The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-03-01

For the Dispatch.
Fair Play a. q Jewel.

porase the Covington and Ohio Railroad
Company. Acts 1867, page sl7.
BY section 8 of that oct the Cov;noton
and Ohio Railroad Company was anthem.
lied to construct branch from its main
line to connect with the Virginia and Ten
nessee railroad of such points as it might
deem most expcdient--viz., Covington 10
Lynchburg.
| On March ], 1867, the Legislature passed
an act to provide for the completion of a
line or lines of railroad from the waters Of
the Chesapeake to the Ohio river. Acts
1867, page 7o5.
BY this acs an equal opportunity was Of
fered to the Norfolk and Petersburg and
the Southsde railroads on the one hand,
and to the Virginia Central railroad on the
other, to consolidate with the Covington and
Ohio railroad. and undertake the great
work of constructing the Chesapeake and
Ohio railroad.
The Norfolk and Petersburg and the
Southside Railroad Companies made no
movement whatever under this act, but
directed all their energies to another grand
scheme of consolidation in furtherance of
which the Legislature, on April ls, 1867,
passed IN act "to provide for the compile
ton of line of railway from the Virginia
seaboard to the Mississippi and Ohio rivers
by facilitating the construction of the Vir-
ginia and Kentucky railroad. Acts 1867,
page SIG.
| If the Norfolk and Petersburg and the
Southside Railroad Companies, or either OF
them, have ever done anything to make good
the magnificent promises by which the Lee
cislsture was induced to allow them to con-
solidate three railroads already built, and
one not built, under the high-sounding
name of "The Atlantic, Mississippi and
Ohio Railroad Company" the fact has some
how or other escaped public attention. The
great consolidation act has expired by liml-
tation, and "The Atlantic, Mississippi and
Ohio railroad" charter has gone to enrich
: the collection of large promises and small
l performances which adorns the legislation of
l Virginia on the subject of internal i'm
! provement.
Meanwhile, the Virginia Central Railroad
Company having availed itself of the privi-
lege given by the act of March !, 1867, alrea-
DIV referred to, has contracted to build the Co.
yington and Ohio railroad, and has orga-
nized under the charters of the Covington
! | and Ohio and the Chesapeake and Ohio
! ! Railroad Companies. Already it has built
, between Covington and the White Sulphur
) Springs, and is now in the very act Of put
i ting under contract for immediate construc'
ton the entire line to the Ohio river, which
no one doubts will be completed within
three years from January l, 1870.
The company has not yet made the
branch from Charleston to the mouth Of the
q Kanawha river, nor has it built the short
" ~1ot@ IL 70 p;ohr rc
! although it fully understands and appre'
! ciates the necessity Of maintaining from Co.
q vington to deep water navigation the low
: grades which it brings from the Ohio, nj
\ conclusion has yet been come to as to the
, best route for that purpose.
1t is not to be wondered at that the peo
pie Of Lynchburg and of the counties along
, the different lines suggested should feel 9
lively interest in the selection of the route
and the making of this important part Of
E the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad; but II
n is rather q singular manifestation of that
interest which indicates a purpose or OK
pcctation to build the road from Clifton
q Forge to Lynchburg by using the dead-wood
of "The Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio
- Railroad Company" That the Norfolk
and Petersburg and the Southside Railro &c
NOul pauleS, VI cltueT VI tIelu, pu
forward any such claim, is, under all the
G circumstances, the coolest performance ye1
= attempted on any boardsr
f The enterprise was offered to them by the
+ Legislature and rejected; and now that an
g other company is about to complete the
f main line of the work, the effort on theil
D part to tap it in the middle, without ever
D an inquiry as to the plans or purposes Of
G the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad Com
pany, would seem to be en- invitation t.
strife for which neither company ought tt
have any desire, and which it certainly il
8 the interest of the State to avoid.
: 1t is presumed that no one would expect
capitalists to invest money in road whose
only hope Of business would depend upor
4 the consent of an adverse road to discharge
it's frcights and passengers midway, and
Lynchburg, Petersburg, and Norfolk, would
G make bad start for participation in the
t benefits to be derived from the Chesapeake
!, and Ohio railroad by beginning war upon
it before its main line is built.
o beg leave very respectfully to sugges,
that common fairness requires that rea'
sonable time shall be allowed to the Chesa.
! peake and Ohio Railroad Company to select
y it's route and to develope its plans before
= its most important outlet shall be handed
over to parties who may obstruct bui
cannot build or work it. And 1 would
also submit, as worthy of consideration by
the communities interested, whether the
. post history of the Southside and the Nor
: folk and Petersburg Companies gives pro
n mise of either the capital, or the energy
y or the credit, necessary for this new under
: taking. R. L. I.