The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1870-07-07
THE VALLEY RAILROAD,
At the urgent request of many friends ane
subscribers we rcpublish the following:

At the urgent request of many friends and
subscribers we rcpublish the following:
In our last paper we endeavored to show
to our readers some of the more prominent
benefits that would accrue to the people of
Augusta, from the large expenditures of mon
ey which must necessarily be made, in the
county, during the progress of the work of
construction of the Valley Railroad We
think it fair to estimate that the amount
which will be expended, in building the road,
through our county, from the Rockingham, to
the Rock bridge line, will be- about one mill
lion three hundred and sixty thousand dollars
($1 800, 000l. We arrived at this result by
estimating the distance at 81 miles, and the
cost Iineludlng bridges) at $40 600 per mile
These estimates, we believe, will be found to
be very nearly, if not exactly, correct.
We then attempted to show, the very great
advantages to our people, which would flow
from the expenditure Of SO large sum Of
money among them.
But, great as these benefits will unquestion-
ably, be, they are as nothing, when compared
with those, which will follow the completion
of the road.
The contemplation of these beneficial re-
suits would open an almost illimmtable field.
We do not propose to attempt a full discus
sion of the subject, in all its aspects. It is too
extensive for d newspaper article. Auth we
shall attempt u.s. to call attention TO few of
the more prominent advantages which our
people will secure, by subscribing to the road
and thereby ensuring its completion
1t may be said of Rail-roadipg as of every
other branch OF business, that !" competition
is the life Of trade"
The people of Augusta are now the victims
of an oppressive monopoly. The Chesapeake
& Ohio Railroad affords to them thcir only
outlet to market. That company has the
power (within certain linlits) to fix its own
rates of charges. tits a gigantic power, and
the company uses like giant. It's charges
are exceedingly onerous-and, when com
pared with the rates on northern railroads,
extravagant- upon many articles they are
prohibitory, and in others, they are on the
verge of prohibition People are obliged to
submit to these exactions, because they can
not help themselves. Corporations are pro-
verbally without souls,-and we might
add, without hearts They look to their own
interests, exclusively. The public advantage
is never thought of, except when it may be
coincident with corporate interests
| We have been informed that on northern
Railroads, the passenger fare, averages about
two cents per mile-on the G. & O. r. R, il
is five cents per mile, Or two and half times
as much! We are not prepared to speak
with certainty, as to the relation which their
charges on freights, bear to the charges on
northern Roads. But We presume they are
from IS to SO per cent higher than the north
ern charges We know that on such articles
as corn, hay and potatoes, the charges are al
most prohibitory, except when those articles
arc commanding very high prices in the
Richmond markets.
The present charge for passenger from
Staunton to Richmond is 80, when accord
ing to northern rates, it would be S2,72. The
difference is tax of S4,09, which is exacteo
from the necessities of the passenger Every
one, therefore, who makes trip from Staun
ton to Richmond and back, pays, over anc
above fair charge, according to northern
rates, 1915! This is pretty heavy tax tt
be exacted from every citizen, for each ant
every trip that he is obliged to make to thu
Capital of his STATED
Now, what is the remedy for this oppres
sion? Shall we demonstrate? Shall We ap
peal to the justice-and magnanimity--ane
generosity of this great corporation Suel
an appeal would only provoke ridicule! W.
would get F." our labor for our pains -
The only remedy for our grievances, is, t
create competition If railroads look to then
interests let us look to ours! Let us whi
it is in our power, aid in building up riva
road, to compete for passengers and freights
Competition-not sense of right or justice
among northern railroads has brought fare
and trelghts down, to the low figures we hav
mentioned, in the Northern States-and com
petition aoiW bring 1t down here! It is tn
oulv remedy Interest is the moving primer
pie of Railroads IF we have two roads, eac
will want to command the trade and trave