Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1869-09-21
THE NEW RAILROAD.


Mr.. M11NEs, in the remarks made by him
at our meeting on the 11th, stated that he felt
satisfied that it was not the policy of the Cum
berland Valley Railroad to run its cars to the
Potomac river, and dump them in that stream.
This must be the inevitable conclusion of
every rejecting mind, that has given any at
tention to the grand railroad projects of the
country. The road evidently means to stretch
its arms southwark, to grasp the rich mineral
wealth that lies buried in the mountains and
embedded in the Valleys of Virginia, and the
teeming agricultural products, which have
now no outlet to market
The unoccupied field which the Luray
Valley presents, is invoking the location of
road through her territory, and no one doubts
that this is the section that attracts the atten-
ton of the authorities of the Cumberland
Valley road, and which has induced them to
push their line beyond Hagerstown, which
for years has been their Southern terminus.
To reach the Luray Valley, the road has to
pass through the lower Shenandoah Valley, o
distance of nearly fifty miles, assuming Front
Royal, in the county of Warren, to be the
objective point of its entrance to the Luray
Valley. Two routes present themselves as COM
petitors for the location of the road over this
fifty miles-the one through Jefferson and
Clarke counties, and the other through Berke-
ley and Frederick counties. We have already
shown, through these culumns, by facts and
figures, which as yet stand unimpeached and
u Al e k.-,a
routes possesses almost innumerable advan-
tages over the other and the truth of our
statements is about to receive a full confrma-
ton by an accurate survey, SO far as Jefferson
county is concerned-whioh survey uill be
conducted and completed by experienced en-
gineers, familiar with the location of railroads.
The Board of Supervisors of this county,
at their meeting on Monday last, with great
promptness, and in a spirit of liberality for
which we thank them, appropriated two hum
dred dollars to aid in defraying the expenses
of this survey, and measures are already de-
vised for the organization of an efficient COM
mittee of finance, upon whom will devolve
the work of securing whatever further amount
may be required to complete the fund ne-
cessary for the work in hand. By tie middle
of October, it is expected that the survey will
have been effected, at least as far as the
Clarke line.
To the generous people of that wealthy and
productive little county We appeal, and earnest
ly urge them to extend the survey through
their territory to the Warren line; and once
there, we have every reason to know that it
will be taken up and pushed on through the
Luray Valley.
Our own people feel the need of this road,
and to very great extent, set correct es-
innate upon its Importance. One word to
them. We verify believe-and our belief has
some grounds of support-that the location of
this road through Jefferson depends upon the
people of the county themselves. God never
made country more favorable for road bed,
than that from the Potomac river to the
Clarke line. But the country is rich-every
foot of the land along the route is productive
there are no uncultivated marshes or barren
pine-hills along the way. From the start the
route will pass over cultivated fields or through
forests of heavy timber. Generally, the con-
struction of a railroad through such a coun-
try as this is attended with an enormous ex-
pense, because of excessive land damages
Whether it will be so here or not, must of
course depend upon the landowners, along
the contemplated route-and if the gouging
game is resorted to, they will lose, and ought
to lose the road, and henceforth be compelled
to pay any tax that the Baltimore & Ohio
road chooses to impose upon them. If on the
other hand liberal spirit is evinced, and the
farmers of the county show an appreciation
of the work, BY gratuitous extension of the
right Of way, or the exaction of the smallest
possible damage consistent with their own
interests, it is more than probable that Jeder-
son county, in few months, will have run"
ming through her entire extent, competing
road with the great monopoly that has for
years imposed an unnecessary annual tax of
$4,000 upon the agricultural and productive
interests of the county.
EXPLosIoN.-If, within the next week, or
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