Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1870-12-20
Stauntu1t Spettator.
Tuesday, December. 20. 1870.
The Future of our Comfy.

county have been INDUCING in bright dreams
of better day that was to come to them, in
material point of view. Like the children of
Israel during their forty years of sojourn in the
wilderness, they never lost hope. Disappoint-
ment after disappointment followed each other,
but they continued to cherish lively hope that,
at some future day, the great highways of COM
merce and travel-those fruitful sources of
wealth and prosperity-would eventually be
made through tie central portions of our coun-
ty Thanks to kind Providence and the in
teligent enterprise of our people, we are now
on the eve of having our Wishes in this res
pect, fulfilled. Like the Israeltes of old, we
now stand on the banks of the Jordan and have
a glimpse of the promised land
The report of Mr.. Huntingdon to the recent
meeting of the Stockholders of the Chesa-
peake & Ohio Rail Road gives the most salts
factory assurance Of the completion of that
great work within two years. 1t would be
aside from the immediate purposes of this ar
ticle for US here to dwell on the many advan-
tagcs which will accrue to our people from this
important channel of trade and travel. We
cannot forbear however from remarking, that
its com pletion will be followed by the establish
ment of many Furnaces and Foundries between
Staunton and Covington, and the development
of traffic in iron and coal, which will surpass
the expectations Of the most sanguine. brg.
This road will ultimately be the Eastern link
in the great chain of communication between
IL oF ho al Do
cifc Oceans. Richmond and San Francisco
are on nearly the same parallel of latitude,
and line drawn along the great circle which
indicates the line of latitude from East to
West, between those two cities, will nearly CO.
incide with the line of our Chesapeake & Ohio
Road and its extension Westward. This fact
proves, concusiyely, that our great line of COM
munication from East to West, is the shortest
possible route, and, therefore, that it cannot be
superseded, or materially interfered with by
any other line. These facts assure us that We
shall always be On the great highway between
the East and the West, and enjoy the benefits
of the trade and travel between the East and
the West, which will seek the most convenient
transit by that route.
This being accomplished, the next thing that
we desire is, a similar great thoroughfare, pass
ing through our borders from North to South,
thus securing the advantages Of commercial in
tercourse through our county, between the
Northern and Southern divisions of our country.
In looking for the natural and most advan-
tageous route for such national thoroughfare,
we have only to take the map, and draw line
from Washington city, or any of the CONNER
cial cities North of Washington, to New Or
leans, and we will find that that line will pass,
lengthWise, along the Valley of Virginia, from
Winchester through the county of Augusta to
Salem, where it connects with the Lynchburg
and Tennessee r. r., and thence Southwardly
to New Orleans. 1t thus appears, that nature
has marked out the Valley Of Virginia as pre-
sentiDg the best and shortest line for railway
from Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Balti-
more and Washington, to New Orleans, which
is recognized on all hands as the proper South
ern terminus of such line
Now, by singular good fortune, it SO hap
pens, that the point of intersection of the two
great thoroughfares, from East to West and
from North to South, must be in the county
of Augusta, and at or near her county
town-Staunton. When, therefore, these two
lines shall have been finished we will be at
the central point, from which Railroads will
radlate to the four cardinal points of the com
pass. Eastward we will have lookout along
an unbroken line of railway to Richmond and
Norfolk-W Westward, to San Francisco-North-
ward, to Portland, Maine, and Southwark to
New Orleans. Was any country ever so pecu-
liarly favored by Providence.
1t would be waste of time to dwell on the
manifold advantages which result from suah
conjunction of Railroads, and a.
EXCHANGE of ~ = vie transit and
- --.vrunand;ze and passengers along
the various routes. The city of Atlanta In
Georgla-the offspring OF converging local
roads-furnishes an illustration stronger than
any words could afford, of the vivifying effects
which such combination of influences tends
to produce.
Now, if the junction of two or three local
roads at Atlanta could cause city of fifteen or
twenty thousand inhabitants to spring up like
magic IN the sandy plains of Georgia, what
may we not expect from the coming together
OF the two most important national thorough
fares On our continent, in county so fertile
SO healthful-so picturesque, and in all respects
so desirable as Augusta?
We iorbear from charging on this topic, for
Tear that We may be deemed enthusiasts
but we will, in passing, venture the prediction,
that within ten years from the completion of
these roads, the population and the property of
Staunton will be doubled, and that the wealth
OF the county will be augmented 10 a CORES
ponding ratio.
The realization Of all these brilliant pros
poets now rests with the people of Augusta
we venture to affirm, that if they will vote the
S2Oo,0OO subscription, which is now asked from
them to secure the three millions which is de-
pendent on their decision, the great Northern
and Southern line will be finished coternSv-
raneously with the Eastern and Western line.
The benefits Of the enterprise rest not in the
remote future. They will be enjoyed within
the next two years. And in the meantime the
incidental advantages resulting from the lavish
expenditures of money in the construction Of
the road, will give to our farmers a pleasing
1oretaste of what they are to enjoy after the
ROAD Is finished, and the current of trade and
travel has begun to flow along the lines.
Shall this rich harvest of prosperity be gath
erea by our people? 1t is for them, by their
votes, to determine.