Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1869-12-02
PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY
TROUT g. BILL.
WOODSTOCK, VIRGINIA.
Thursday Morning, December 2, 1869.
SINCE the war, the necessity for chang

South las given rise to the discussion OF
new and different branches Of industry, to
suit the new order and condition of cir
eulnstances. Together with the change
of the industrial institutions, the usury IL
cense. under the new constitution will so
reduce the profits of uneducated labor and
capital invested in property subjected to
high rate of taxation, that new, and al
together different industrial polity will
have to be inaugurated. The lands of
the south generally, OF Virginia especial
", are not in that high state Of cultiva
ton, nor in tracts Of SO convenient size.
to be farmed SO successfully as to pay
dividend over aud above the cost of till
are and the interest on the amount invest
ed. Besides, when, under the new order,
money will bear just double the late legal
interest, lands must become cheap be-
cause the money will be productive of
greater interest than the equivalent III
lands. When such is the case money
must be used, either at home or abroad, III
that manner or new and more prOhtable
investment be found Calculate the cost
of producing and then deduct that
cost with the interest on the amount inves-
ted, and you will find that agricultural
pursuits are no longer profitable The
question then arises in what way can
capital be invested to pay premium over
interest and labor ? 1t can lie done
by giving labor premium value, which
is done only ly educating it in the
different industrial arts If then the in
terests of the country are to assume manu-
featuring chan acter, V it'll the Development
of the material resources Of the country.
we must consider the cheapest mode OF
communication with the different market,
of the country, in order to compete sue
cessfulv With those secti3as having like
interests and al! the modern and cheap
avenues of trade.
The material resources of this great
Valley are immense. The iron and other
valuable ores are incalculable, whilst the
timber, for manufacturing purposes, Is OF
superior quality and in great abundance.
The history of other sections, possessing
similar advantages, has proven that invest
ments for procuring tue convenience of
cheap transportation, to and from market,
has enhanced both the material and manu-.
featured articles, more than one hundred
per cent Besides the vast mines and for
ests, the Valley district of the State has
the finest facilities for manufacturers. In
deed every little town and village has the
facilities to become az famous in the man
ufacturing history Of the continent as
Lowell and Manchester.
Since then, we are to devote the atten-
ton of Labor and capital to more profit
able investment than Agriculture, and as
the mineral aud other Material wealth OF
the country together with the most splen
did facilities invites the investment in the
establishment Of manufactorieS of every
kind, in order to secure the advantage fer
Labor and The material resources of the
country, we have but one idea to contend
with, 10 order to place ourselves upon IN
equal footing with those other sectlons with
similar Interest, and that is of cheap trans
portaton, which can only be secured by
constructing canal water line, or by i'm
proving by dams and otherwise the prin
ciple water courses through the Valley.
A canal, or by canal and River naviga-
ton, from Harpers Ferry, connecting With
the Chesapeake and Ohio canal, extending
though the Valley of Virginia to Le1ing
ton, connecting with the James River and
KaDawha Canal, "a branch of which runs
to that p,int,) woall give the Valley Sec
ton the advantage of cheap transportation
for all heavy freight; besides. it would
open up the coal regions of Pennsylvania
and Northwestern Virginia, by way of the
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, as well as
the greater, and, yet, in measure, unde-
yeloped coal fields of South western Vir
GINA Further, when the great Central
Water Line has been completed, and the
trade of the Great Mississippi Valley has
this cheap and safe outlet, the Valley
Water Isiue must divert great portion
of that freight, designed fVr Northern
markets.
Railroads are admirably adapted for
travel and quick freight. but when we look
at the comparative value and capacity OF
lanals AMI Railroads, III the transportation
of the bulky products of the farm. forests
and mines, it is generally conceded that
canals are by far the most desirable From
the best authenticated reports and statis-
tics of'the principal Railr 'ads and Canals.
it is approximately exhibited that where
railroads can not carry produce over
1889 miles without the cost of carriage
trenching upon the cost of production
whilst by canals or water transportation
the same produce can be carried 594O
miles at the same cost.
The experience Of the State Of New
vi, Co. .to I.at f,w veapa with ifs Ii