Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1869-08-10
From the Baltimore Gazette.
Baltimore's Railroad Connections.


Whatever may have been the difference of
opinion in regard to the nearest and most
available market for the farmers and merchants
of Central and Western Virginia, there are few
now who are not willing to acknowledge that
Baltimore offers them advantages such as can
be afforded by no other city on tidewater. In
deed there is no one who now denies that the
interests of the State Of Virginia and of this
city are closely linked together. Already has
a system of railroads been planned by intelli-
gent and far-seeing men, the object of which
is to open up large and extensive tracts of val
liable mineral and agricultural lands, which are
now virtually inaccessible for all practical pur-
poses. The construction Of these roads will
not only tend to develop important regions, and
to increase largely the value of Southern lands,
but viii. eventually bring an amount Of traffic
to this city far beyond what most people have
at present any conception of. There are, in
deed, for the city of Baltimore, no more i'm
portant railroad connections than those which
lead through Virginia There may be others
which, reaping the reward of the labor of long
years, may tor time earn larger profits and
pay handsomer dividends, but he who would
venture to predict that either Of the leading
projected Virginia roads connecting with Bal
timore, would pay larger profits, within ten
years after their completion, than any other
road leading from this city ever has done, in
the same length of time, would scarcely be
thought to be over sanguine, and would certain
ly not be regarded as being wild in his views
And the simple reason Of this is that the pro-
posed roads open up extensive and fertile re-
gions, and furnish, to immense tracts of coun-
try, the shortest, cheapest and most available
routes to large market on the seaboard
The most important Of these reads is that
which will connect Harrisonburg with Salem,
thereby opening up continuous route from
Baltimore to Memphis; a route which sweeps
along the rich Valley OF the Shenandoah, which
passes through the fertile lands on the west Of
the Blue Ridge, aud which for more than three
hundred miles drains the valleys adjacent to
the Tennessee River and its tributaries which
connects at Corinth with branch road to New
Orleans, and which has terminus On the Ohio
river, at city which is itself already the cen
tire of great railroad system. But this is not
all This road connects at Staunton with the
Chesapeake and Ohio Road, which is already
open to the White Sui lphur Springs, and which
will soon be pushed forward to the coal fields
of the Kanawha, and from thence be carried on
to the Ohio river, striking the great water
routes of the immense West, at point lower
down than any other road connecting with this
or any rival Northern city. The building of
this road will open up immense coal fields, and
bring into play large beds OF iron ore, which
can now only be worked on small scale, on
account Of the want of mineral fuel, and Of the
difficulty of transportation. 1t will carry capi-
tai and population into Virginia, and develop
wealth and create large annual product much
of which must find Its way to this market 1t
will build up home trade, which, in the end,
will be equally valuable with the great through
trade, important as that IS. a..r.-t
In another direction, the building of the pro-
posed road between Lynchburg and Danyille,
will give TO this city a continuous route Ula
Alexandria, to the heart Of North Carolina,
aud the construction of road from Green's
boro' to Cheraw, which is already under dis
cussion, and which will one day be carried out,
will complete a continuous connection with the
city of Charleston. This, however, will by no
means be the chief end OF the route. Its main
object is to tap, far In the interior or the States
of North aud South Carolina, the principal
roads which strike irom the seaboard through
these States into Tennessee and Georgia, and
by these means to influence a large amount OF
trade, for which there are now no direct facill-
ties with Virginia and this city. ,G
These roads, it will be remarked, are all
through roads. They strike into far off re-
gions, and make continuous routes. LII there
| is ANYTHING in the success of the Baltimore and
Ohio. Road, of the Pennsylvania Central, of
the New York Central, or OF halt dozen 9TH
er trunk roads in the West, then it is evident
that these roads, as through roads, must prove
most remuncrative. And when we consider
the fact that they must have besides large
and important local travel, it is scarcely posi-
bic to predict what development they may make
or what may be the Importance OF their future.
| The amount of Northern capital now being ill.,
vested in Virginia and North Carolina must
soon have most important effect upon these
States. In the former, especially, the amount
OF land purchases made, large as they have
been, are on the increase. ln various sections
of the country along the routes OF the railroads,
land agencies are established, and placards 0!
property brokers meet the eye at most Of the
stations. Since the result Of the elections con
fdence in the prosperity Of the State isdecided-
| lv greater than it was before, and Virginians
look forward to considerable investment o
| Northern capital in their State, during the com
ing autumn. The railroads are the great cen.
tre lines of speculation, Facility of communi
cation is nowadays Indispensable, and it is te
/ lands accessible to the steam engine that the
attention of capitalists is now principally di
rected. Day after day farmers from the NORTH