The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-07-29

For the Dispat ch.
Norfolk and Great Western Railroad.

tRau VI ICsiSe W Tue mdly 4EleuClb Ol tHe
Norfolk and Great Western railroad that
the metropolitan press of the State has SO
far ignored it as rarely to allude to it in
any way, and never cited word in its
favor.
Why is this ? Is it that the editors regard
it as altogether impracticable, or that they
think, if it shall be constructed, it will
prove injurious to Richmond, or to the Com
monwealth at large? "
/ can scarcely suppose that gentlemen OF
their intelligence and general information
can so estimate this, the greatest State I'M
prouement which has ever been devised for
our good old mother, and which, when COM
pleted, win rest ore her former prosperity
and her ancient renown !; which will make
her own seaport the great emporium of the
South--drawing to its bosom not only the
trade of the far West, but which will at
tract both the trade and travel between
China and Europe, and bring them through
her borders, thus making them tributaries
to the growth and the thrift not only OF
Norfolk, but of Lynchburg, Richmond, and
Petersburg, rs we'll as to the prosperity OF
the various lines of improvement leading
into those cities respectively. ''2 -'7
means of developing the vast agricultural
and mineral resources Of an extensive area
of our State which are now locked up from
the world, and which need only. the outlet
to the market which this road will afford
to astonish the world by tbeir-variety theil
richness, and their abundance. g.
:. Do you know, Mr.. Editor, that the i'm.
provement in question will pass through
the counties of Henry, Patrick, Grayson
Carroll, and Washington, whose fertile
fields are underlaid with vast beds of the
richest iron, copper, lead, coal, lime, salt
and gypsum, nearly all of which, is now as
unavailable and consequently as Worthless
to the world as if it had no existence
Why, sir, if were to speak but half Of the
truth in relation to the character. Of !the sol
or of the mineral resources of this now
almost desert country my veracity might
be called in question. will, however, say
notwithstanding the suspicion which may be
cast upon my statement, that there is per
haps no equal area Of territory on this
broad continent which may be favorably
compared with that whose claims upon the
consideration of the public now advocate
Nor can this statement be restricted to the
above-named portion of our own State for
the counties of Rockingham, Guilford
Stokes, Allegheny, Surry, and Ashe, in
North Carolina, are also rich in the most
valuable minerals and precious stones
known in the coIr ,nerce of the world. All
of these will be developed by this great
improvement, and will pay rich tribute
to its treasury.
This road, as you arc aware, will COM
mence at Norfolk and terminate at Bristol
in Tennessee, where it will connect with the
roads leading through Kentucky, ind thus
with the great Pacific lines :; Sc that it will
form an important link in the great chain
of railroads, connecting the Atlantic and the
Pacific coast by the shortest possible route
across the continent, having over ever
northern route the advantage of bringing
Norfolk nearer to the great West tha.n New
York is by her shortest lines, and of bein!
in a latitude further South, and so free from
obstruction by ice and snow, which forms
most serious impediment to the passage O
the cars over those roads for about one-thirC
of the year.
If you will cast your eye over the map O
our State you will Zee that the route of thi
road by Danville will be almost in direc
line from Norfolk to Bristol, thus shorten
ing the route over that by the consolidated
line at least, fifty-seven miles, which, il
these days of progress and of high pressure
is matte'f of 10 little Importance with tht
trayelllD G community.
New York, as you know, has heretofore
gat her ed the lions share of the trade anC
tr: tvel of the West. She has done this by
tae enterprise and industry of her people
and by the liberal investments which they
have made in the construction Of the va
rious lines Of improvements leading to theil
doors but they will not be able to compete
with Norfolk when she shall have been put
in direct commu nication with that great
West by the building of the Norfolk and
Great Western railroad. .,,.. -..
The following table of distances from q
reliable source, will satisfy any candid
mind of the correctness of the position
which | have assumed: Distance from
Louisville to Norfolk, $50 miles; from
Louisville to New York, 900 miles from
Chicago to Norfolk, 955 miles; from Chica-
90 to New York, oil miles. Thus it will
be seen that Norfolk has the advantage
over New York of too hundred and fifty
miles, and tha. it is only forty-four miles
further from New York by this line than
Chicago is by the shortest line between
those two cities; which distance will be
more than counterbalanced in the winter
and spring months by the exemption Of the
Norfolk line from snow and ice. .
Who can doubt that this road will make
Norfolk the great point of attraction on the
Atlantic coast for the trade and travel of
the West, and for that Of China also? This
being established, it is clear that there will
be much more of both drawn to its western
terminus than it will be able to bring away.
The surplus will, as q matter of necessity,
seek an outlet by the consolidated line;
thus insuring its prosperity, and building
up Lynchburg, Richmond, and Petersburg,
If: the Baltimore and Ohio railroad shall SO
will it !; but if the able head of that concern
shall carry out his expressed intention of
stopping the Virginia and Tennessee road
at Salem, Baltimore will be the beneficiary,
and Richmond and Petersburg must be CONF
tent with that portion Of the trade and
travel which win leave the Norfolk and
Great Western road at its point of intersec-
t;on with the Richmond and Danvilie and
with the Petersburg and Weldon roads. Does
not every one see that this is the only road
from the West to the Virginia coast which
cannot be interterred with by the Baltl-
more and Ohio road, and that it is, there
fore, the only thing that can save Virginia
and her cities from the grasp of that all
deyourinc monster Let no one blame
baltimore; but let US take counsel of her
enlightened enterprise, and set to work to
build up our Virginia cities as she has been
built up-by prompt and liberal subscrip-
t;ons tn such works Of improvement as are