Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1871-11-08
The Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad
Western Extension.


From Mr. Nordholis letters TO the Tri.
b'ae from Virginia, we extract the following
account Of the portion Of the Chesapeake and
Ohio Railroad now in operation, and which
is separated from the Western Division on
which rails are laid by a link Of about 100
miles, which is to be finished 10 less than q
year:
East Of the White Sulphur, and between
that point and Covington, we passed over that
part of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad
which was surveyed and built by the State
Of Virginia before the war. This part of the
line crosses the Aloghanes, and the work
done here, in tunnels and cuttings, isremark-
able for its courage and that disregard Of
cost which is characteristic of Government
work. The Virginia Central Railroad was
completed from Richmond to Covington, a
distance of POS miles, in 1861. While it
was building, the State Of Virginia under.
took TO build a railroad from Coyington to
the Ohio River, to complete the line from the
West to tide water On this work the State
spent 3,400 900. and what il did was mag
nifcently done. The masonry tunnels are all
double-tracked, the cuts are straight and
clean, and the line its engineers have laid
has admirably low grades and easy curves.
But the war stopped this work. After the
war the State was unable to finish it, and f.
nally law was passed granting to the Vir-
ginia Central Company all the franchises and
property of that portion begun by the State,
on the condition that they should complete it
to the Ohio River. The two portions were
consolidated under a new name--the Chesa-
peake and Oho--and, at later period, New
York capitalists, discovering the great adj
vantages of the route, aud its immense re-
sources, stepped in with abundant means and
determined to complete the work. They re-
ceived from the State free gift Of all that
the State had done west Of Covington are
relieved from taxation until the dividends
reach 10 per cent, and have some other i'm
portant privileges. The gentlemen who thus
seized upon what seems to me one Of the
greatest opportunities in the country for a
solid and profitable investment of capital
were Messrs. A. A. Low, VIM. II. Aspinwall
Jonas G. Clark, Richard Irwin, VIM. b
Hatch, p Fisk, and G. p. Huntington the
last named being President of the Com
pany
Gen. W. G. Wickham, Gen. Anderson
and several other Nirginians are also among
the Directors. With men like these at the
back of it the work is going on rapidly, and
will be completed next October. have beer
struck, all along the new line now building
with the solidity Of the masonry and the thor.
oughness with which every part Of the work
is done. The tunnels and bridges are all
with the exception Of two tunnels, prepared
for double track the whole line can b.
double tracked at a comparatively small ex-
pense whenever it becomes necessary, and the
land investments made not only at Hunting.
ton, but all along the line, at every point
where there is likely to be an important town
promise in themselves to pay magni6cently
The work is done for cash, and accordingly
there is no waste; with a country Of wonder.
full mineral aud other wealth to develop, and
western connections which will make it wher
completed, one OF the great through lines
connecting the West with tide water--con.
sidering also its low grades, and its small
cost compared with other through lines, it
will have great advantages over its competi-
tors. IN Y. Tribune, Oct. 81.