The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1867-06-19
The Great Work before ns--Ohr opp0r.
II

u Ohio Railroad, on the surveys made Tor |
Great Valley Railroad-the productive
ness Of the Valley-the Importance of the
road to Baltimore and the country, &C.
This report must convince the most scep-
teal in Baltimore, that it is absolutely ne
cessary to that city's continued prosperity
that this road be built. The consolida-
ton Of the O. &. A. and MIG Railroads,
has been completed and every thing is
working properly for the furtherance Of
this great work. The people ofAugusta can
aid the Valley Railroad, by a heavy Coun-
ty subscription tobuild this great road to
the. Ohio: for it once completed, the IN
terests Of Baltimore makes the Valley r.
r. certainty. snaga
The contract has been signed, giving the
Central Railroad the power, if our people
sustain it, to build the Covington & Ohio
Railroad. We have seen apriyate letter,
from President Fountaine, which shows
that active measures will be taken at once
to complete this great work, and to use
this Iron Salvation for Virginia. To SCI
cure the rich fruition of our hopes; to lift
our impoverished State the highest point
Of commercial and manufacturing great
ness, requires the aid Of every man and
every County on the line. A public meet.
ing will be held atnextC County Court, and
the County Of Augusta will be asked to.
make a large County subscription to aid
in the great work Here is the true road
to freedom and wealth. Let every man
do isduty- give his mite andafew years
will see Radicalism, the Military, and all
such .trammels upon the energies Of free
people, removed. & 1assazs sa alb s
The citizens Of Augusta will meet, on
next Monday for the purpose Of consider
ing this most important subject. We are
much gratifed at the deep interest already
manifested by our people in this great
work, and the disposition to render it ma
terial aid. Some may think, that the road
being already completed through the coun-
ty, we have no especial interest in its ex-.
tention to the Ohio River. Tho people Of
Augusta will derive greater benefit from
the completion ofthe road, than they have
already realized from its construction
through the County. The charges on the
Central Railroad are now excessive, and
cannot be reduced with its present amount
Of business. The competition Of the James
River Canal and the Orange Road, for the
limited business Of the district penetrated
by these works; the corps Of officers and
heavy expenses Of repairs and transporta-
ton, which have to be maintained, rem
ders high tariff of charges necessary, ~
The charges can only be reduced by an in
crease ofbusiness, which alone can be Sc
cured by tapping the Valley Of the Ohio
The last annual report Of the Virginia
| Central Railroad shows, that the average
charge for the transportation Of tonnage
is six and half (6a) cents per ton per
mile, and Of passengers a cents per pas
senger per mile. These are about double
the rates which prevail on Northern and
Western roads which have full business.
Estimating the tonnage, to and from Au-
gusta, at only 5, 700 tons, carried distance
Of 40 miles, at "a charge Of 6 cents per
ton per mile. and this would amount to
| $40, 600. Suppose the travel paid one
half Of this sum or $21 900, this would
make $4,000 paid by the County, one
half of which sum would be $31 500 saved
annually to the County, by a reduction Of
charges, which can alone be secured by
the completion Of the road to the Ohio
River. -ea.e
Therefore Augusta, upon its present
business, would save, at least, $50, 1000 per
annum, by this reduction Of charges. A
reduction Of fifty per cent in the charges
would, probably, much more than double
the production of the County, which would
duplicate its wealth The real wealth Of
the County, its immense deposits of iron
ore, is now undeyeloped and will remain
so, until access is had to the coal fields of
Kanawha. Complete the Chesapeake &
| Ohio Railroad, and the coal Of Kanawha
| (unequalled by any in the y, s for the
manufacture Of iron, can be delivered in
Augusta at less than five dollars per ton.
1 We will then see iron furnaces dotting the
Central Railroad, along its entire length
in the County, and instead Of producing,
as now, 1000 tons OR less, worth $4,000,
we may anticipate production Of 30, 900
tons annually, worth s2,0o0,o0o. Roll
ing Mills and Foundries will also spring
into existence and work up the same iron
into the various fabrics for which it is
adapted. 1t is safe to estimate that the
wealth and population Of Augusta will be
quadrupled BY the full development Of her
latent wealth. u,
Our people are among the m ost intelli4
gent and enterprising in the State and are,
probably, better adapted than any other
community Of the State, to engage success