Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1870-09-15
The Rival Roads of the yallex

The Baltimore Ga-e't. OF t)-dav in ono.;,,
from an article in The STAR upon the inius,,S
with which the Pennsylvania railroad man are
pushing their Southern extensions and mora 70
Gently IN the Valley of yirg' MA while inclined
" coHbt d alfhe promises made to the peopIe
"t virginia in behalf Of the Shenandoah Valley
hAiIoad VIII be realized, admits that the pro-
'e.eiDgs Oh the PenpsSlvap'a parties have an
ugly business look about them.
Philadelphia is striving eagerly for Sontbern
taade, and the Ga<efte that .'if the Pennsyl-
vania Central is half As ANXIOUS to control this
trade a. Philadelphia is there can be little doubt
that the friencs Of the new road are I'm earnest"
And thereuI IN ttat per hints ID Mr.. Garrett
that he should not lose for his road and for Bal
timore the oppo- ,Juity Of completing the rival
valley road Tbs road - already finished TO
Harrisonburg, 20 miles from Hsrpers Ferry.
The city Of Baltimore he's subscribed 81 900 900
towards its continuation, and all additional that
Is needed to finish it to Salem, where it wall
strike the yirginis and Tennescc &c road. il
about ego zoo. Southern trade as the Ga-et,>
says, els the life OF Baltimore CITY," and with so
much at stake the business men of that city will
doubtless see to it that Philadelphia does not Sc
cure a road exclusively its own through the
great valley.
Finally, ii the Gd,>tte nnds Mr.. Garrett not
quite open to conviction as to the Importance OF
the road and the necessity for plsnking down
the hard cash to finish ii up, without waiting
Tor county subscriptions, let il bring the elo-
quence OF Prof. N. +. Maury to bear upon the
hard headed President of the Baltimore and
Ohio road. We have the slip of long letter
written by Prof. Msury to the railro ad-opening
at Front Royal-much lo long for our colu ms,
but in which he maintlirs in regard to the
Shenandoah Valley road, that there y no other
lire Of roads either in esss or posse that will
bring the remot South and Southwes. corners
of the country in such direct and immsdiat,
connection with its capital and the three great
cities OF export and imr ori-Balt.more, Phila-
deIrhia, and New York.
Draw on the map" says he ga straightline
between New York and the mouth of the Mis-
sissippi, you will be surprised to find that il
passes through or hard by Philadelphia, Baltl-
more and Washington; that it intersects the
virginia and Tennessee railroad very near the
place where you propose to tap this road; thati.
Iol.o"s thence the connecting links of your /
foau as nearly a. the mountains and the topo-
graphical features of the country will allow
hhril u strikes the shore of the Gulf.
me bars at the mouth of the Mississippi the |
DELAYS which outward bound ships meet near
'he Baize, and the dangers of the FIorid. Pas |
on ore hand with the Improvements in railway
transportation on the other, all coDspire u d. |
vert commerce more and more from the outIets
OF the mississippi on the south, and to turn n /
easts ard by rail towards the seaport tow of
the Atlantic. This commerce il passing upon
the railroads Tor new and more convenient ont
tets through the waters Of the Che sapeake and
The seaport towns farther to the north. This If
does by reason OF the difficulties of navigation
along the southern coasts and the OBJ -tructions |
whlch, IN the shape of bars. nature has placed |
At the entrance OF southern narbors-
The AIle2hanies ste p to give easy grades and
genie curves 10 this line OF roads. and a. s0on
as NE main stem crosses the mount ins il IN !
iOlCs Out Ike fan into roads running right aud
Ieit through Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama
Sissis,lp pl, Louisiana, Arkansas, and TexaT:-
sew Mexico, Arizona and the Pacific coast by
YOU VIII see that no grand trunk line or road |
can be projected in any part of the country that
VIII be tapped by so many and such important
feeders nor can any road be constructed that
VIII brlng such avast and productive region of !
country IN more direct communcat alton with RE
great ses port towns of the Atlantic.
NbeatiTcn Tennessee, and much OF the cot
ION OF AIkan>as now ind their way BY rail II
New NOTk;-see what a circuituous route these
staples must take to get there; compare the
saving Hhieh this chain of roads leading through
virginia may effect, and you NAV then perhaps
be able TO form some faint idea of the vast
amount Of trade, travel and traffic that is in store
for Us"
As this Shenandoah Valley road is to have
Washington branch via Front Royal and Rec
tortOwn, IL Is satisfactory TO know that there is
prospect that our city will be able II pick No
some crumbs from the rich harvest to be real
lied. according to Prof. Maury, from its con-
stTuCtiOn.