Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1869-12-03


The prospect Of the early completion Of
the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad has also
awakened considerable interest in the COM
pletion Of the Great Valley Railroad. This
is to be observed in the daily expressions Of
those in cur midst, and not less observable
is it in communities, at distance, likely to
be greatly benefited by this road AS a
matter Of great interest to our people We
copy below an editorial on the subject, taken
from the Bal more Gazette. one Of the lead
ing Baltimore dailies:
GAS the time approaches when an act. au-
tAogizing the subscription by TIC city of the
sum Of ore million Of dollars to the Virginia
Valley Railroad, is TO be obtained from the
Legislature. and to he submitted to the peo-
pie of the city, it is gratifying to observe
that the feeling in favor of the completion Of
the road, and the conviction Of the necessity
of its construction, are daily becoming
stronger among those, at least, who interest
themselves in such matters and who have the
welfare of this city really at heart. The
continued developments of the wealth Of Vir-
ginia, which will become, by the construc-
ton of this road, tributary to Baltimore city,
are simply astounding to those who have Civ
en- no attention to the subject We do not
alude to the rich agricultural produce Of a
splendid and fertile region, which of itself,
yearly increasing, demands an iron road,
and would soon supply local trade and traffic
sufficient to support it ; but 70 the vast min
eral resources which have remained so long
almost untouched, simply from want Of mod
ern facilities Of communication. The cxtcn-
sion of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad
from Stanton to the White Sulphur Springs
has, however, finally attracted attention to
the immense deposits Of valuable iron orc
which exist between the Blue Ridge and the
Allegheny Mountains. New York and Penn
sylvauia and Maryland capital has been in
vested near the line Of the present road to a
large amount. Mineral property III Angus.
ia, Rockbridge and Allegheny counties, has
been purchased to large extent, and within
the past four weeks We hear Of additional
transfers Of real estate to Pennsylvania iron
masters.
From Staunton to the White Sulphur
Springs there arc, at intervals, splendid de-
posts Of ore, stretching away far to the
north and the south Of the line of the Chesa-
pcake and Ohio Road. Indeed, it seems
now to be an acknowledged fact that there
is belt Of land, lying along the Allegheny
range, extending $50 miles through Virginia,
which is filled with iron ore deposits Of unu-.
sually good quality. Il is directly through
the heart Of this region that the proposed
Valley Road Will pass, from Stanton to Sa-
lem. This of itself would give an immense
value to the road, would make it particular
ly important to the State of Virginia and
render it an unusually valuable connection
for the city of Baltimore: But recent de-
vclopments lave demonstrated that this re-
gion is not only abundantly supplied with
iron ore, but that vast veins Of anthracite
coal also lie embedded in the earth, beneath
its surface. Explorations recently made by
u Baltimore company, which has bought
largely and is actively at work near Buffalo
Gap, bave resulted in the discovery of an
thracte coal within few rods of the dcpos
its Of iron ore. On the opposite hill is a
large quarry Of limestone, suitable for fux.
So fai, no such formation has been discover
ed in this country, and if the veins Of coal
turn out as well it is now confidently an
ticipated they viii, the Valley Of Virginia
will possess a region destined to become
more famous than the famous Gartsherric
district Of Scotland, and in which better iron
viii be produced for less money, and III
larger quantities than in any ether civilized
country in the world.
The developments Of mineral wealth iii
Virginia and Western Virginia have, we
learn, virtually ensured the speedy compile
ton of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad
through the Kanawha Valley to the Ohio
river, and through the most extensive de-
posts of camel and bituminous coal that arc
known to exist When the Valley Road is
opened to Salem, and the Chesapeake and
Ohio Road is completed to the Ohio, the
vast mineral resources of Virginia, the coal
and iron, which form by themselves two
great and important clements in States
wealth, will begin to be developed These
two roads will be main stems, to which hun
drcds of lateral roads will transfer the pro-
ducts of mines and furnaces, for the accom-
mediation Of which they will be built: Coal
and iron will be the great substratum of Vir-
ginia's prosperity, and a great State, which
has always pridcd itself on its agricultural
power, will become rich aud strong by the
development Of its mineral and manufactu-
ring interests. The days may yet return
when pig metal, or more probably rolled iron,
will be shipped from the James river to the
markets of Great Britain
Interesting as all this is to every friend
of Virginia, it is equally interesting to Bal
timoreans to knoE that this is the nearest
and most available seaboard market for ali
this wealth. Staunton is at the junction of
the two proposed roads, and at the begin
ming. as it were, of the mineral region. By
tho completion Of the Valley Road to Staun-
ton we once grasp the trade of a section
which in Ia few years is destined, in all prob
ability, to become the most populous apd
the richest section Of the Southern States
Even if not one pound of coal, or pig metal,
or manufactured iron, comes to this market
from this region; even if everything pro-
duced there is needed for the. home and
Southern demand, there must still be an i'm
mense market created there, among a large
growing and rich population, for wares and
merchandise which must come from sea-
board town; for sugar and coffee, and silks
and stuifs, and cottons, and watches and Jew
elry, and hundreds of articles Of luxury,
which, among prosperous people, become
almost articles Of necessity. This trade
alone would help to build up Baltimore, But
when we take into consideration the fact that
Baltimore is not only to use this road to send
over supplies and merchandise, but that it