Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1868-03-17
MEETING I'm THE COURTHOUSE.

In pursuance of a call of some of the citizens
of Staunton meeting was held in the Court
House, on Tuesday night last to consider the
propriety on the part of the citizens of the town,
of voting their proper share, (not to exceed the
sum of $50, OOO) of the proposed subscription by
the county of the sum of 100000 to the per
cent preferred stock of the Chesapeake and Ohio
Railroad.
On motion of Col. Jno. B. Baldwin, Mayor N.
| K. Trout was called to the Chair, and on motion
| of Judge H. W. Shelley, R. Mauzy was reques-
| ted to act as Secretary When the meeting was
| thus organized, Judge Shelley addressed it. He
read the subscriptions already made, and said it
| was necessary for Augusta county to subscribe
| the sum of $4,000 to enable the Va. Central
r. r. Company to close the contract for building
| the road, and that that contract must be closed
by the Both Of April That Staunton should sub
scribe its proper proportion of that sum, its sub.
scription not to exceed $50,O In question
like this he thought. there were higher consid-
erations than those merely of dollars and cents.
Augusta had record upon this subject of which
she should be justly proud. For years, she had
been in favor of the extension of this road to the
Ohio River-had been committed to it by her
Representatives in the Legislature and her
prominent men at home. 1t was not honorable
and manly to say that, Nov that we have the
road to our county, we will not aid to extend it
to the other countless" particularly as counties
West of here-Greenbrier and Monroe-had SUBJ
scribed, years ago, to help to bring the road to
this county. Augusta, he maintained, had
interest in the completion of this great road
than any other county-that it would be the first
to be benefited by the attempt to build it, and
would be the first to be benefited when compile
ted That it would require $5,000,0O0 to build
the road from Covington to the Ohio River, and
that Augusta would supply most of the products
which would be consumed till the road be COM
pleted to the head waters of Kanawha River
That several millions of dollars would be expen-
ded in this county in the next three years. The
supplies would have to be drawn from Augusta,
as the counties West had no surplus products
That this subscription would ensure the construc-
ton of two roads instead of one-the Valley r.
r. as we'll as the Chesapeake and Ohio. That
the Chesapeake and Ohio road would have ad-
vantage both in distance and grades over the
Baltimore and Ohio Road. The subscription to
this road would be in bonds with 8 per cent in
terest guaranteed, on the completion of the road
to the Ohio River.
When Judge Shefey concluded his remarks.
Col. j. B. Baldwin, in response to calls, ad-
dressed the meeting. He said that he had been
at work on this scheme for three years. He said
that our recent Legislature seemed to have but
two ideas in reference to internal improvements.
One was, not to give a cent from the Treasury of
the State for the building of any road and the
other, to allow roads to be built anywhere and
by anybody who would furnish the means to
! Al
that body agreed to give anything was in the two
roads which, if built will cross just at this place.
He said that the Representatives of Augusta had
always been the friends of internal improve
| ments, and that Augusta had voted more money
for improvements than any other county. That
her citizens did not know Of any better place to
live in than Augusta county, and that she had
acted upon the belief that it was only necessary
to give persons abroad facilities for visiting it,
that they might see its manifold advantages to
induce them to flock here in great numbers and
settle among US, and thus add to the population
and prosperity Of the county. That we live in a
practical age when population and wealth are the
great considerations. That the completion of the
Chesapeake and Ohio Road would ensure the
Valley Road, but that the Valley Road would
not ensure the Chesapeake and Ohio Road, and
it was, therefore, wise to secure the latter. 1t
would also ensure the shortening Of the distance
on the Va. Central Road thirty miles between
Staunton and Richmond by the construction of
the short road from Charlottesville to Richmond
1t would also, ensure the construction Of roads
| from Gordonsville to Fredericksburg, and from
Fredericksburg to Washington-these roads be-
| ing already graded, and ready for the super
| structure.
He said that Staunton was as 'brigaty' as any
| town anywhere-that it was an active, busting,
| poor town, but with heart as big as a meeting
| house. 1t is now getting along very well, and
its prospects for the future are bright and prom
| ising. Staunton is destined to be manufactu-
ring town. By single road It will have the best
coal in the world and the best iron ore brought
| together here-these valuable minerals being
| within hundred miles Of each other. Where
coal and iron meet, manufactures will spring up.
Manufacturing enterprises go in shoals. He pre-
dcted that if coal and iron should be brought to-
gether here, the population of this county would,
| in ten years, reach one hundred thousand. He
visited city in Pennsylvania which was built
up in Is years with population of 25, 900, where
| there was coal alone He predicted that in five
years, more mechanics would be at work at new
factories in StauntOn than the whole present pop
uation of the town. He said that the proposed
subscription of $50 600 would be paid by the pur
! chase of 8 per cent preferred stock. That the
payers would not feel it, for as in the case of
the subscribers to the stock of the Staunton Gas
Company, they would have diyidend-paying
stock He asked if there was man present or
in town who would not be willing to have his
| tax doubled for five years to secure all the ad-
vantages of this improvement. If it would do
| nothing more than ena Die the citizens to be fur
nished with cheap fuel, it would be wise to have
the taxes doubled for five years to secure its COM
pletion He thought that the vote upon this
question in StagnlQn would be the most unani-
nous ever given upon any question, To doubt
it, would be, he thought, to impeach the good,
sound practical sense of its citizens. AT the con-
cluslon of Col. Baldwins speech, on motion, the
meeting adjourned.
| For the SPECTATOR
| pr;dro ovar MiH1Ia pivnr