Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1861-02-09
rRINcrrAL reoprcrs ror roxNAaE Ox rns cANAL

am obliged 10 into details, TO give all IN
sight into the productions of the southern aud western
states which would feed the tonnage OF the James rve
and Kanavha canal. will do this, by taking my stats
tics from the las. ccnsus-that OF 1850.
Tais census which is an Official document, gives sc,
S34 47O bushels of wheat S9S 945 293 bas1cs OF corn
S7OJ72 bushels OF other grains such as oats aud bar
ley-sly osl OF cereals alone of 6lS $50 525 bushels
or about SO millions of tens.
sides 1872 j37 bushels ofrice; 1887 600 pounds o.
Kentucky and Missouri cotton l6S ,l6l pounds o.
Kentucky and Virginia tobacco, leaving out Maryland
4S6 600 COO pouads of bacon.
All these products together repres mt the sum OF 49,
$50 oG3 dollars the official figures of the census of 1880
do not speak of other articles, the enumeration o
which world he too long, aud limit myself, MonsieuI
lie Minis ro in designating til" principal
The drcennia Of 1860, which ia being prepared
now viii give without doubt figures far beyond those
above.
L. is admitted tha, the population Of the West, and
quenv is productions double, nearly So every
twelve years.
In his last message to the Legislature of Ohio, the
Governor Of that State declares that the production o
cereals the State OF Ohio alone surpassed in value the
eare cotton CROP for The year, OF all the United
States.
The chief provisions which have jus. named consti
tute without speaking OF the South proper movement
from West TO East and North IL ought, as II natural
consequence to bring about corresponding movement
of exchange composed in great part OF European mel
chandise going from East to North and Wes:
wi, cite in the last place, the product ons OF the
Southern States bordering on and neighborg to Nlr-
giuia coming from Tennessee Kentucky, North Csr1i-
ma Alabama Georgia and South Carolina. This freight
might likewise take direction from the South towards
different points OF the Virginia canal whether by rail.
road or branches of the canal 10 be made made
already, AS those of the Rivsnna and North rivers
RESOURCES oF vIRGISIA.
The resources of Virginia ate immense. II would be
hcu: 20 enuaerate them all without being exposed To
the charge 0i e4aggerat!on. Nevertheless think II will
b, well to give yonr Excrlsnc; usght into them
dung myself at the time within the limits of Cx
tteme moderation and maintaining my appreciation rati'
er below than a. the standard Of the ay established
"a the rgsu. of invest alton aud study OF competent
sen,lemc0 whose names high authority ia the tnitsd
States.
Virginia haa not yet been explored. Her mineral
wealth Is recognized. sl @peak OF this farther on.
The tobacco OF Virginia is in great demand Its quail
ty is REGARDED superior to that OF all other in the United
States.
The cultivation OF wheat aud the raising of cattle
ate in very favorable conditions in Virginia, aad will
become susceptible Of ameorstion in proper
ticn the Of communication become extended.
Tntee.f,hs OF the lands OF the Stale OF Virsiaa
in forest The timber of the and centre is preieTa
bic that CT the extreme south and north OF tie Unoa
In the south the excessive heat expands the ber and
renders il pOru la the uorth the strength o vegea
ton ia wanting These tSO Inconvenience do not east
in Virginia
The opening OF the canal viii permi,even force the
CLEARING up and working o. these forests which mex
haustible II them is found all kinds Of ship tiaber,
cept the live OAK, which grows crly in Florida.
All such a. proper for general use, wheelwrighng
ard the purposes Of artillery, founI in equal abun-
dlnce.
call attention more especially TO the white oak for
ship building and artillery service.
As TO the raiuers resources OF Virginia they i'm
measurable and execd beyond all appreciation. There
are this State mines of iron coal copper lead, gold,
silver manganese magnese alum ccpperas chalk plas-
ter. szlt, lphur, slate and ochre.
| Copper aud lead found in the southwest Of Vir-
gnl in almost as large quantity as cca in the northern
aud ives. cen;r,l parts
1t is known that tie principal points of the globe
for the production Of copper Australia and Japan-
England has had 10 certain extent the monopoly o. the
| hrst AID Holllnd that of the second.
