The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1869-01-28
Subscription to the Valley Railroad.

FARMER, in u late issue Of the 'sSpectator"
gives the people some points in regard to the
great benefit to be derived from the completion
Of this Road few extracts which We give.
He says:
1 have already stated that the Balti
more & Ohio Road transports barrel OF -four
from Wheeling to Baltimore for two mills per
mile and that the Chcsa Il Ohio Road. from
Staunton to Richmond, charges AZ mills per
mile n difference Of % miles per mile
Now the extension Of the Valley Road seeur-
ing to US the transportation Of our -four at the
rates of the Bait. q Ohio Road, the result will
be the saving Of p mills per mile upon every
barrel of -four sent from the county by Rail
Road, and will save upon-every barrel sent
from Stanton to Richmond 30 cents, and
estimating the surplus flour of the county at
only 60, 80 barrels year, we will have an
aggre gate saving to the county on the single
article Of -four Of S1D, 200, sum greater than
the annual interest upon the amount we are
called upon to subscribe. But if we fail to
secure the extension Of the Valley Road, which
we will certainly do if we refuse to make this
subscription, this sum Of $40 200 will just
measure the annual tax we will be paying on
our doar alone for the benefit Of the good peo-
pie Of Ohio and other States of the Nest. |
will not stop to estimate the enormous sum to
which this will be swelled if We take into the
account all the other products Of our indus
Try exported from the county, and then add
to them what is imported for consumption,
such as plaster and other fertilizers. salt, &c.
There is one other matter to which wish
very briefly to direct attention. The length
Of the road from IEarrsonburs to the Rock
bridge line is over forty miles The construct
ton of this road will cost some forty thousand
dollars per matchmaking an expenditure in
our midst Of nearly two millions of dollars.
Th: benefits Of this large expenditure can
scarcely be over estimated. 1t will lnfuse new
life and activity into every branch of business
will increase our means-liehten our bur
dens, and in every way cheer, eaiven, and in
vigorate the energies Of our people. The bcne-
fits we would derive from this large expendi-
ture of money amongst us would go far to
warrant the subscription on the part Of the
county, even if no other advantage was to ac-
cure from the building of the Road. I trust,
therefore, that all mere local interests, preju
dces and jealousies will be discarded and that
this good old county, always heretofore char
acterizcd by All enlightened libcrality and pub
lie spirit, will present an undivided 'front.'
upon this, the most important question to her
interests that she has ever been called upon
to decide.
Another correspondent, IA Railroad man
whom we know to be one Of the closest calcu-
lators and best posted men in the country
and whose devotion to the hest interests Of
our people has been shown on all occasions,
mong other things says:
The opportunity is again offered our citi
zens. by the vote which is to be taken on
the 9Th Of February next, to hasten this econ
sumation SO deyoutly to be wished" and the
object OF this communication is to add to
what has already been said, answers to some
Of the objections to the subscription which
I have heard were urged against it when
the vote was taken in December last.
The first and leading objection to the sub
scription which | have heard was that Our
taxes would be so much increased" that it
would "add $4,000 to our annual taxes"
and would "eneumbcr the county with debt
of 100000 which would have to be ultimate
ly paid by its citizens" Nothing is truer
than each of those propositions--yet in view
Of the immense countcr-adyantages which
would result to the citizens Of tie county,
their value as objections utterly fails
The annual tax, it could be readily demon
strated, were your columns open to great ar
rays Of figures and statistics, would be saved
two or three times over, by our reduced
freights upon every thing which we either
sold or bought-for as you know, freight be-
comes part of the cost Of every thing which
we buy to consume or use-besde which
would be our advantage in buying in Compel
ing markets what we had to buy, at prices
reduced in consequence Of such competition
(and here let me say that the people of Au.
gusta would be astonished if they had as
good opportunities as the writer Of learning
hon. much they did buy in the outside mar
kets and what large sum small per centage
on that aggregate amounts toy aud selling our
productions in COMPETING ma kats, at prizes
enhanced by the same cause,
Upon the article Of Plaster alone, which is
so largely used in and 50 necessary to our ag-
riculturc a saving of 50 nar ton which could