Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1867-01-15
gpisit 81 ssfsGsss
RATRs OF ADVERTlSlNG
The Virginia valley RAILROAD.

The early construction Of line Of railway
leading frotnt Harper's Ferry, through tho
Valley of Virginia, to connect with the Yir-
ginia and Tennessee roads In the southwestern
part of that State will open direct line of
Communication from Baltimore to New Or
leans. 1t will place the States of yirginin,
Tennessee, Georgia, Alabapa, Mississippi
and Louisiana On a direct and economical hIesi.
road 10 the head Of the Chesapeake. 1t Wit
make the whole of this vast and fertile region,
tie very garden spot of the earth, tributary
to the trade and commerce of Baltimore.-
The Valley of Virginia, thYopSh which it will
pass, is one of the most attractive spots tIa
emigrants on the face of the earth. The soil
is fertile, the climate healthful, the population
hardy and Intelligent, and from the fact that
slavery has never prevailed there to any great
extent, habituated to manual industry, and
free from these prejudiees against personal
labor in the fields which existed elsewhere.
The people are distinguished by intelligence,
sobriety, morality, churchss, schools, and col.
legcs of n high order arc established in this
inviting region. The greatest advantages aru
thus offered to emigration, and tie most reg-
souable assurances of prosperity and wealth.
This fno Valley has now no outlet to market,
except by the Central Railroad from St4pntop
to Richmond and the James River Canal frorl
Lexington TO the same city. But little Of It's
trade goes to the capital OF Virginia, and tpur-
sues the natural route to Baltimore, notwith.
standing the absence of railroad facilities 1nF
that purpose. The Valley has been rayaged and
its property destroyed by the war or there eau
be no doubt that its people would themselves
construct the improvement, n chSGer for
which they obtained at the last session Of the
VirginiaeLegislature If the road is built at
all, it must be by the enterprise and capital
of this community, community which Is
even more interested than the Valley in its
construction. Not only will the greatest COM
mercial advantages be subscrved by this i'm
portant work, but new and powerful bond
of national union will be created.
We would do nothing to Increase tho pros
perity of Baltimore at tho expense of Yir-
ginia, but the trade which We seek cannot be
accommodated by any Virginia lines, sxist-
ing or in prospect it does not seek, and never
has sought an outlet east of the Mountains,
and it is idle to attempt by legislation to di>
vert trade from its natural ehapnel. The
road may not build up any Psrtieplar Viz
ginia city, but it will increase S wealth Of
the Virginia people in the section through
which it runs, and thus enable chem TO con-
tribute to the revenues and prosperity of the
State at large. Look at the magical 6ffectsof
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad upon that
portion OF west Virginia through which lt
passes the enormous increase of business and
prosperity upon that line; the trepepdons ad-
vance in the values of all properties in that
region the millionaires it has made Of tho
owners of oil lands, and of coal and other
mineral lands, besides aiding largely ip thp
construction of the Parkersbprg road, WHICH
has cost more than seven millions of dollars
fhe building of this Valley railroad would
make the Valley of Virginia one Of tho
wealthiest and most prosperous regions in the
United States, and through that medium
would rcvivify and restore the whole Of yiE-
ginia.
The Baltimore and Ohio Company j. fallY
competent to the undertaking OF this new en,
terprise. With its three hundred looomo-
tives, four thousand cars, and seventy .fyo
daily trains, it gives substantial evidence of
being a powerful corporation. we canRos
doubt that it will be awake 10 the value of ths
prize which is within its grasp Transcript.