Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1871-08-04
sTOtE CATTLE.

LyuchbUTE 20 Liberty pei lCy!ls A.
" Chrisiiln-burg - Is
= WylhevIile % ~
Abingdon 80 %
4" Bristol 81 ~
GUANO, PLASTER, &C.
Lyrclrburg to Abingdon, par
io5l5'. by car ical, % 10
During the past year there were
l64, SEQ ton transported over the -Nir-
ginia & Tennessee road, of which
Is, $50 tons, yielding revenue Of
S3GbTI.50, was through or transit
freight ana Sc, 1919 tons, yielding $279,-
,35606, were local, a quantity in excess
of that carried in lSjG-7 by So, 1873 tons,
4 gain in four years of over one ham
dreG per cent. 1t is undoubtedly true
that much of this fiattcring increase is
due to the through freight, yet the
gratifying fact remains, that in the
important matter OF live stock, fur
nishUd exclusively by our people, over
tccnty-oae and q hug million pounds
were supplied during the past year
rs against sic n1ifiioh poun Is in 1867
of minerals, .fOrty-ScCc'9 and q hay
million pounds rs against t@cRty-scrcn
million pounds of wheat, and .fttCea
milton pounds as against one milton
pounds for the same periods, with an
increase in other articles measurably
prcportionate to these large gains
Who, in view of these facts, can fail
to see that this prosperity has not been
quickpned and promoted by the ability
OF this Company to open to our people
access to the best markets Of the coun-
try, by liberal reduction Of freight
rates and a uniform tariff to all acces-
sibla points? or that the entire South
west has not felt the influence Of sucE
an increase Of value?
While our people have thus derived
Benefits from this new order of things,
oar Virginia cities have been made
the largest recipients of this produce,
for we find that during the past year
one hundred and twenty-five million
pounds of produce were carried over
the Atlantic, Mississippi & Ohio road,
embracing through and local frcights.
OF this amount the cities of Lynch
bnrg, Petersburg, Richmond and Nor
folk received one hundred and thirty
three millions and that 6!tfy-njnc htH-
lions went via Norfolk to northern
cities, but OF this latter amount forty
three million pounds originated out
side of the State of Virginia and eight
millions constituted the export trade
of Lynchburg and Petersburg, leaving
eight million pounds of produce car
ried away from Virginia, (of which
f0ur million pounds We're crude miner
ais which had its origin in the State,
and of that furnished to Virginia cities
nine million pounds were furnished by
means of connecting lines, from and
beyond her limits, (see last annual
Report of Va. s. Tenn. r. r. Co.,
page 49,
No candid man, who will discard
prejudiccs and past animosities, can
fail to see, that thc road is better of
in every way, than it ever was-that
its business, through and local, il
steadily increasing under the fostering
care Of the wise management which
now directs it, that our farmers, mi
ners and stockmen are enabled to select
their own markets, ship their produce
at fixed rates to any point and at
measUrably less cost than they ever
could. EUen n01U local rates Oper thu,
line are lO10Cr than OUcr any other ROAD
jn "a, while the increasing ability
of the Company gives promise of still
further reductions commensurate with
its own advance to prosperity. II
these things are advantages, then we
congratulate our people that consoli-
dation is a fixed fact, and to those who
have heretofore opposed the measure,
but having seen its advantages are
open to conviction, we would say that
they do well to avoid the experience
of the man "who killed the goose that
laid the golden egg" while to those
who close their eyes and ears with
preiudircs, that their minds may not
discover the good which Consolidation
has wrought, we venture to suggest
that neither gain to them nor harm
to the road and its friends can result
from the course they pursue. Ahigh-
er power than any they can ever hope
to control has, by legal enactment,
made this a thing Of lar, and the stock
holders, whom we respectfully believe,
are as capable of taking care of their
property as any of its would-be custo-
dams, have, with singular degree of
uEanimity, made this thing of tar a
thing q fact.
The issue is dead, Consolidation is
an accomplished fact and the intro
duction of this question IS as unwise
an unnecessary, as the opposition to
its erection was futile and useless.
Thus from facts which cannot be
disputed, and from figures which can
not lie we find it is the aim and poll
cy of the present administration of the
consolidated line to press steadily for
ward in the reduction of local freighls
until they shall have become as low as
through freights. 1t is their belief
and our solemn conviction that the
present policy, as elaborated above, is
the only one 10y which this end can be
reached II, however, there yet be
some who, iii the broad blaze of ac-
c0mplished facts, will persist in their
war on this policy, we invite them
from .heir work of discord at home to
the proper field Of reform, to wit: the
stockholders meetings, and if they