The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-02-01
COUNTY SUBSCRIPTIONS TO RAIL
ROAD ENTERPRISES.

our railroad system Qf we can be said t.
have any) such as looks to beueftting the
State, which needs all our help, or riva
cities beyond her borders, which do no
need help, and will not, under any circum.
stances, minister to her necessities ~ By
system we understand combination and
direction of means and forces, so as most
certainly to produce desired results OF
effects.
The Legislature of any State should I'M
doubleday so project the railroad system
as that the greatest possible benefit shall
accrue to their own tax-payng citizens, by
aifording facilities for the transportation OF
the products of mining and agricultural
industry, from the localities where they
are produced, to some point within her
own territory, where such products may be
converted, by process of manufacturing
into the more valuable form of goods, fit
for home or foreign consumption or.
through the commercial enterprise of her
merchants, carried by land or sea, to the
best market, and by such exchange.
through the agency of her own merchants
and her own means of transport, realize
for the State the greatest possible share of
the profit accruing from production to con
sumption.
The first organizers Of the railroad sys-
tenn of this State were evidently guided
by the considerations above suggested.
The objective points selected clearly indi-
cate this. The James River and Kanawha
canal, Richmond and Danville and Vir-
GINA Central railroads, radiated from
Richmond the capital, and manufacturing
I'm POSSE and business centre of the State.
located at the head of navgable river.
The Orange and Alexandria, Manassas, and
Loudoun andHampshire roads converged to
Alexandria, another commercial point at the
head OF navigable river. The Albemarle
and Chesapeake and Dismal Swamp canals,
Seaboard and Roanoke, and late, the Nor
folk and Petersburg railroads fed the COM
merce of Norfolk, while the Petersburg
and Weldon, and the 5outhside railroads.
formed lines of communication from Sontb |
and West to Petersburg factories, or ship
ping facilities at City Point. The Rich.
mond, Fredericksburg and Potomac rail-
road linked the capitals of the nation and
State, paying fredericksburg a passing
call.
10 those who were familiar with Vir-
glnla, say twenty five years ago, it seemed
this system of REORGANIZATION must
succeed. AtAlexandria, the Fowles. Gaze
moves, &c; at Fredericksburg, Phillipse
at Norfolk, Hardys, Soutter, Bell, White
head, go. ;at Richmond, Curries, Dunlops,
McCances, Webbs, &c., were owners
or consignees of sea-going vessels and
Virginia appeared about to regaia that
commercial eminence, the acquisition of
which her bounded, river penetrated
so remarkably favored. But
other objects than fostering commerce and
varied home industry engrossed !
he minds OF her citizens, and inperious
ISOLATION was chosen instead of generous |
ivalry. Political distractions were all
owed to overshadow and crush business
acts; and after a dreadful awakening
rom the depressing nightmare of an en- 2
IRE built upon rotten cornerstone. we i
nd commerce had spread her wings, when
larmed by the rack of civil war, and sped y
er flight to more congenial abode.
Now the question is presented, shall we
Sc the system, so well devised and con-
tructed at such immense cost, to WOO back u
le truant, or merely to make it more
eslrable for her to remain where she has
und resting place-beyoud our borders.
he first difficulty which had to be met
as the poverty of our people, rendering q
certain that their productive power was aMa
sufficient to furnish traffic within the da
ate sufficient to remunerate those trans pc ra'
'rting 1T, or give profitable employmentto :
capital, still less to project the q
works to their prospective Ad
mini. The Legislature acted wisely Ne
d accepted proposal by New York 4
pitalists to complete the Covington and e
no railroad, and place Richmond in d. cor
It communication with the wealth of pro- ~
&C. foated on the Ohio river. r
This work goes bravely on, and Rich q
md and the whole State looked without DIRE
ret upon her pecuniary sacrifice, trust 4
6 that she would at last reap her well a
erved return. But as the completion cal
this great work approaches, we find Cha Oh
i've preparations on foot to rob her of =
fruits. Baltimore seeks to make a Is
ersion in her interest at Stauntou. and The
in at Gordonsville, while New York
in wait at Hanover Junction to carry ID
at is left on the track to West Point, or s -
he other like shipping aoharf on deep i fAs
Ter, and Richmond will have poor COM or a
OF reading in her morning papers a chen or
list of Steamboat arrivals and dor You
=, N "oPai- In IL
IS from the new commercial metro sl2d