The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-08-14
Correspondence OF the Richmond Dispatch.
Richmond and Newports News Railroad.

Correspondence oil the klcnWolu DispdtCH.
Richmond and Newports News Railroad.
1t will be gratifying to those who favor
internal improvement, as the only means
| of renovating the old Commonwealth, to
find that your valuable journal is an advo-
cate for the contamination of those means
by the route of Richmond and N%ewpOrts
| News railroad. This road is not only an
auxiliary, but a necessary adjunct in the
contamination of this most desirable end.
The lower terminus, when completed, will
he a nucleus around which will arise a
rival citylto sthe great empire Aep York,
if not In the splendor of its marble palaces,
certainly in its commercial glory and SUI
pcrficiai extent. l am fully aware that
many persons who have not examined the
subject further than the majority of our
Legislature have for the last fifty years or
more will pronounce the assertion pre-
postcrous in the extreme. To the Skeptic
and those who are DESTROYS of investing
funds in a safe and successful enterprise, /
will present q few facts for their conSide-
ration which cannot be controverted. A
comparison of distances and trei9hLs will
show the advantage Virginia has over
any other State in the establishment
of a seaport city, bordering on the At
lantic ocean, both for foreign and inter-
nal commerce. Taking Cincinnati as a
centre point, the distance from that city
to New York by the Erie Canal route IS
one thousand and eighty-three miles; to
New Orleans by the Mississippi, one thou
sand seven hundred and twenty -four miles;
to Canada by the lakes and river st.
Lawrence, one thousand six hundred and
sixty miles; to Norfolk ria James River
and Kanawha canal and James river, seven
hundred and ninety-two miles. Difference
in favor of Virginia over New York, W
hundred and ninety-on miles over New
Orleans, nine hundred and thirty-two
miles; over Canada, eight hundred and
sixty-eight miles. The New York and
Erie canal is closed about five months in
the year at a period expectation should be
made for the requirements of the world.
The lakes ore visited with frequent tenn
pests; and insurance on the Mississippi is
from II to Is per cent.-on some articles
it cannot be efiectcd-all arising from the
dangers of navigation on that river. The
New York line requires four unavoidable
transhipments. Virginia, zone. The AVE.
rage freight from Cincinnati to New York
by way Of thetEric canal is 50 per ton to
New Orleans, $ll per ton; to the mouth
of the ST. Lawrence, $40 per ton to Nor
folk, $3.50 per ton. Difference in favor
of Virginia over New York, $3.50;
over New Orleans, $3.50; over Canada,
$3.50. l have taken Cincinnati as the
central point, as that city is and will be
the market into which will flow the pro-
duets of the West and South. So soon as
the communications are open for the
transportation of produce from the Ohio
river to the Atlantic ocean through Viz
ginia, there will be an unrcmltted stream
of wealth flowing to that outlet for eN-
port. The mineral resources OF Virginia,
as is well known, consist OF coal, iron,
lead, copper, gold, silver, magnesia, man
gancSe, alum, copperas, chalk, pure gyp-
sum, six hundred feet in depth; mex
haustible beds of rock salt, one hundred
and sixty feet in depth; sulphur, slate,
OGRE, plumbago, marble, soapstone, water
lime or cement, and ship timber. There is
not a county in the State of Virginia
not represented by minerals and metals.
Our water-power is superior to that of any
other State in the Union. Hampton
Roads is several hundred miles nearer the
European ports than any port on the coast.
| will ask of the skeptic, after his peru
sal of the above statement of facts has been
carefully reviewed and due consideration
awarded to them, if they do not give evil
dence in favor of the resuscitation of Viz
ginia! The people and the Legislature of
the State have been for largely more than
half a century laboring under the most
extraordinary hallucination the mind of
man can conceive of, endowed as she is by
the great God of nature with all of the ma
tural elements to enrich a people. With a
means within her control to secure the re-
sources of the great valley of the Missis-
sippi, they have not only refused to re-
ceive an advantage of the bequeSt, but
with a suicidal, maniac act has bestowed
those favors upon other States. To Mary
land was awarded the right Of way through
Virginia, 1t was no sooner effected than
a natural result followed the droveS OF
hogs which furnished Virginia with pork
and bacon were conveyed to Baltimore,
and Virginia was made tributary to
Baltimore for the supply of pork. This
applies to beeves and other live stock.
are all too familiar with acts OF
our last Legislature on the Valley road to
state the proceedings at this time. In my
future communications l shall present to
view the amount of the agricultural pro-
ducts of the States bordering on the great
valley and the advantages Virginia will
derive from a connecting link from the
Ohio to Newports News. / will show that
whilst this line will not interfere with any
other line of communication to the West,
the lower terminus is the only available
point for the establishment Of an ex-
%tensive commercial city. A great change
is contemplated in Virginia she is deter
mined to develop her mineral resources
and establish a foreign direct trade. The
governments of Europe desire it the
West and Southwest desire it; the inte-
rests Of all are involved. The gentleman
referred to in your paper Of the 9th IN
slant as having subscribed, on the part OF
himself and others, $500, 600 to the road IN
question is evidence that he has examined
the subject in all its bearings and is salts
fed with prospective results. My present
object is to show foreign capitalists that an
investment in the above road is not only
safe, but will at no distant period realize
a dividend excelling any other railroad
STOCK In our common country. CIyICo.
The members Of the Richmond Board of
trade are about TO present to JEFF. Davis