The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-05-07
R;chmonds Golden Opportunity.

The city Of Richmond, by combination
Of circumstances, has an opportunity fo'
achieving inestimablc commercial advan
wages upon terms greatly favorable. We
called attention few days since TO the
Covington and Ohio railroad, and the pro-
posal for the Central railroad to undertake
its construction. In the article devoted
to the subject we commented upon the
general advantages to this city and Virgi-
MIA to flow from the completion Of that
great undertaking to the Ohio river. We
shall now give some estimates to show how
the work may be accomplished.
The intelligent and energetic superin-
tendent Of the Central railroad recently
addressed letter to Mr.. BALDWIN, Speak
er of the House Of Delegates, in which he
presented some estimates of the cost Of
completing the road to the Falls of Ka-
nawha, where it will meet steamboat navi.
CATION. Mr.. WnITCoMB says that to com
plete the road
To the White sulphur Springs, with
double-trac tunnels and masonry,
viii northumberland. 81 900 900
From White Sulphur TO Falls of Ka-
nawha. observation-disclosures. 4ioO, 700
800, 900
With temporary tracks around long
est tunnels, not over one hundred
and fifty feet grade per mile, the $1,000.
present saving would be........... i'Z"''o"
1oox,,r ... ~, 500, 900
1afa
tion with the Ohio. BY steamboat naViga-
t;on TO the falls, and railroad thence to this
CITY. we should have all of the passengers and
freight from the Ohio which the easy and
rapid transportation by steamboat up to the
falls could control. No one can deny that
an immense business would be delivered
to the road by the steamers, and in return
by the road to the steamers. While we
ore sure that the railroad itself, upon the
shore OF the Ohio, would command more,
we are perfectly satisfied that the steam
ers would deliver at the falls enough to
enable the road to pay a handsome divi-
dend on the cost of its construction.
Mr.. WHrTcoNB makes the inquiry, Can
the Virginia Central railroad undertake
the work of building the Covington and
Ohio railroad and proceeds to show that it
can. He presents the following statement
of the receipts of the Central railroad in
1860:
If $500 the gross revenue of the road
Observation-Disclosures. ......... .9ooo,'VV |
In 1850 the nett revenue, not including
interest ........................ $4,000
In lS6) the nett revenue, after paying
interest. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. -o"oo'
Referring to the steady increase Of the
receipts of the company from every extern
sion of the road, Mr.. WHITcoMB proceeds
to make the estimate of the probable re-
ceipts of the company from the future
extensions to the kanawha Valley. The |
percentage of increase beyond Charlottes-
vile as the road progressed was-to Me-
chum's river, 10 miles, 45 per cent; to
Staunton, 80 miles, so per cent; to Go
shen, SO miles, 81 per cent. to Jackson's |
river, "a miles, Is per cent. Taking these
results as guide, and assuming that the
receipts next year, owing to the condition
of the country, may not reach the aggre
gate of 1860, which was $4,000 after
paying interest, he thinks We may safely
calculate upon SlsO,OOO nett after paying
interest. This we are sure will be ex-
ceeded by actual results. But the estl-
mate is made with caution which entities
it to entire confidence. Surprising that
the completion to the White Sulphur thirty
miles from Jackson's river) will add $780,
900 to the receipts of the comparatively
is only about rs per cent. increase, when
the desert space from Goshen to Jackson's
river yielded 25 per cent.-he makes the
following estimate of the receipts for the
three years during the extension OF the
road to the Kanawha
Net revenues 1866 '67 (Jackson,s river siso'ooo
Net revenues 1865 '69, white sulphur Zeo'ooV
Net revenues $40, (mouth oil Ireeh- 49,, ,,o
brier river. ..........'...'''''' "i'''''
Total................ .S"o'VVo
The interest would be paid as follows;
First years interest on
81 800, 900. .........,. ''..... ..Hi-V,'V'
Second years interest on
-f'ipV'
..r.lu