturing capital TO Tho South w est VI virginia
Sewbern depot 10 sevtn miles southwest of Cen-
rs and il the point of departure for the stages TO the
watering places of the Western mountains. New
bern. the county sea: of Pulaski is about ons mile
south of the Depot. Max Meadows depot. - mles
from Central. IN the same direction Is ths presen,
point az which tho lead aud copper Teaches the ra'
| road The land in the vicinity is naturally Ter
mi. Int badly cultivated. Wythevile, SO miles from
Cenral and l33 from Lynchburg, tbs county seat oi
Wy,hs il pleasantly located, and ~ The mid-l OF
rich agricultural aud mineral part OF tbs South west
Marion, thu county raat ct Smyth Is Also located III
| Washington county. ID located where the salt and
plaster branch DIVORCES from the main line This
branch descends TO The north fork OF the Hoston nj
SaltviIe the estate of Col. Thos Il. Preston, eight
miles from Glade Spring. wa anticipate VAST IN
crease OF freight iron this branch al no distant day
since il pener4ee those immense plaster banks, on
which The perpetual fertility OF our lands Will, IN
great measure, depend Abingdon, the county seat
| Of Washington, s an old aud rather pretty place,
houoh rather wanting in that apIr OF eDterpriee Ard
energy on which the prosperity oil towns ana cliioe
depend. At or near this point the Cumberland Gap
rail road line forms the contemplated union win Tue
Virginia and Tenuelseo rORd This line runs tbrouE
the extreme South West OF Virginia. and extends ll3
miles from Abingdon to Cumberland Gap. where II
will be met by the rail roads OF Kentucky and
Tennessee. When this road is completed, which
we hope may BIZ 10 less time than some oil our Older
| lines. the great portion Of tbs produce OF Kentucky
will take the Yrginian lines TO market, Us that o
| r.nn.rs.e now does. Such consu'nmaton wOuin
| yiv. Abingdon q desirable location. A line OF rail-
road has also been projected from thl. locallty 10
| Danville There il nothing. however, but sect'onh
or-iudic-s to build up such Il ns, and VIZ sincerely
| non, that il will never he mHds. There has onrr
enough o! ouch nm policy to display The folly o
building trunk lines in opposition IN each other aud
every practical person Interested in the welfare OF
State should rather eDdeavor 10 make each new line
teed,r tn the trunk lines than tap TO draw ol lts
trad. Virginia might have Eoyed the trade OF the
| most prof lie portion of the UUion. hnd long era thu
| with lear expenditure than hns been made, might
| nav. been r-aping H splendid income from her invest
! M mt had they been inilc"usly made. North Cnr"-
| Ina Tpnneaare. Kentucky great portion OF ONO
| Iudlnna. Illinois, Mi.1"nri and the new Western
| States could be drsiust through iha Improvement
| Of Virginia
| Bristol the termination Of tho Virginia and Ten
nesses line is 2D5 miles from Lynchburg aud 5SI
miles from Memphis 1t was proposed at ons time 10
erect the workshops of The company AT Bristol and
| Lynchburg on each and OF the line, partly, We hi
ey. on account Of the convenience TO coal aud iron
| but recent developments at Central VIII uh1onbt
-dly lend the compsny To adopt their original plan
and l,cnt. their principal workshops at New River
sine. al that point both cOg and iron can be- produced
much cheaper than at any other point on IN" line
DEBow.
EorE Your types have made me say several strange
things which thought o but AS they are gencray
| uuimportant will merely correct lew of them In.
| mountain near that delightful resort the Rochbrdgt
Baths IN Rockbrdge county, is Jump Mountains, AND
neither Lump" nor Hump 40 my letters state Judge
a. $ Fulton and not sutton, owns lead property on tne
New River And my reference 10 the Central Improve
,oeut in No. XIX, meant tor the Central water
| line" and not Ccutra," On the New River.
| -