Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1859-02-01
For the Spectator.

Messrs Editors Your last issue contains 8
letter from COL Fontaine. with one appended
| from the Superintendent of the Va. q. Il. h., in
tended as reply to an article which appeared
in your columns few weeks since, over the
signature of "Waynesboro'." Whilst l believe
that the recent change which he has made-giv.
ing US train to Staunton and back two days Of
each week.-Mrs. given general satisfaction tc
those interested, feel it due to myself and the
public to correct few grave errors IN his calcu'
lations In the article signed "Waynesboro' " II
was stated that the citizens intermediate between
Waynesboro' and Stanton had been deprived o.
tri weekly train, whilst no advantage ana sotne
loss had accrued to the road. The Superinten
dent enters into calculation to show that THIS
is q mistake, and that by the change complained
of the revenue of the road had been considerably
increased. lie claims that by the present ar
rangement of running the Freight train between
Greenwood and Millboro', 1862 miles of running
are saved per week-making al item in his cal
culation of 100000. Now, we deny, and can
show that the present arrangement does not save
one single mile of running. Formerly the
Freight left Waynesboro' in the morning, ran to
Millboro', back to Greenwood and then returned
to Waynesboro' same matchmaking the round
trip from Greenwood to Millboro' and back the
same day. By present running it leaves Green
wood in the morning, runs to Mllboro' and re-
turns to Greenwood next day. The only differ
ence is. that by former arrangement the same
distance was run in one day which is now done
in two; the former arrangement accommodating
this community with tr- weekly train to Staun-
ton and back same day, and eXpediting the arrl-
val of western freight in Richmond one whole
day. But in his endeavors to make up the 100
miles, he may claim that while daily freight
train was run to Waynesboro' an extra trip was
made from Waynesboro' to Greenwood and back
every other day, distance of miles, which
gives Is miles per trip, and three trips per week
would only give "a miles per week. The next
item in his table of figures is the amount saved
by curtailing the time lost by laborers at work
in the tunnel. This, like the former, has but
little foundation in fact. He claims that one
hour each dayis saved by present schedule. We
contend that such is not the case. Admitting
that by the present mode of running no time Is
lost, by hands in the tunnel We can still show
that his calculation is extravagant. Suppose the
train left Greenwood as at present, passing
through the tunnel Gas at presently before the
hands go to work in the morning. runs to Mill
boro and returns to Greenwood same evening,
and there lies over the next day, the only dis
turbance to tunnel hands would be on the return
of the train every other day. The time occupied
by the passing of such train being, am informed
by the gentleman who superintends the hands In
tunnel, not more than 20 minutes. Now the
difference between 90 minutes every other day
and one hoursevery day, would make very con-
siderable difference in the amount claimed 10 De
saved at this point. We admit that it would re-
quire an additional night-watch were the train
to lie over at Waynesboro', but running as above
suggested would do away with this item of ex-
pense, still give US the tri-weekly to Staunton
and back, and expedite the western freight one
day. In answer to his statement that the a.
mount of revenue arising from travel between
| Waynesboro' and Stanton was very lnconslde-
rable, we have only to say that for o portion
of last year the train was very unnecessarily
made to leave Waynesboro' before daylight in
the morning, thereby almost totally excluding
the community from its use. If he had gone
back a little further, when the train was run
with little more accommodating spirit, he
| would have found that it sometimes more than
doubled the amount given for the last year. Lis
statement as to freight from west reaching Rich
mond as early by present as by former schedule,
is scarcely worth a notice. Formerly leaving
Jackson's river in the morning it reached Green
wood first night and Richmond the second
Now it lies over at Millboro first night, Green
wood the second, and reaches Richmond the
third In conclusion, think we have clearly
shown that the freight train can be run from
Greenwood to Millboro' and back the same day,
Gas formerly without adding mile of running
or one cent of additional cost, whilst large
number of persons in the vicinity of Waynesbo-
ro' and Stanton would be greatly aecommoda-
ted, and revenue secured to the road far ex
ceeding that given for the last year. We appre-
ciate the Superintendent motives in endeayor-
ing to curtail the expenses Of the road, and on
this subject of economy we may have something
more to say at some future period.
A STooKHoLDER.