The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-10-10
,s.S,TtA =, 1870, Sfg. ~ -
A5uIlmuul. 1Ispalfi1.
MONDAY. OCTOBER 10, 1870.
THE CIRCULATION OF THE DIhPATCH
Is LARGER THAN THE COMBINED CIR
cULATi0N OF ALL TIE OTHER DAILY
NEWSPAPERS OF THE CITY.

BUCKINGHAM G. H.. Va. Sent

centlemen I'VE were much surprised to
see In a recent number of the Richmond
Whg leading editorial headed .sThe
Straight Shoot" openly opposing the Rich
hond and Lynchburg railroad, commonly
known as the Straight Shoot. We had seen
indications for some time that the Whig
was not active in behalf of this great euter-
prlse-destined to do SO much for Rich
mond; but we attributed its indifference
to the fact that it advocated straight
shoot road from Richmond to Clifton Forge
by or near uowardsville, and supposed
that as long as the comparative merits of
these two routes were under discussion it
would not as q public journal take sides
ngainst either, but would give its valuable
support to whichever roud should be pro-
nounced most feasible.
In this, however, we were mistaken. The
people along the lines Of these proposed
roads have recently endeavored to build
them. They found that the Richmond and
Clifton Forge road, or, as 1t Is called in its
charter, the Richmond and Allegheny rail-
road, would cost an immense sum, esti.
mated at SIC, ,000, 900, whereas the Richmond
md Iynchburg railroad would cost about
$4,000, 600. The city of Richmond and the
counties along the line cannot raise
lo,OoO, 900 and the only corporation upon
and Allegheny railroad, the Chesapeake
and Ohio Railroad Company, Is taking no
steps In the matter but on the contrary is,
as the newspapers have informed US, sur
veying route for the extension of their
road down the valley of the James to
Lynchburg. The city Of Richmond and
the counties along the line can raise, with
out serious inconvenience, S3,0O0,00 for
the Richmond and Lynchburg railroad.
Under these circumstances Is it not evil
IDENTITY to the interest Of Richmond to do all
In her power for the Richmond and Lynch
burg railroad, or straight shoot, toward
which the Wing is now turning the cold
shoulder? The Whig's article contains
singular logic for journal remarkable for
its clearness and force, and it shows no
signs of the great parent from whose loins
came consolidation. ..-
The Whig remarks: "Some fatality seems
to attend the efforts of Richmond in the
direction OF internal improvements. Yet
we stick to the same old groove, though
certain to run our heads against the same
stone wall that We have encountered. be.
fore.'
Certainly, there ts fatality In building
zigzag railroads and in subscribing corpoa
rate subscription to them of $4,000, 600,
especially when these roads can be tapped
at three or four places before reaching
Richmond. We hope that Richmond will
not stick to this old groove any longer, but
will transfer her $2 600, 900 to this straight
shoot railroad, thereby avoiding running
her head against the stone wall as formerly
the Wht9 to the contrary notwithstanding
There is no reason for being discouraged
by Mr.. McCance's report, and it very
properly induced the committee to perse.
we're but the more, instead of desponding,
as the Wing would have them to do. When
the scheme is heartily endorsed by such
leading capitalists rs Messrs. Joseph r.
Anderson, Franklin Stearns, McCance,
| Isaacs, and others, who have thought we'll
and long about it, and hare INFESTED their
money an ii, it IS not singular that the friends
Of the road should not give it up, because
some Of the most influential citizens had
not thought sufficiently over it, but wished
to take time to consider. The more man
considers this enterprise the more favorable
he will become to the road, and the reflec-
tlons of these influential citizens will doubt.
less convince them of the importance-ave,
the necessity-to Richmond Of building this
railroad at once. .e~."
The Wing acknowledges that ono scheme
Is Sc universally and justly popular with
the citizens of Richmond as direct commu-
nication with the Virginia and Tennessee
railroad. 1t then goes on to say that, in
its Judgment, there are two circumstances
which explain all the difficulties of the sit
uation: ~. Short and independent roads
do not pay. 2. This road, according to the
maps exhibited in Richmond, will run
south Of Wills's .mountain-i. e, five or six
miles north OF the Southside railroad, and of
course in antagonisns to the consolidated
line, upon the sympathy and support Of
which it must depend not merely for pros
perity, but for existence. A road from
Richmond to Lynchburg, to pay and SUBJ
serve the ends sought by It's Construction,
must be part and parcel of the consolidated
line," having "full participation on equal
terms of all the advantages of through
traffic on the consolidated line. In the
above we deem the Whig wrong in both
premises and conclusions. Short and inde-
pendent roads often do pay, and even in
Virginia some Of our most paying roads are
not as long as this road will be, about one
hundred miles. The Straight Shoot is long
enough to be an independent road, but, If
unite at Lynchburg with the consolidated
line or the Chesapeake and Ohio, or with
both, which would be far better than to
wait for the consolidated line to build Rich
mOnd a stem from the junction or Farm
vile, in humble thanks tor which Richmond
must transfer her g 100000 10 he used in
the completion Of the Cumberland Gap
road, as proposed by the Wing.
The maps to which the hig alludes were
drawn from survey made fora road not
directly from Richmond to Lynchburg, but
from some point on the Danvllle road
about twenty miles above Richmond-to a
point on the Southside road. -.-
While the charter of the Richmond and
Lynchburg railroad allows it to run from
these inter1nedite points, it also allows it to
which may bring it in at airline directly
south of, or perhaps Immediately north OF,
Willls's mountain. This explanation should
do away with the objection of the Wing,
that the road will be only tive or six miles
from the consolidated line, upon which the
Wing makes it dependent for existence for
Willis's mountain is thirteen or fourteen
miles from the nearest point on the South
side railroad, and not five or six miles. +
But, Mr. Editor, what does the Wing
mean by holding consolidation over the
heads Of the people of Richmond, with
which to irighten them? Is the consoli-
dated line the master or the servant of
Richmond? Did not the Wing few months
ago Gull upon the Richmond delegates to
cote for consolidation, as the great measure
of relief for Richmond? Did not some of
you object by saying that consolidationiwas
inimical to Richmond, and, If it got the
whip. hand upon Richmond, might rule the
city mercilessly? Yesterday the Wig beg
ged Richmond to vote for s,consol lidation.'
1t seems strange to-day,for the Wing TO tell
us that "there is no scheme so universally
and justly popular with the citizens aof
Richmond as, direct commu nlcation with
the Virginia and Tennessee railroad ~ but
this direct communication is fn dnsugoatsm
to the consolidated line, upon the sympathy
and support Of which it must depend not