Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1869-01-19
For the Spectator.
Valley Railroad.

A writer in the last Spectator, who admits
that the Valley Railroad will be a benefit to US
objects to the subscription to it, because he
says, Rockingham lost her subscription to the
Manassas Road because the B. Il Ohio Il. II.
will build the Valley Road for us; and advises
us therefore to be patient
His admission implies that, when the road is
built, our farmers will have, first, choice OF
markets where are the highest prices second,
competition reducing the charges of carrying
their produce to market, and bringing back
their supplies cheaper in return hence an i'm
mense saving of profit on the produce of the
county, and every cent saved off the cost of get
ting into the last market goes directly to the
pocket of the producer, instead of to the pockets
Of railroad officials. Therefore, our lands will
rise in price, because the produce sold ioiU bring
that much more profit to the farmer. This will
attract more white people with more capital to
come among US. And, while the road is build
ing, will at once add to the money now in cir
culation, the ST. 600, 900, which will be spent in
its construction along the whole length of the
county.
Now, what, if Rockingham ''lost'' her SUBJ
scription to the Manassas Road-(which we do
not admit does Augusta, therefore, necessa-
rily lose her subscription to different road, and
under different circumstances? augusta did
not "lose" her subscription of $4,000 to the
Central Road, in fact the land damages paid to
few OF her citizens amounted to more than the
whole county subscription, and the money
spent in the county and put in circulation for
the construction of the road, amounted to more
than million of dollars.) But, Rockingham
lost her subscription to Manassas, because The
aoar destroyed the Manassas Road, and broke
up the Company; just as thousands Of citizens
lost their stock, horses, wagons, crops, &c.
Va \ IL ~ L. II.
money in stock, horses, wagons, crops, &C., and
sit down to starve for fear they will now lose
their money thus again? The same pretense
of argument would persuade any one never to
engage in any business for fear he might break
and lose money! 4ssr gr<sa a
Why will Mr.. Carrot build our road and
pay for it p His road already sucks the Valley
effectually. He enters its very mouth at Har~
pers Ferry, and pushes up all along the Shen-
andoah, almost to its head at Harrisonburg; he
reaches its heart at Staunton, Uia the Orange
Road and Blue Ridge tunnel; and at Salem, via
Lynchburg, he taps its great Western water
shed. Can the Valley beomore completely in
his grasp, even fit cost him nothing of the
S., 900, 900 necessary to build and pay for
the Valley Railroad I6HI
Indeed, as matters now stand, it is to the III
terest of Mr.. Garrett not ito build and pay for
our road From Harrisonburg, through all
the lower Valley, he now has a monopoly OF the
transportation if the railroad is extended by
building the Valley Road, there will be com
peting railway route created against Baltimore
from far below Harrisonburg in the direction of
Richmond and Norfolk, via Valley Railroad
and the Central from Staunton Eastward. =
When the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad is conf
pleted, Mr.. Carrot may then find it to his int
rest to build and pay for our road" not till
then, and that only, after this generation has
died off, Ia the vain deusion, with which we
have been lulled to sleep for thirty long years
already, waiting for somebody to ''build and
pay for our road. - -so s
= The last reports of the B. & o. r. r. Com
pany show that it is now engaged in spending
and pledging all its surplus capital in works of
far more Immediate Importance to it than In
building and paying for our road to create a
competition against ITSELF 1t is now making a
double track and shortening by Strengthening
its line at enormous cost along it's main stem
it is building costly iron bridge over the Ohio
River at Parkersburg |; another over the Ohio
near Wheeling !; (these bridges costing more
than the whole road through Augusta y it is
| constructing branch roads (longer than the
whole Valley Raroad) to Pittsburg, via Con
nellsville; to Washington City, cha Point OF
Rocks to Hagerstown, ria Frederick City and
to Strasburg Uia Winchester; it has leased and
is working at heavy cost the Central Ohio r.
r., and the Marietta & Cincinnati Railroad
and it is establishing lines of Ocean Steamers
to Liverpool, and another to Bremen, and 9th
ers to Charleston, New Orleans, &c. Until
these vast and pressingy important works are
completed-requiring not only all the surplus
capital but the creation of a heavy debt be-
sides-how futile is the hope that MIR. Gar
ret will undertake to build and pay for our
road!' It may be soothing to say lit viii be
done anyhow but we will awake to the de-
fusion when it is too late, for at least this gen
Grafton, to repair the mistake. Already we are
in danger of losing even the present chance
already even Rockbridge, discouraged by the
apathy of Augusta, is meditating proposition
to divert its subscription to a short track con
Meeting with the Orange to Baltimore, thence
the Southside to Richmond, and then the Val
ley Railroad fails, and we are left at the mercy
of single Railroad monopoly for an indefinite
future. Oh for 1.-THE of the ancient spirit ano
generosity which pushed Old Augusta to tht
head and lead of all great enterprises in thu
past x.
Mai w. r. Sutherlin has been elected Pres
ident of the State Agricultural Society. ca