The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-04-15
~,s AIRLINE Road 10 Lyncno"'
A"' For the Dispatch.
f,,-asrRr,ANp COUNTY, VA.,g
hpril Sd, 1870. !

April Sd, 1870.
,,>o y,,h;cct Of the straight-shoot railroaa
s,a richmond to Lynchburg is now agl-
.a,;,,c ali minds in this section OF the cou
20. and much anxiety IS expresses WIZ ~
rsoard TO the course Richmond Is nhet .. W
nursue--whether she VIII b:sna11enS 70
road or the one direct !roni $1,000 III sha 10 cnm.
o INA - hsye. or the star Of her prosperity
Pm I hove set for she has already iost the
VIZ nortion Of her trade her tobacco
SErerset +. fast becoming seeond-rate one,
har manufactures are at a stand"stlll, ana
IN canitalists are fleeing her. Why Is tnis'
The root of the evil lies in past iegis-
luton. IL terminated when the fns ;'Ia.
Central railroad was carried to 1oToonss m ,r.e
Il grew into proportio whch 4 cLla' ~ .r,'
granted thence to Alexandra; hHo ~
tension of that charter rom S'I NV, to Tho
nrosEer;ty of Richmond, thus draining yI-
ta,;,;. and pouring the fruits OF her trade
;nto tha Golfers Of other cities than her own.
Richmond has perpetuated the evil by her
snicidal indolence-by the terrible lethargy
which marks her history. Let her now
arouse from her dream OF idleness and WORK
ont her prosperity ere it be too late. w hat
do her necessities demand most urgently
It is a question which any one acquainted
with her situation could easily answer
Direct communication with the citie:
and towns OF her own State and those
of the West and Southwest. With
out this, her unrivalled water-poweI
/, null. for who will buy her manufactures
Her mercantile business will langulsh.
for even now Alexandria, Baltimore, and
New York. are more accessible to three
Tourths of Virginia than she. Her tobacco
trade will decline even more rapidly tnan I!
has done, for who will pay more TO gel q
hoCshead Of tobacco to Richmond than "a
Baltimore or New York? 1t is evident tna'
Richmond, in order to compete VIVID otnei
cities, must intercept the communication
with them both that Of this State ana OF
those passing Thought. Now, Lynchbure
10 the terminus OF three lines Of railroad,
none Of which are of much benefit TO Rich
mond hut place her within three or four
hours, ride. and instead Of the merchants
nassinc on TO the North for their goods, ana
the produce being shipped TO northern
m,rkcts, they will seek Richmona rs
being more accessible; ana there IS
no reason why it should not De equally
as good destination for either, LOT
hv extending the proposed road to
Newport News she will have the best port
ON the Atlantic coast. From Lynchourg
the road could be extended to some point
on the Ohio river, or he made to connect
with the Chesapeake and Ohio road at Cliff
ton Force or other points. Now, can the
road direct from Richmond to Clifton
Forge present rs great inducements 10 us
construction? BY no means. In the nrst
place, in order to direct the travel anu
Transportation along the Virginia and Ten
nessee road to Richmond, which IS OF no
branch road to Lynchburg, and it is eX-
tre1nely doubtful whether that would an
syer the purpose. In the next place.. the
road direct to Clifton Forge would only be
abo1lt fifteen miles shorter than the road
yia Lynchburg to the same point, besides
being at least three or four times as eXpcn-
siye. Moreover, it is evidently to the, m
terest Of Richmond to connect herself WIN
Lynchburg by direct road. This fact was
acknowledged long previous TO the late war,
and the road would have been built had
ncoce continued q few years longer. AS it
is. il should be built now. Richmond has
no time to lose. Time will but increase the
difficulties of accomplishing it. If she is
too IMPOVERISHED to build herself, only let
her give her influence in support. Let her
send out men to canvass the route for sub
scriptions OF lands, and let her capitalists
buy the bonds based OH these lands, and she
will have the road without doubt. The
land-holders along most of the line from
Richmond to Lynchburg are almsst
entirely cut off from railroad facilities; so
much 80 that they find great difficulty in
disposing of their land except at Il conside-
rable sacrifice, and many are compelled to
make this sacrifice in order to raise the capt.
tai to work the remainder to advantage and
TO avoid the tax OH land which is idle.
Under these circumstances, l have no doubt
that the majority of them in proximity to
the road would subscribe at least fourth,
and some even half or more, of their land
were it to be taken at the assessed value of
1860, which was sufficiently moderate. In
view of the Importance of the object to be
gained, the attempt should be made {; and
though / conceive but little doubt of its
success, if it meet with failure nothing will
have been lost. "PLrME."