The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-12-30
and we have seen enough Of the enterprise


| and ability Of the Baltimore company to
know that unless the people Of Richmond
| take advantage of the opportunity now
offered through the completion of the
| Chesapeake and Ohio railroad to bring
themselves into communication with the
great Kanawha valley, the vast resources
of that region will soon help to swell the
great tide of commerce now flowing into
baltimore. The citizens of Richmond have
il in their power to arrest this unnatural
diversion of trade from its rightful and
natural channel by securing the compile
ton Of the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad.
"This route" says recent writer, "pos-
sesses superior advantages which cannot
fail to attract attention. The distance, the
elevation, the freedom from ice, and the con-
slant supply Of aoater from the mouth of the
Kanawha, all present important and avail
able advantages which cannot be overlook
ed" Not only the great trade which the
unlimited resources of the great Kanawha
Valley will create can be secured to Rich
mond by the completion of this route, but
the best portion Of the trade of the great
Mississippi Valley must be directed into
this channel.
~
field lies in West Virginia, comprising an
area of 10000 square miles, and that por-
tion of it in the Great Kanawha valley can
not be excellcd. The coal seams on the
Kanawha are numerous, and vary in thick
ness from four to fifteen feet. Recent ex-
perimcnts have shown that the Kanawha
coal is superior to any other known coal
for smelling purposes, and it is now being
shipped up the Ohio to Wheeling-a dis
lance Of nearly 200 miles-to be used in
the furnaces at that city. By the COM
| pletion Of the Chesapeake and Ohio rail-
road this superior coal Can be made
available in developing the immense iron
interest Of the counties Of Allegheny, Au-
gusta, Rockbridgc, &c. These counties
will doubtless make liberal subscriptions,
as well as other counties along the line. We
were in the Kanawha valley last summer at
the time subscriptions were solicited for
this Improvement, and it was really re-
lrcshing to witness the great interest mani
tested by the people Of that section in this
grand enterprise. They are fully aroused
to their vital interest in the completion of
this important thoroughtare, and have
given substantial evidence of their willing
ness to cooperate actively with Richmond
and Virginia in this great worll-one in
which both sections are to derive such in
estimable advantages. 1t is the great lever
by which the paralyzed energies Of the
people of Virginia are to be aroused, and
the Importance of her commercial lnte-
rests, her manufacturing advantages, i'm
mense mineral wealth, are to be placed
within the grasp and enterprise OF her own
citizens.
Will the citizens of Richmond hesitate
to make the subscription required of them
to secure the completion Of this important
| Improvement? We cannot believe they
will prove so blind to their own interests.
If, unfortunately, they should allow the
opportunity they now have Of securing the
early completion of this route to escape,
the deep interest manifested all along the
line in the scheme now will, we fear, be
succeeded by general apathy, and those
who have grown gray in an earnest advo-
cacy Of this road will abandon it forever.
If Richmond refuses the proposed sub
scription now, let her never reproach Vir-
ginians for seeking market for their pro-
ducts in Baltimore and elsewhere. Let
her Board Of Trade continue to report
decline. Let her sit and brood over her
misfortunes as she may, but let the fault
lie at her own door, herself the chief
architect and workmanship Of her own de-
structiOn. u.