Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1868-09-09
TvncuprRa AND DANvILLE RAILROAD. =

TYNcHBURa AND DANVILLE RAILROAD
Col VIM. ". BIackford, the energetic Pres-
dent of the proposed Lynchburg AID Danvil!e
Railroad, has written letter on the subject,
published in the Lynchburg Virgihlan, We
make the following extract, which will be read
with interest:
"Virginia is traversed by four lines Of rails
stretching from the sea6oard towards the wesI
the Baltimore and Ohio along her northern
border, the Central and the Tennessee throoGh
her inferior, and the Richmond and DanVllle
along the southern boundary While these
were being constructed, lines at right angles TO
chem running north and south were projected,
and in spite of strong opposition on the part OF
some, who sought to force trade and travel INTO
artificial channels, the Orange and Alexandra
Railroad has extended itself along the eastern
slope Of the Blue Ridge until an intersection
with the first three of these lines had been el-
fected We now propose to extend 1t TO me
fourth. and to open, by this means, the short,
est POSSIBLE railroad connection with the entire
Piedmont region of the Southern States.
Without such an extension the Orange and Al
| exandria Railroad is threatened with serious
injury from three different sources the cXtGn
sion of the Baltimore and Ohio branch up the
rich Valley of Virginia to Salem, cutting cir us
business from the Southwest; the scheme, lore
| shadowed in Mr. Pomeloys late bill III the
Senate, for an appropriation Tor the compile
| tion of the Alexandria and FREDERICKSBURG
Railroad, and through mail route VIA hIcn-
mond and Danville to Atlanta. cutting OIL lis
| business from the Southeast, and the IncVlla
| bic tendency OF the consolidation OF the VIZ,
| ginia and Tennessee lines towards cutting Oh
| its through business from either direction.
These dangers are avoided, or at least great
~ counteractcd, by an Independent, cXtcn'
| sion of its own lice towards the fountain
head of trade and travel, the great cotton and
tob2cco producing regions Of the South. OI
| what avail will be the Manassas branch when
the connection is made between Winchester
| and Strasburg, and how can the company sus-
tain the loss of the through business nov fur
nished them at Gordonsville aud Lynch Ourg,
when this is diverted by the valley extension al
| Staunton and Salem on the one side and BY
| the direct route via Fredericksburg to AcHan-
! dria, on the other?
In the construction Of the valley road to Sa
| lem and it's inevitable extension through Frank
| lin and Henry counties, at no distant day,
| Lynchburg must acknowledge the existence OF
| q serious danger to her prosperity.
| Trayersed by numerous water courses, across
| which all the roads to market run, the country
between Lynchburg and DanViIle is perhaps
now the most inaccessible lying cast OF the B!ut
| Ridge. By the cost Of transportation precIu
| ded from the use of fertilizers, and the proiita
| bic production of any more bulky crop than TO-
bacco, the great resources Of this region in its
agriculture, its minerals and It's magnificent
pine forests, lie wholly dormant A railroad
connection between these vast forests and TIC
country so thoroughly stripped Of its timbcl
during the war, lying between Gord0nsYI'c arc
Alexandria, cannot fail to give rise to L trade
| beneficial alike to the two sections and, to tho
railroads engaged in its transportation.