Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1870-09-24
The shenandoah Valley Railroad.

built but it seems now that, while the Balti-
more aud Ohio Company have been chaifering
with the people of the Valley about their sub
scriptions to the Valley Railroad, (which is a
distinct enterprise from the one now under
consideration the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company las gone to work to bald road
from Shepherdstowu, on the Potomac, 70 the
Gne % the Virginia aud Tennessee Railroad, at
Or near Salem, a distance Of 23S miles by the
route traversed-and all this without asking
dollar Of subscription from the people of
Virginia, This shows their idea Of the inn
portance oft,is connection, theJlesign of which
i. to compete with the Virginia and Tennes-
see Air Line for the trade ceutering at Mem
phis, as well as for that in the regions further
South. II is TO furnish through connection
from Memphis to Philadelphia via the Cumber-
land (pa) Valley, thus ignoring Baltimore and
our Virginia cities In view of this fact, It
may we'll Be asked whether we have secured
the consolidation Of our Southside lines Of rail-
way a day too soon? This rich corporation
Will be formidable competitor for the trade
that shoald and Is outlet at Norfolk, as well
as the competitor Of our Orange and Alexau-
dris Railroad We hope however that, by the
time it shall be completed, the Cumberland
Gap connection for the Virginia and Tenngs-
see. and Danyille extension for the Orange &
Alexandria, will enable those Virginia lines
to defy the competition Of the Pennsylvania
Company. In this connection we introduce
the following from the Philadelphia North
american, which is the first distinct and posi-
tive assurance that has reached us from that
quarter, to the effect that the proposed road
will be built, and that within two years.
Says the A,aerjc0R:
d" For some time past public attention has
been occupied by the strife to build two par
allel railroads through the Shenandoah Valley;
/ the one is the interest Of the Pennsylvania
/ Railroad and the other in the interest Of the
/ Baltimore and Ohio line. This valley is q
/ broad and level stretch Of country, hedged in
/ bv two great mountain barriers, aud forming
/ A practical continuation Of the Cumberland
/ Valley The long continued struggles Of con-
/ tending armies during the civil war showed it
/ % be the natural highway between the Poto-
mac aud the Southwest. The line in the in
terest Of the Pennsylvania Railroad bears the
name Of the Shenandoah Valley Railroad, and
vii. connect with az extension of the Cumbcr-
| land Valley Railroad, at the North, while at
| the 5 nth it will connect with the Virginia
| and Tennessee Railroad, and thus form an en-
tir, through route from Philadelphia to Mem
/ phis
" The route Of the rev road is two hundred
and thirty-,bree miles in length, all of which
I has been surveyed and put under contract TO
be completed within two years It will he a
/ low grade road, the minimum being thirty-fye
I feet 20 the mile, and the maximum flty-three,
7 following the natural line Of the water courS-
es 10 reaches the Virginia and Tennessee
Railroad al Biz Lick station. This line will
cross the tracks of the Baltimore and Ohio,
Winchester and Potomac, Orange Alexandra
and Manassas, and Chesapeake and Ohio Rail-
roads rs soon as this road shall have been
completed the Cumberland Valley Railroad
viii assume It's proper place rs one link in
one OF the greatest through routes on the con-
tiuent
Valley. the speakers representing the PennSyl-
vauia Railroad stated that no subscriptions
would be asked, that the Philadelphia Compa-
ny would b0ild the road with its own means,
and that all that was asked was liberal treat
meut IN the matter Of the right Of way The
other line in the interest Of the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad is partly built to HarriSonburg,
and General Robert f. Lee has been elected
president to appeal to rebel sympathics.-
But the Company is asking local subScrip-
] tious and county bonds, and all the other well
known means Of loading people down with
! debt TO secure the building of a rEroad
This competition has the effect of stimu-
| lating both Companies to great exertionS to
/ secure the completion Of their lines, and we
I find the Shenandoah Valley Railroad adver-
/ Using for two thousand aborers to begin the
work. Some Of the local subscriptions asked
| by Gen Lees Company have failed as in the
! case Of Augusta county. Ii Is worth bearing
I iu mind that this Valley connection has al
WAYS lain open to the Baltimore and Ohio
I Railroad without any effort at competition on
/ the part Of the Pennsylvania Railroad, but
was totally neglected until our Company went
at g. Even now Mr. Garret thinks the value
I Of the connection oyer-estmated. But the
real yalHs Of it viii lie in the amount Of czer-
/ non used to develop the country along the
route. and % obtain the transportation Of the
cotton and grain crops from the Virginia and
/ Tennessee Railroad.
From the length Of the new line it viii be
seen that merely in itself will be a very impor-
[ taut work. and it is intended that its connec-
recti1us with the roads crossing it shall be
rendered SubSeryient as feeders. The charter,
! however. also gives the Company power 70
/ build q number Of branches one Of which IS
the Piedmont and Potomac Railroad from
/ F-oue ROYAL 70 Washington. y. c., distance
, Of 1tty-5ve miles, which would give the Valley
a short line to tGe national capital, as well as
90 tae great cities Of the Northern Seaboarl
We j1u1t wonder that the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad. which has undertaken the rival
route should have no means 10 build H. while
the Pennsylvania Railroad has all that it rc-
luires. The western operations Of the two
lines bear no comparison in magnitude, ours
lar trl1Sccudiug all rivalry. The difference
shows The relative resources Of the great cities
The Baltimore and Ohio is busy building .
line % Chicago while ours was built long go.
When we recently spoke Of the railroad
policy Of Philadelphia and Of The Pouusylvan-
il Railroad, we alluded to this Valley project
among uuUiber Of others Ii will be seen
that we were fully warranted in al our state
weuts. Tie road IS under contract and will
all he buiit and in operation within two wears.
and then Philadelphia Will oPsu direct trade
with tia whole fSa1u,1r+ rali.n gf Ni--;4;a