The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-06-06
cnesapeake and Ohio Railroad.


This is the name by which the great line
or road from the Virginia tide to the ONO
is known in West Virginia. Tho people
there have the most comprehensive iueS y,
IL, and desire that II shall be recos"'"'u
by name equal in dignity to 'he i"e u
communication itself. The WESTERN pa
mars in and bordering upon the Kanawha
Valley speak Of it in enthusiastic language.
The people are generally aroused to full
appreciation Of its Importance and the ne
cessity of active and prompt measures to
build it.
We learn from the Point Pleasant
Journal that cit is contemplated at once
"to hold grand convention at Point
pheasant" to which are to be invited
delegations from all the counties along the
line from Richmond to the Ohio and the
cities of ST. Louis, Louisville, Cincinnati,
Marietta, SC. Point Pleasant is at the
Kanawha terminus Of the great road.
The Journal states that the Marietta
(0hio) railroad will construct branch OF
their road from Hampden to point oppo-
site Point Pleasant to connect with the
Chesapeake and Ohio railroad.
Seeing the evident signs of deep solici.
tude in the public mind of West Virginia
in behalf Of this railroad, we consider the
present an suspicious moment to go to
work to build il. To fail to cooperate
with the people of the kanawha valley
now is to disappoint them and defer their
bopes for q time at least, and that time
will be a period Of great danger to us.
Despairing of cooperation from Virginia,
they may abandon all expectation Of any
connection with Virginia tide-water, and
look elsewhere for communication with
market. There are other routes. tits easy
10 construct road from the Kanawha
along Elk river to join the Baltimore and
Ohio railroad; and it is certain that if we
here fail TO secure control of the line by
helping to build it, West Virginia will give
the right Of way to others, to be built in
the interest Of some other city. When
that is done we may bid adieu
to the Chesapeake and Ohio rail
road. 1t was but the other day that
the people of Augusta met at Stanton to
consider the question of prosecuting the
Valley railroad. A Mr.. RANDOLPH, engi-
neer in the employment Of the Ohio rail
road, informed the meeting that Baltimore
considered the Covington and Ohio railroad
as offering to her shorter road to the Ohio
. bv easier grades than the Baltimore and
Ohio road. OF course shedoeS; and though
II be nearer from the Ohio to tide-water at
Richmond than it is TO Baltimore, every
body knows that if Baltimore builds
the road she could easily cOerce the trade
to the point of greater distance, Baltimore.
These are real causes of alarm. II we
90 ahead aud take the control through our
interest in the road, we need fear no oppo-
sition. We can control the vast trade 10y
this work: but if we put off the matter ana
daily with the question, the solid and
thrifty people Of the Kanawha valley will
certainly give us up, and seek alliances
with those who are more enterprising and
liberal, and who better understand and APP
preciate the trade of the Ohio valley.
Those people have been voting in the Lee
gislature of Virginia for thirty years-mil-
lions upon millions-to establish line OF
communication from Richmond to the
Ohio, and yet We have not reached the
eastern base of the Allegheny mountains.
They are still anxious to unite with us
but we must not conclude that their pa.
tience is inexhaustible.
A united effort will soon take the road
to the head of steamboat navigation on the
kanawha, ninety-Seven miles from the
Ohio river, and the business of the great
line will then easily finish it to the Ohio.