Staunton vindicator and general advertiser. (Staunton, Augusta County, Va.) 1858-1860, 1858-02-20
Virginia improvements C. sgugtoa
and Ohio Railroad.

thcre is nothing in the state of the finances
70 forbid moderate appropriations, at the
present session, for the rosecution of our
public works.
Surprising our position in that regard to
be correct, we proceed to urge some of the
considerations that demand immcdiate and
favorable action at the hands .f the Leois-
lature.
We hold that every consideration ofState
interest and of State pride imper;ouay re-
quires, that we should .st delay for a Single
day beyond unavoidable necessity. the pros
ectuion Of the Covington and Ohio Rail
Road. 1t is now conceded that, in connex-
ION with the Canal and the Central Rail
Road. 1T presents the directest and shortest
transit between the eases Of Virginia aud
the great West.
1T u also admitted that, in every other
respect, IT as4ims initiate superiority to every
other line of Railroad connection betvce,,
the Scaboard and the West. 10 say moth
ing Of the better clmatc--an advantage by
no aleans inconsiderablc- it possesses a.
nothcr--the gift Of Goa's ene!icencc-which
no amount Of human effort or capital can
offset, and which rules cut Of conpctition
with It. beta for travel and trade, every OBJ
posing thoroughfare between the East and
the Vest and that advantage is--that it
has far easier grades than any competing
lines whatsoever. Its highest grades fer
the trade coming Fast t. the eom n,eneement
Of the water line 1t Cows gtun are 29ll
feet, while those Of its Gully formidable COM
petitsS, the Baltimore End Ohio Railroad.
are ! 81 feet to the mile.
This advantage il grades gives as. in a
contest for the Wcstcrn trade, conclusive
and irresistible superiority; for, by both the
science aud experience Of the question, the
sa,ise s.ss.@stiat OF motive power will transport
nearly four times as mach tonnage on the
low grades Of the Covington and Ohio Rail
road, as it viii 81 the bigh grades Of the
Baltimore and Ohio III point, thsn, both
of capacity for transportation, and o, cheap
ness OF transmission the latter ruling
considcration-thc Coyington and Ohio Rail
road has incomparably iAc advantage over
even its most dangerous .ivals.
II ever, therefore ne arc to regain for
Virginia a re pastallc commerce., and to
end the worse than provincial dependence
she is now under to tho North, we must
finish the Covington and Ohio Railroad
I...cre can be 10 rcsu>ciation of irginia
commerce with ont It. With it, that resus-
citation is absolutely sure it being a law of
trade, as sell settled as any physical law,
that the shortest and cheapest line takes the
trade.
The indispensable necessity Of this great
thofoaghfsre to the trade OF Virginia, may
be Illustrated by the fact that tobacco raised
in Putnam and kanawha counties now
reaches the Richmond market by descend
ing the kanawha river. ascending the Ohio
to Wheeling, crossing by sAe Baltimore
and Ohio R:tilroad t, Baltimore, and thence
down the Bay assa up she James river. de-
seriblng circuit If more than a thousand
snilcs, when, with the Cosington aud Ohio
Railroad completed it might have reached
the warehouses Of Richmond in almost a
straight line, in f.ss than half the distance,
in onc-ffth the ti:ue, with but single tran
shipment, and 1t about one fourth the cost .
This most striking illustration should. of
itself, Wake up ihe Legislature to sense of
the mighty lnportaIsee,f this great Improve
n.ent. The siaglu fact is worth whole vol
umcs Of argument. 1t speaks indeed, an
argument for the great work which the log
ic Gilman can never refuse Let us make
the application What drives Kama v hs
ard Plstnans tah; eco to tAs tir u u t.
dious and costly route to market? Nothing
but absolute necessity. It mast esther take
the route before mentioned, or 60 ,lown the
Ohio and Mississippi TO the Gulf, AMI theuee
round hy sea to the uapes Of Virginia, and
thence up the James TO Richmond.
But complete the Coyinyton and Ohio
Rail Road to connection with the canal at
Coyington, what viii be the result? 4 line
will be opened nearly twothir,is shorter in
distance than any other; that will reduce
.hree-fonrths the cost of transportation, and
save nElny days and often weeks in the time
OF transit, and the consequence will be-;s
sure as any hanian thing can bc--t!tat not
only would the tobacco Ut kanawLa and
Petnan. bnt most Of the taiaeco crop Of
Kentucky and Tennessee, almnnsrinr to
some 50 or 90 SEQ llegshca.lS. PER a,n,.n,,
come through onr it.atr.a line to ii 3. mar
kcts Of Virginia. because it wuuEi IT,. short
er, cheaper, and more expeditions 4
word, would flsrniSh NEST n.:.t,ri:sl sam;ss.s
in distance, time alii expense
And 50 bacon and wlliskey are sent from.
Cincinnati 10 Richmond BY tie same cir
cuitous route via Wheeling, Baltimore the
Capcs, and the james River.
Making the application again, would a
barrel Of whiskry or hngshc;nI of bacon
seeking a Virginia q ANY Il;sst..aa market,
gasS the Ohio terminus Of the GOWN rton
and sAlsSo Fail Road, when it would ind ut
that point shorter and cheaper transit
Eastward ? ssessr
Now, what is true Of the Kanawha and
Putnam tohaa2o, nnA Cincinnati whiskey
and bacon, will be trEe Of every ar&el, ii
Western export coming East war!, ny the
Chic. It viii seek iha Virginia. and the
other Eastern n'arl;ets. ty our line * i,sa-
provenents, in preference to auy other.
five arc right in these views, our Only
sure hope for the commerciul Regeneration
of Virginin, Is in the ess4stpfcri,,n. af the
Covington and Ohio Rlil Roasl, wA;cEi alone
can undcrbid the completing in..s,y otfvr-
ing to tie Western trade > s,.cvdicr and
cheaper transit Eastward
The commercial view of the s,,i,iect which
we here present, derives additional force
from the fact that The lion VIM. Il. Pres
ton has recently returned from his mission