Kanawha Valley star. [volume] (Charleston, Va. [W. Va.]) 1856-1861, 1859-09-26
From the Richmond Dispatch.
SIntFrnal improvements The G0Yingt6n
aud Ohio RaiIfoad.

/ ~ AS the session OF The Legislature ap'
Eproaches, popular interest is revived on
this important subject, JosEPH SEeAR,
Esq. Of Hampton, that veteran advocate
|of the cause, is Qua ii 4 letter in reply to
DR.. WILLlA1fs, Of Putnam county. who.
on behalf Of the people, invited him 10
make visit 10 that county before the
next meeting Of the General Al assembly.
10 this letter, Mr.. Segar speaks with
great emphasis Sof the Covingtoa and
Ohio Railroad, which 10 styles !. The no
best Of American thoroughfares. |" whose
completion should be "a 4 fixed facs = In
the policy Of the State. for The moment ii
Is settled upon, public credit win rise,
and the great work will advance not only
more rapidly, but fare more economical.
", than itcan under any system Of con-
tingent and ,stinted appropriations. The
finances of the State are declared TO be
ins the most suspicious condition for the
prosecution Of this great line. Mfr. Be-
gar says, under the operation Of the pres
ent tax law, helped On. As tits, by the
creative agency Of our public improve
ments. there is, and will continue VI be,
a sufficient Surplus In lie treasury % com
llete an oar public scorE .Wit.Ioat Tie iiRspo-
sitioa Of d SOLITARY, dollar of increased tar.
ton upon HE people. That surplus, be
adds, after paying all the floating debt d
the Commonwealth, and meeting every
demand on account 81 the public debt
and the civil list, is moro than bali. mill
ioni and it is destined To an annual pro-
gfessiye Increase until We shallDot only
have the most abundant meanspf flush
ing all our impro vementss but eventually
| get back every dollar Of their cost and
have our taxes gradually reduced from
their present high rate to almost 81 nom
inal amount s.
!" The proposition IS as obvious asI the
sun. As our improvements shall be
ramifed through our broad domain, IT,
creased value will be impaired to our
lands. For example il the short space
of six years, between the, assessment o.
1850 and that of 1855, the augmented
value of lands in eleven counties VI South.
western Virginia penetrated by the VIII.
ginia and Tennessee Railroad, rose from
six to twenty six millions Of dollars J; ID
that BIZ constructing the Virginia and
Tennessee Railroad, costing but q few
millions, The Commonwealth eollects.a rev
Eenue ontwenty7 six millions instead Of six
And what shoald cheer, and even make
proud every one who has stood firmly by
the improy ement policy, the people are
far ADLER Id bear the twenty million. thar
they were before the six million tax. i.
And 50 ofthe general assessment il
the same six years, the total increase ii
1.-THE value Of the lands Of the Common.
wealth reaches a hundred millions So
thai, the State ii the brief period of hall
q dozen years, land owing almost exelu-
Esiyely ID Ihe operation of3our Railroads,
Canals. AID Turnpikes, gathers into hei
fska land TAX on a hundred millions 81
augmented values. III
" Now Gas siptimated before, when
this augmsnting fundamentally shall
have perraded. every sectionof Virginia I
fertile and mineral tilfed domain, and the
stimulating effect shall have been felt ia
all TIE departments of q Verified enter
prise and when again our Railroads, BY
being completed, shah have become prof
table. furnishing direct as well as coliat.
eral contribution to the revenues (as
they are every day giving PROMISE, then,
4 say, the present treasury surplus viii
augment, until the aceumnlatioRs shall
have provided for us the amplest means
for completing our whole system Of pub.
lie Improvements and materially lesson,
ing the faxes. Z 4,
One Of oar Western correspondents
has given, in his COMMUNICATIONS TO this
paper, Some account Of Chat wonder b
American enterprise. the Baltimore and
Ohio Raihoad. "a miracle Of engineering
skill, aud 4 magnificent monument d
commercial sagacity and perseverance,. ~
We commend this stupendous achieve
mant and ills marvellous results to those
who still aaeotsto doubt thefpracticabiI.
ty and The value tef the Coyington Road
to the Ohio The Baltimore and Ohio
railroad was commenced nearly thirty
years ago, and pushed to Its completion
ID the face Of TIE greatest physical and
financial difficulties, by the eaterprising
people DC Maryland. State which does
hot compare with Y Virginia in population
and resources. Itswas constructed over
u rough, rocky and mountainous country,
uniting the waters Of the Ohio and the
chesapeake in line of 81 miles, and 81
Al cost Of; $54,285 per mile. There are
many miles on this road with grades oil
IIi6 feet, with mosa-d ifficult curves than
the Coxing.en line and with the disad-
yantages 70 its working resulting from !
colder climate. These immense Difficult
tbs have been over come 70 reach q point
Oh The Ohio much higher up than the
Coyington terminus, and below which
tile navigation Of the river is frequently
Interrupted By low water Id summer and
By ice inswinteFs The Coyington Road
has noldificuliies tnenconuter. Coming
Eastward form the mouth Of the Kama
wha there IS no grade exceeding twenty
feet to the mile. Even At the crossing 81
the Allegheny, there are no such high
grades as those Of the 3 4ltimDyei Road |;
rthe highest being Two miles Of 81 fsetto
The mile, at one point, when assisting lo-
ie6notiyes can be used to aid the train
over the mountains. According 70 q
lthoroughfare survey by skillfnl engi-
- e 3 u q y ,lsnfd h,+ i,,asoci.ro .