Kanawha Valley star. [volume] (Charleston, Va. [W. Va.]) 1856-1861, 1859-09-19
Pom he Richmond Enquirer.

tanals
20 ne Editoys eftae Enquirer
GENTLEMEN "A letter from the
Petersburg Express, was published
i'd your paper Of the 8th instant, in
which the writer ventures the re-
markabfe statement that the friends
of the Coyington and Ohio Railroad
tsare in doubt abont its ultimate sue.
cess, as q profitable enterprise when
completed, land declares that one of
its friends thinks that it would not
pay for the oil required for its ma
chinery. Its advocates may well say
Z save us from such friends, and we
will take care of onr enemies. '':
This wholesale denunciation of q
work regarded BY its friends as prom
ising the largest profits. il money,
from working it, and the greatest in
direct benefits to the State, ID so ext
travegant, whether proceeding from
prejudice arEwant of information, that
it scarcely needs notice. Asnoth-
ing has occarred to. change the,orig-
inal estimate of its Importance, the
fact that the work is not abandoned,
but that tffe Board of Public Works
are pushing its construction with the
prospect Of an early completion as
far as the White Sulphur Springs.
might be relied on as a sufhicienffret
ntation; but, as the merits OF this
work have been commented on 1re-
Gently in the public prints, and some
of its acknowledged friends have
made great, mistakes aboutitheAphy
ical characteristics Of the line which
ought to be corrected, / have thought
that in making that correction, it
was not amiss to let the correspond.
ent of the Petersburg Express know
thatsthe distrust Of the enterprise was
not so!general as he supposed.
This mistake alludedto was made
BY the " Dispatch" some eight or
ten days since, in reference to the
grades crossing the Alleghany. The.
5ditor Thought that it was d sufficient.
which our great YirginiaI
inc had over the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad, surprising its grade to be
p feet to tile mile for q short dis
ance, where it could use assistant
power while those of the Baltimore
we're Lie feet for many
niles. These latter were stated cor
,ectly. But what would be tile com
advantage, when it is known
hat tAdgrsd4 eff tie Gooiagto2, and
ohio Hailr04a Is only 90 ftst to thgI
nile aDAere I'D crosses tAagdEkghuny.l
Is shown by Mr.. Fisk's reporfa that
I no where, from the western base to
lie Ohioexcehds 20 feet, andHa large
TART does not exceed f0to the nile Il
!. Tie friends Of tbs roaa Jelseae
hat the receipts Jffoza p1sss4egefs
ooattd be so large nut th8 State
night aaep afford to1 transport the
teaoy products Of tAs WeSt dt costI
n tess than cpsti ILL., 4
A few reflections on tie above
proposition will show that its truth
viii, or is beiu gsnbieeted TO The most
'igid scrutiny There are Very few
Who do not believe that if theIWaterI
inc was in flll. operation throagh5to
HE Ohio river Virginia would now
% 5reaping benefits in the enlarged
commercial wealth and PROSPERITY of
her cities, amply conlpensating for
IN outlay of12 or Is millions of7dol-
ars. Now the proposition Eis, that
passengers and light merchandise will
oay sufficient profit on this road,
ylhich is estimated by Mr., Fisk at
,nly ten millions, and that Itrefghts>I
~ the heavy productions ofthe West.
nay be put 80 low that they will not
sxceed the usual rates Of transporta.
ion or IA canal flE5f
According 10 graduated table
furnished by a distinguished Ieng ineer
of4the powers pfl ocoInotives, on dill. |
erent grades, la "a ton engine win
lraw more than three times as much
IN a grade Of 20 feet, as it can on d
Grade of I16 feet 70 the mile, those
oeing the respective gradesEof thel
Maryland and Virginia Roads. The
3altinaorn anil Ohio PNad 5s MOS