Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1869-01-26
For the Spectator.
The Valley Railroad.

zens of Staunton in voting 100000 to thi
great enterprise also the unanimity displayed
by the citizens of Rockbridge and Botetourt il
promotion thereof But it is equally deplora
BILE to reflect upon the Indifference of portion
of the citizens of Augusta in refusing, by q
few votes only, to secure it by the necessary
majority, ~ af 9eH s0 bil @
It has been, however, the fate of many glo,
rious enterprises to be opposed and rejected ir
their first inception, by the blindness of man
| kind. A few instances will suffice:
The Inspiration of Columbus to discover this
continent was long rejected as chimerical, and
he was many years begging at the different
courts of Europe for small outfit, before he
could sueceed-and even then by the sagacity
Of woman The Importance of the Canal to
connect the James River with the Ohio, aitho'
recommended by Washington and jefferson.
nearly century since, was long opposed, and
remains little more than a mill race, yet Ma
tional importance is NOW attached to it. The
magnetic telegraph, one of the wonders OF the
| world, was denounced as humbug In Congress
when small approprition was sought to con-
summate 1t by experiments, and nearly halt the
assembled wisdom Of the nation voted against
it, Even the Central Railroad, now of such
magnitude as to induce the discarding of its
name for one more comprehensive, and calls to
mind the words of the poet ae
mo pent up Utica confines our powers
For a boundless continent is ours,
was opposed by many as impossible to accom-
plish by tunnelling the Blue Ridge, and yet it
is now regarded as of vast Importance in con-
Meeting the great West with the Atlantic by
being made continuation of the great Pacific
Rail Road. And even the vast Importance of
the latter, in connecting the Pacific with the
Atlantic Ocean, with all its grand and incalcu-
liable advantages, was regarded as chimerical
and opposed by many in Congress.
Hence, in view Of all these historical ante
cedents, and many more that might be ad-
duced, it is not altogether astonishing that
many should be so blinded by their prejudces,
as others have been -in all ages, as to oppose
enterprises of vital importance to themselves
and their posterity for successive generations
Here is a short Rail Road 10 miles long,
connecting with two others, and passing through
the Valley Of Virginia, section having had
no superior since the Garden of Eden, rich
and abounding In all the abundance that ben
eficent Providence has bestowed upon man,
and without sufficient facilities Of transporta-
tion for its surplus abundance to market, Withs
out being taxed so enormously as to greatly di,
minish the profits thereof, and yet it is op
posed In the exceeding fertile counties
through which it is designed to pass the citi-
zens are asked to contribute from their surplus
to its establishment, and thereby afford them
selves an independent highway forever, and
many refuse. Among the objections, it is al
legged they already have the Central Rail Road,
forgetting that the establishment of the Valley
Rail Road will establish competition which
is always the life Of trade, and the great pro
tector Of the citizen, and especially the farmer
in this case, by enabling him to send his pro-
duce to market at fair price, and not be char
,r,1o bo, ,,x r. -
that Railroads arc the greatest extortioners in
existence and should the Central road become,
as anticipated, part of the great highway from
Norfolk 10 the vast West, over which the pro-
duce from seventeen States, besides california.
may be transported to the Atlantic cities, the
charges for freight from intermediate stations
will be greatly increased, aud the freight estia
mated at millions Of tons, so increased that ad-
jacent counties will be overshadowed. But by
the Valley road farmers adjacent would have
transportation of their own be perfectly indie
pendent, and able to regulate freights within
reasonable bounds
Any rejecting man will admit that it would
be far better for the travelling community, and
especially the farmer, if every Railroad had
another running parallel and in competition. -
This is demonstrated in that mammoth monop-
oily. the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, and the
efforts now being made in Congress TO estab-
lish parallel line from Washington City to
New York. This will produce competition and
reduce freights to an honest standard. By the
Valley road the farmers adjacent will not only
have competition in railroads, reducing freights
bat choice of markets, and yet Augusta and
Roanoke hesitate, thus displaying incredible
blindness.
Any farmer paying one or two hundred dol~
lars in taxes to establish the Valley road, would
have it returned to him in five years in the re-
duction of freight upon his produce sent to
market, by the competition established, and
not only reap this advantage, but by this In
vestnent he would, in effect, purchase an an
nuity to that amount for himself and his pos
terity for successive generations by the advaE-
| tages that he and they would secure by reduc~
ton of freights, and at the same time enhance
the value of his land one hundred per cent. by
the proximity of the Railroad to his property.
Among the objections urged to this Road by
interested parties is, that its establishment
would help to build up Baltimore to the preju-
dice of Virginia cities This objection, when
examined, is as fallacious as the others Of
course, all things being equal, Virginians wonld
prefer building up Virginia cities but if Vir-
ginia Rail Roads and merchants drive off the
trade from its cities by extortionate freights
and niggardly prices for produce, can the farm
er be blamed for seeking a road with lower
| freights, and cities affording better prices for
| produce? Certainly not. If Bismarck Gar
rett'' will furnish cheaper Transportation to
Baltimore than Bismarck Wickham to Rich
mond, and if the Baltimore merchants give
better prices for produce, and furnish articles
on better terms than those Of Richmond, can
any candid mind censure the farmer for avail
| ing himself of the cheapest transportation and
best markets? Most assuredy not.
1t, therefore, rests with the Virginia Rail
Roads, and the Richmond merchants, whether
or not, the trade shall be driven off to build up
Baltimore or other cities to the prejudice of
| those of Virginia, as the Valley road is des>
tined to afford to the farmers adjacent thereto
the choice of markets and reduction of
| freights.
The citizens of Staunton, however, have had
the sagacty to perceive that the chesapeake
| & Ohio Rail Road on the one side with all its
increase of business, and the Valley Rail Road
on the other, that Staunton is destined to be
one of the most fourishing inland towns in the
State, and why the citizens of Roanoke should
hesitate to reap similar advantages can only be
accounted for by the blindness and perversity,
so natural to mankind, as illustrated by the
several historical "reminiscences above referred
| to. SALEM.
For the Spectator.
Valley Railroad.
Men of Augusta! Again you are called upon