The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-01-19
F.ETTEI FROM LEXINGTON.

FIFTy-FOCETH ANNUAL MEETING OF
FRANKLIN SOC IETI-DEpARTUEE OF
THE RDCKRRIDGE RAILROAD COMMIT
TEE-hDEANTAGES OF AIRLINE RAIL
ROAD FROM RICHMOND TO CLIFTON
FOKGE-BARN BURNT BY AN INCE>-
plAHY-CADET COOK STILL IMrROY-
Inc.
LEXINGTON, VA, January II, 1870.
The tifty-founth annual meeting Of the
q Franklin Society" was held in its hall at
l o'clock to-day. The Society had been
in existence several years before, but OBJ
tanned It's charter ard organized under its
present character rs Literary Society and
Library Company in 1916. From that pc
riol it has maintained an uninterrupted
existence, and year by year has added to
lis library ana widencd its sphere of
usefulness. 1t has been accustomed TO dis
cuss freely the liriag questions Ct the day,
and its debates have had no small share in
| shaping the public sentiment and action
of noc!ibridgc. The famous "Ruffner
! pamphlet" originated in q discussion in
the Franklin.
| It has had regular course of public
lectures every winter, which have been a
source of no little interest and profit to the
community.
Its library now numbers upwards OF five
thousand volumes, and is q choice collec-
ton of popular reading. The success of
the Society has been due in no small degree
to the untiring zeal and efficiency Of the
librarian, the venerable john Fuller, who
has occupied his present position for half q
century, and whose devotion to the interests
of "the Franklin" increases with his
years.
The reports for the past year show no
abatement of interest in the debates or in
the library.
Colonel J. X. Eimondson was elected
president for the ensuing year.
The Society debates Mt its next meeting
the question Of transferring to the Lynch
burg and CoyinGton railroad the subscrip-
ton Of R0cEbriagc to the Valley road.
General Smith, General S. Med. Moore,
Major J. b. Dorman, Major Jehn J. Laf-
.ferty, Captain c. A. Davidson, and Captain
James Compton, left OIL yesterday to repre-
sent kockbridgc III the railroad meeting i'll
; Norfolk. Your correspondent was strongly
tempted to join the party. TO say nothing
of the railroad enterprise, d free ride and
Norfolk oysters arc not to be refused every
day.
We'll We hope that something will be
done to push on the Lynchburg and Coving-
ton railroad. This road ought to be ami
will be built. But We are looking for some
move in Richmond in behalf of the
"straight shoot " from that city to Clifton
Forge. A glance ut the map will show that
an air line from Richmond via Lexington
to Clifton Forge would he an immense
saving in distance, and would give great
advantages in grades going east. But an
examination into the details shows con-
clusiyely that this air line, if built,
would become at once the great trunk tor
through freight from the West. From Rich
mond 10 Clifton Forge by the present line
of the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad is 1872
miles ; by the proposed short line to Char
lottesvillc it is lG9-but an ar line from
Richmond to Clifton Forge would be only
40 miles long, being 50 miles shorter than
the present route and 20 miles shorter than
! by &ir line to Charlottesville. And this
new route would have the advantage OF
being 50 miles nearer deep water lat West
Point than by the direct route to Norfolk
! Let the business men of Richmond bestil
| themselves; let the attention Of the new