Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1868-02-04
S io mIel [For the Spectator. H W
Subscription to the "Covington & Ohio"
Railroad.

Subscrlpton to the "C0v1ngt0n q Ohlo"
Railroad. e..
/ / have read with the care and attention. so
grave paper, emanating from so respected a
source and upon such an important subject as
the address of the President of the Va, e. T.
r., merits. And [ propose to submit, briefly
some considerations suggested BY the paper in
question. AS far as | have observed, this is
the first time the advocates Of this subscription
have ventured to present its claims to the peO-
pie, through the columns of our papers.
Without undertaking to controvert, in any
degree the statements Of Col. Fontaine, in ref
erence to the mode and amount, the county
will have to pay If she votes this subscription,
[ wish to call the attention of the people to the
fact, that payment, at some time or other, gen.
orally follows the execution of a bond This
is as true of the peeuniary undertakings of
corporations as Of individuals. And if the
property owners Of this county vote for this
| subscription, with any other expectation than
that it is to be paid both principal and interest,
by taration, they will be wofuly disappointed.
la another part Of his address, he states that
repeated efforts were made to enlist New York,
Paris, London, and Frankfort capital in this
enterprise, but that they were all equally I'M
successful The capitalists of these great cit
les, with one consent, turned their backs upon
scheme whose advocates were ready to demon
strate, that it would yield net annual revenue
of 20 per cent on the investment. Now, why
was this? Simply because neither European
nor American capitalists had any confidence in
the scheme, as money investment. They
were satisfied it would not pay.
Col Fontane argues that when this road is
completed "a large portion of the trade from
the fertile and densely populated region lying
south of the lakes, will adopt this route IN the
winter season, and avoid the risk of obstruc-
tions and delays on the northern channels OF
| trans sportation'' And In confirmation of this
view, he gives table showing that by this
| line Chicago will be some what nearer to Rich
mond than to Baltimore, Philadelphia, Or New
York. He also quotes the N. 7. Herald and
other papers, to show that the Erie canal In
the winter freezes up and thus stops In transit,
large amount of grain, potatoes, apples, and
other perishable products OF the teemlng
west" as the advocates OF new railroad enter
prises delight to call the north western states.
COL Fontane thinks that when the Covmg-
ton & Ohio Railroad is completed, this trade
will come to Richmond Now, ask, why Is 1t
sent to New York, and other eastern cities 2
Simply because in them are concentrated large
populations who must eat. In other words,
New York, New England, &C., constitute the
market for these western products: There Is
in Richmond no market for the Hour, apples
and potatoes, of the north western states.-
.One hundred thousand bushels of potatoes
had lust as we'll freeze at Utica, as rot at
Richmond. Again, this trade is not depend
ent upon the Erie canal. There is continu-
Gus railroad connection between the Lakes and
Philadelphia, New York, Boston, &C., and L
doubt if communication upon any one OF these
northern roads was ever interrupted for week
by a snow-storm, as it has been upon the cen
trail, between Richmond and Stauntou. Anoth-
er argument urged is that while this road is
building it will furnish good market for the sur
plus horses, cattle, pork, grain, and vegetables
of this county Now is it not a fact, that this
road will pass through country which produ-
ces and exports annually large number of
horses, cattle, and hogs, and which can produce
of potatoes and other vegetable products, any
amount there may be demand for? The on
IL article we can reasonably expect to furnish to
contractors is a little -four. Another consider
alton urged with great earnestness Isl that the
completion of this railroad will develop the
mineral resourcesof the county, add greatly to
! its population, expand its towns into cities, and
its villages into towns, in fine make the des-
ert blossom as the rose The argument is
presented in this fashion. Our mountains are
rich in iron ore, this road will penetrate the
extensive coal fields Of West Virginia. When
the means of transportation are provided, IRON
ore and coal acM come together. The fruits of
this junction are fourishing towns, prosperous
manufactures, and teeming population, which
has to be fed by the surrounding country. 10
show that this is not fancy, but reality, we are
told that the iron ore OF the Blue Ridge Is, at
this time, carried to Richmond by the Central
road, and thence some miles up the canal,
I in order to get near the coal and iron ore is
actually carried from Missouri to the mouth of
the Ohio thence to Pittsburg, distance OF one
| thousand miles, for the same reason.
These are apt and pertinent illustrations of the
| truth that iron-ore and coal have strong affin-
ity for each other. But then, it seems to me,
that the Illustration runs in the wrong
direction for our interests. In both these
cases the iron-ore goes to the coal. So that
when we give the three hundred thousand dol
lars, and complete the Covington i Ohio road,
we have no assurance that our ore banks will
not be moving off to the coal measures of w.
| Virginia and the 'Pomeroy's' be growing up
| in Fayette and Nicholas, instead Of between
Buffalo Gap and Craigsyile. /"
We are next told that building the Coving-
ton & Ohio Railroad Will ensure the construc-
ton of the air line from Richmond to Char
lottesville, shortening the distance between
these two points thirty miles. This may be
true. But If the Central road can build the
Covington & Ohio, and the ''air line to Rich
mond In the bargain, [ do not see why the lat
ter might not have been built long ago. The
two things do not stand in the relation to each
other of cause and effect. The one may an
swer the purpose of securing votes for the 9th
er, but that is the only relation existing be-
tween them.
In former communication, upon this sub
iect [ endeavored to show that the people of
this county had no special or peculiar interest
| in the construction OF this road
That it opened to them no new market for
their surplus products.
That it furnished no additional facilities Of
reaching their present market, but rather dl-
lninished the existing ones.
That it established no rival line, competition
between which and the Central, would reduce
the charges for transportation
That the taxes were already as heavy as the
people could bear And that the political pros
poets ahead, were so gloomy and discouraging
that no people would, under the circumstances,
be justified in increasing their pecuniary liza
blities, and also, that the legal authority of the
county court to submit this question to those
at present entitled to vote in Virginia was ex
tremely doubtful; because large class of per
sons are now allowed to vote who were exclu-
-ded by the constitution and laws of the state,
and large number of the very persons, by
whose votes the law intended such questions as
this to be settled, are excluded from any vote
or voice in the matter. A FARMER.
Many of our citizens will regret to hear of
the death of Mrs, Lucy j. Clarke, the wife of