The Waynesburg Republican. [volume] (Waynesburg, Pa.) 1867-18??, 1868-05-06


ly three miles more. But these are
enough to show how much may be
gained by survey. Another advan-
tage of the Muddy creek cut ofwill be
in a lateral road to Waynesburg thir-
teen miles from Carmichals, and se-
curing almost level track the whole
distance. This is a purely agricul-
tural region, as the coal vein sinks
under the bed of the river, three miles
below Rice's Landing, and does not
appear again until near Greensboro.
The coal vein dips West, from near
Uniontown, Fayette county, and so
continues as far as explored.
The general grade of the road will
be from Pittsburgh 10 Morgantown,
about one foot to the mile, except in
those places named for shortening the
route and in none of them will it be a
serious disadvantage. For if the
whole line was taken from the streams
across the country, it would be a more
practical route than the Baltimore and
Ohio Road or Pennsylvania Central.
From Morgantown to the head of
Tygart Valley river, the average
grade need not exceed three feet to
the mile, unless for shortening the
route. OF the Southern end of the
line will not speak so positive, as
this part of the country was surveyed
by Lieut.. John r. Meigs, whose mur-
der near Harrisonburg, Virginia, was
so signally avenged by Sheridan.
But, from the best information from
books, maps and conversation with
those who have traversed the route
it is entirely practicable, which Mr..
Abram fully corroberates.
TO name even a moiety of the adj
vantages of this line would he beyond
my ability to compile and perhaps
your patience to read. There are at
this time in the United States two
roads making connections North and
South-the Illinois Central, and vari-
Gus sections, connecting along the sea
coast of the Atlantic while the sec
ton now under consideration would
form the third great connecting link
between the basin of the great lakes
and thc.t water sections of the At
lantic and Gulf coast States. With
the return of the Southern States to
full harmony, n homogeneous feeling
will spring up. The surplus manu-
iacture of Pittsburgh's thousands of
workshops will be absorbed by the
improving husbandry of this great
agricultural region, and you in return
will require their cotton, sugar, rice,
grain, herds of cattle &c. While in
the section of country that it opens up
in passing through, it is already dem
onstrated beyond cavil that its mineral
wealth is beyond computation, and on
ly awaits the furnace, the forge, the
quartz mill, and the assayist's crucihle
to pour into you iron vaults, such
streams of wealth as Vanderbilt OF
Drew never dreamed of, the agricul-
tural wealth along the line, or the
farms through which it would pass,
can best be judged by referring to the
section of country through the Balti-
more and Ohio Road passes, and ask
ing the comparison in the price of
land, the readiness of market, and the
intelligence of people, just since Penn
sylvania refused to let that road pass
through one corner of the State. The
value of land has increased in West
Virginia more than 400 per cent. just
on that account, in the last twenty
years, and to those who have been de-
depending upon the slackwater of the
Monongahela river it must be evident
that a few years more will suffice to
fill the dams so that they will require
dredging to keep open a channel for
navigation. The time to secure the
advantage is to take it in the start, be-
fore the trade and travel to which you
are entitled are diverted to some more
enterprising section. G. w. ID.
CARMToHELs, Pa, April 20, 1868.