1t ought be los; sight Of that the copper Of Nr
gina placed at distance about four times nearer Eu-
rope might tc directed easily towards the markets Of
the country which should best know how profit by the
circumstances and facilities that the oTcung Of the VT
gina canal vouj create for the transport Of this metal
50 precious 70 industry.
ir coal and i.oa Virginia e1cels all the other States
OF the Union The fact is recocuzed-admitted. Penn
sylyauia alone can compete With Le u coal but Penn
s,lvanis ha, not q single bed OF the colls dchouinacd
eq5.,i and sDip, These tao qualities fuud Ouly
in Virginia and the borders of Kentucky, near the
river Sandy.
Ii is from canue coal that coal oil is extracted for
burnilg and lu5rcstng purposes
Large fto,oies have already been esablshod in the
west Of this for the mauuacture Of coal OIL which
is in great demand the North and the OF the
| United States for steam boats railroads aud ether ma
/ chiue'y.
The Goals of Virginia even the common btuminous,
| are entirely tree irOu Sulphur. They quoted, am
told in tue principal markets OF America at 90 cents
the ton higher than other coal of the same kind.
Camel and siut coal biias on an average from two
aud hA,r 70 ,yee dollars the !on than the coal OF
! Other States.
Virginia is as rch IN iron rs coal Her iron is gen
ergly Gi the beat kin. Is superiority s attributed 10
the copper which s. fouud mixed in very large quantity
in TIE ore. whi it IL sgid etcrs 1t more ducIle, and
increases It's capacity for resistance and tension. Tue
| ores OF western Virginia rarely equaed The iron
OF the east Of the is equal the best Swedish and
English. Tie fact has been proved, by experiments
made at different times by order OF the government OF
| the United Sat,s
In the mountains Of the State of Virginia the beds oi
iron ore lie sufaccnt beds of the richest coal Often
tha s4ma mountain bill contains the salts for the fusion
Of the ncta A. well Us lime, argi aGd wood for making
charcoal II thus results that all the material uecCsSa
10. only for the working OF con with Ptcoal or char
coil but furthermore for the refinement OF iron, and is
coav,rcn into steel found collected together at the
| same place
Iron has been made ia Virginia Eve dollars the
II generally coats nine dollars freight from England
10 the United States and to he amount OF freight must
| be added tie duty OF "a per cent
NUglul3, Win hef superior duNdttSts IOI tue lhDCd
ton Of i7oa might reach the point by proper develop
men Of her resources Of ooutestng with England in the
articles of iron and coal in the American market.
The article Of salt should not be passed ucder silence
Monsieur T. Mili5re and think ought 10 have its dee
weight of Importance. Virginia has minCs OF pure salt
and inrumerable sal, springs in the west
Without spc Ei,g Of the mines of Washing ION county
mines from which the yield Increases every day. the wells
of Kanawha produce annually three millions of bushels
Of salt IL is thought that the canal being finished these
same wells could furnish nearly ten millions of bushels.
From the county of Kans Nha in Virginia. s derived
the salt used for all the saltings in Cincinnati and Il
great West.
The sea salt coming from Enghnd aud that from New
York are it said often rejected because Of their
| taniug lime and other foreign material
This question Of sat is Of spch Importance that the
trade Of New York address, d the Board Of Trade VI
that city, December the u, 1885, in order to adop
means for competing in the markets of the west against
the monopoly well and rghtfuly established oi Virgin
ia S llt in tha. country.
Lastly Monsieur lie Ministre-I will conclude th
part of my report without recalling all that have haC
the honor Of writing to your Department in relation tC
the -four made at the large mills ofRchmond which
estaD ishmenta Of the first order. This flour is Away
preferred sought aiter and demanded t keep' perfect
w. under all udes, to such extent that HchIonl
has ended by having the monopoly OF the principal mar
kets of South America, especially OF Brazil. The regu
lar cargoes of flour from Richmond TO Rio Janero have
already secured 10 the capital of Virginia return
goes the coffee and hides Of Brazil which should be ad
d TO ths mass of merchandise above enumerated.
Richmond -four is equally appreciated in Australia ant
California.
large quantity OF the grain of the West that canno
now be rece we'd at Richmond account of the high
price Of actual transpor alton, would necessarily b.
drawn this place by the reputation acquired for It's
-four The slmos. unlimited waterDower which is toart
even in the very city Of Redmond land which BY paren
t1ess is derived from the canal, would allow OF th'