The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-03-07
The Railroad War.

Our friend of the Lynchburg lrg'n'an
has arraigned the Dispatch for. initiating
hostilties concerning the bill now proposed
for the extension of the Southside railroad
to Clifton Forge. We deny the truth of the
accusation. We appeal to all that we have
said on the subject. We are for peace-for
railroad peace-for the settlement Of March,
1867. Under that peace-the entente cor
diale-the Southside and Petersburg rail-
roads had the right to apply to the Chesa-
peske and Ohio railroad to build connect
ing line from Clifton Forge to Lynchbure
10 consolidate with them, and should the
Chesapeake and Ohio railroad decline to
comply with their request, then they were
invested with the right to build the road be-
tween those points and effect the consoll-
dation themselves.
What, then, arc we to think of tue move
men, now The Virginian says:
"We only ask the ful6lment of the pledge
made in the act of March |, 1867. II that
is to destroy the entente cord1"t then
tic fault will not he ours"
Have you taken the first step prescribed
by the" entente cordiule ?" Have you ap-
piled to the Chesapeake aud Ohio RAILROAD
to make this connection and consolidation
Until YOU have done that YOU have not gone
in the right way to Task the fulfilment Of
"the pledge made in the act OF March !,
"ls67."
The Firyinion says:
Lynchburg cannot afford to be passive
in this matter, and should not accept the
policy Of the Dispatch, which would switch
hcr of the track and deny her any partici-
patton in the benefits that would result from.
the construction Of the Chesapeake and
Ohio railroad"
The Hirginian is wrong again. The Dis
patch had no such policy. The straight
road from Lynchburg was somebody's; we
do not know whose. The straight-lne
switch was warmer about the Wing Office
than anywhere else we know Of; and viii
any man on the Southside say that there il
hostility in that quarter to the Southside
lines We have never expressed fuith in
this straight line through Nelson and the
Blue Ridge, by Lexington. to Clifton Forge.
The most We have ever said was that if q
road could be located by that line with
such grades as the immense tonnage of the
road demanded, and that at cost not 81
great as to over-balance the gain OF
only ten miles in distance compared
with the route by Lynchburg, then it
would be we'll to build the road on that
line. But unless these conditions were
complied with it would be folly to attempt
it. Our private opinion has been untayor-
able to the practica bility of the route, as
we have some knowledge, by personal OBJ
servation, of the country to be traversed.
But what of all this We know, and
the Lynchburg Virginian ought to know,
that sooner or later railroad must be built
through the gap made by the James river
in the Blue Ridge. That was the natural
route, and it is only result Of an abomi-
nable system of internal improvement
which has tunnellcd the Blue Ridge when
there was broad, open way through that
mountain already cut to the level of the
plain by the waters OF James river.
!. It is unjust in the Virginian to connect
the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad with the
scheme of this straight line," which is
80 shocking to that paper. That company
has no more to do With it than the man in
the moon. ...
b Indeed, the Chesapeake and Ohio Rail
road Company ~ not yet fairly at work
with its own line. 1t is ruled by one of the
greatest railroad men in the United States
ono Of tho most far-seeing and practica.
men concerning railroad operations and in
forests in the Union. lie has thus far d.
reeted his whole attention to the prompt
complexion Of ths Chesapeake and Obi,
railroad without, for the present, con-
corning himself about tie Strengthening
shortening the eastern end of the trunl
line. It was presumed by him and the
company, and almost everybody else, tina!
the chartered tho road settled all questions