Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-01-27
4it9monb Enquirer,
Bf RlTCliIE, DuNNArANT, TYLER WISE
FRIDAY MORNING, JANUARY 27, 1860
The Richmond aud Danville Railroad,
and Its Connections with tho North Caro-
lana Railroads.


and only needs small appropriation, may be
thought by some of the friends of the 'lead-
ing lines" to be scarcely worthy Of their at
tention-we mean the extension Of the Roa-
noke Valley Railroad from ,Clarks7ille to Keys
vile.
When appropriations Of millions TO con-
struct roads of hundreds Of miles in length arc
under consideration, it is scarcely to be won
dared at that one of few hundred thousand, to
construct road only thirty miles long, should
fail to attract much notice; and yet we do not
believe that there is any scheme now asking Tor
..naterial uiu nom the State which IS so sure to
make speedy and large return for the amount
invested as that of the Roanoke Valley extern
sion.
Our map published Yesterday shows that
tb;c sx,ans;on connects with the Richmond and
Donrille Railroad at keysville - miles
,ro,n Richmond; from kcysvillc to Clarks-
Vile i about 80 miles, and from Clarksville to
the connection with the Raleigh and CASTOR
road the Roanoke Valley (now completely is
ss miles, making the whole distance from the
Richmond and Danville road to the Raleigh
and CASTOR, 50 miles. From the junction with
the Raleigh and Castor to Raleigh, is 81 miles.
At Raleigh there is u connection with the \. G.
Central road; and from Raleigh to jamestown
(the first depot east Of High Point,) is 9l miles
1t will thus be seen that by completing this
extension" from KeYsville to Clarksvlle, the
line Of road from keysville to jamestown will
be l95 miles, while the Richmond and Dan
vile is only l4l miles, and from the junction
with the Raleigh and CASTOR Railroad TO James
town, l45 miles, Or ( miles longer than from
Richmond to Danvillc. The country between
Kevsville and the Junction, with the Raleigh
and CASTOR road, and for some distance up the
latter road, is a tobacco and wheat country,
containing very large slave population, and,
Of course, will make Richmond its MARKET
From Raleigh toJamestowni is partly cotton and
partly tobacco country but wheat is the prn-
cpal crop, and as Richmond is the best wheat
market in all the Atlantic States, we believe 1t
will command large portion of that trade
This connection then will bring TO Richmond
over the Richmond and Danville Railroad the
whole of the trade bordering upon tue Roa-
noke Valley Road, and q fair proportion of that
along the Raleigh and CASTOR aud the North
Carolina roads I'VE would think at least equal
to one-half of IT'D as fur West as jamestown or
to Charlotte, if the High Point aud Germantown
road should not be built.
We have seen y memorial addressed 10 the
members of the Legislature in behalf Of this
extension, (Which we think highly probable has
not been read by dozen members, but which
we commend to their careful consideration in
! which the productiveneSs Of the first named
section of country is claimed as being 300, 600
bushels Of wheat and 1000 hogsheads Of to-
bacco The freight upon the Roanoke Valley
road and the extension, from that
source. at moderate rates, is esti'
mated dat.................. at s35, $40
The miscellaneous freight and up
freight... tp,VuV
The local travel and mail 10000
We have shown that from the junction with
the Raleigh and CASTOR road to jamestown is
145 miles, and that the Richmond and DaEville
road is l4l miles The tonnage of the Richmond
and Danyille Railroad, exclusive of the coal stone
and Bell Isle, is about Sc, 1000; admitting that
tho country drained by the Carolina Roads for
l45 miles is only thrce-fourths of that drained
by the Richmond and Danyille Railroad, and
supposing it produces and consumes as much
in proportion to the area, the tonnage Of these
roads will be a., 900; but we will assume it to
be only $4,000, or nearly one third less than n
might be fairly claimed; that only one-halt Of
that would come to Richmond, which is GER
tainly very moderate calculation, and it would
give $4,000 tons to pass over the Roanoke
Valley Railroad, and its extension, which at
five cents per ton per mile would