The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-11-18
RitImtond Dispattlr,
1s, 1871.
ne THE CIRCULATION OF THE Dls
PATCH Is LARGER THAN THE CoMBINbf
= REGULATION UF ALL THE OTHER DAILY
NEWSPAPERS OF THE CITY.
Who Own the Railroads Leading from
Richmond to the south.
From the haitlmorc GAZet,e, lfib


We have from time to time alluded to the
purchase or lease of southern roads by
parties III close connection with the Penn-
sylvania Central. For a time it was be-
itcved that these operations were being
made for the benefit Of that road. Some
months ago we discovered that the organ.
! lzatloD under which this southern consoli-
dation was being effected was an indie
pendent one, and we have heretofore been
restrained by prudential motives from
speaking more fully on the subject. Now
that the system has attained proportions
which make further secrecy unnecessary,
we give to the public details which will be
Of unusual interest.
Some four years ago, the great body OF
the southern railvoudS being still IN more
| or less diiaPjdated condition from the wear
| ana tear Of an eXhauSting war, their stocks
and mortgage bonds being in very de-
pressed condition, their means and credit
being limited, and their cooperative organ
Ization not only incomplete but checked by
| the antagonism Of special interests and mar
row views, o movement was inaugurated
by Mr.. W. 7. Walters, of this city, which
he believed would not only yield large
profit to himself and his associates on
money invested, but benefit the city of
Baltimore by adding greatly to its trade.
1t seemed. indeed, evident that q compnct
organization Of the great lines of southern
inter under o system con-
| trolIcd by one head, kept in full working
order, thoroughly equipped, with regular
and speedy passenger and freight trains
| running IT the lowest paying figures, must
necessarily improve the condition OF the
whole southern country and lead. conse-
quentiy, to the development OF this its
natural ard most important market.
\ Mr.. " alters n3s been lBinrd in fhiq on
terpri>e by our fellow townsmen Messrs.
Alexander Brown & Sons, General O'Don-
nell, and Mcssrs. Thomas &. Jenkins, Ho-
race Abbott, Thomas Kensett, George Bart.
| lett and B. +. Newcomer. Messrs. nj. E.
JeSSup e. Co., y. Willis James and Roose-
welt & Son, OF New York ; DreXell & Co.,
7. A. d :. Small, and Whitney & Sons, OF
| PernSy lvania, and Daniel James, Of Liver
pool, are also associated with ii. Over
seven million dollars have already been ex-
pended in actual cash outlay, and up to the
present time. by purchase of stock, a con-
| trolling majority in a number Of most i'm
p0rtant lines Of railroad, comprising In all
| ,423 miles, has been secured. Besides this,
| control has been obtained, under lease, OF
363 miles additional. These combinations
already comprise complete lines from
Richmond, ua DanviIle and Charlotte, to
| Atlanta
| Richmond, ria Weldon and Wilmington,
TO Charleston and Augusta ; and from
Atlantis, ria Knoxville, to Bristol. from
! which connection VIII, in all proba-
h'lity, be made with Danyille by Cen
| eral Flournoy's road, which Will be
| constructed.
| Additional roads have been built, and all
are or are being pu, in fif>t-class working
order and thoro" ghly equipped.
| II Will thus be seen that this new
company now controls both the main
lines south from Richmond, the North
! Carolua roads, the chief roads Of South
| Carolina, two main roads in Georgia, and
| the important lines OF East Tennessee.
These combined southern lines will have
/! direct communication north Of Richmond
with Washington, Baltimore, Phiiadelp pha,
! and New York, both through the present
/ lines and by others 10 be built i'll friendly
| alliance with the new organization.
| The programme will be complete within
! two wears, when facilities for freight traffic
and passenger communication will be af-
i0rded the entire South that will not only
| be simply unrlvalcd, but cannot be pro-
| yidcd by any competing interest at less than
double the outlay of this company, as con-
| troll Of these roads has been obtained at an
average cost OF about fifty cents in the dol
| lar oil the original cost in times Of gold cur
reucy and cheap labor. Baltimore wilt
have complete communication with the
whole South By lines Of railroads 200 miles
| nearer than New York. Atlanta will be
| placed in direct communication with this
| city by "a route 100 miles shorter than any
| existing one, and passenger trains Will tra-
verse the entire distance-650 milcS--in less
| than tWentv-tOur hours upon the final COM
| plction OF the Charlotte and Atlanta link,
10 be flushed within eight months. 1t fol-
fl,n
| prise of this new organization cannot stop
here. From Chattanooga and Atlanta il is
| but railroad step to New Orleans and Mo-
| bile.
| The great benefit to be derived by the
| South from u thorough organization OF G.
complete system Of roads, under one man.
| agcment, fully equipped and free from the
petty annoyanceS OF local interference, must
! he apparent TO every one. Such system
must tend to develop immensely those q eat
| home intcrestS-aoriculture and manutac-
| Iturcs-upon which the very vitality. IN
| deed we may almost say existence, of the
| South now depends. To Baltimore the adj
yantagcs of economical transportation and
| cheap travel must be very great. We Shalt
| thus be thrown into more intimate business
and personal communication with those
| with whom we are allied by common SYM
pathy, and with whom, we have always
| contendcd, our most important commercials
Interests are in>eparably united. There is
no risk in predicting that in the staple artl-
Gle Of cotton, alone, the receipts in this
city for the first year after the hnal compile
ton of communication with the leading
business centres OF the South will be In
creased fully 100000 bales. There Will not
only be O vast increase Of receipts from the
South, but there must necessarily be an
enormous addition to the supplies shlpped
TO the South. Baltimore will not only be-
come alarge exporting mart, but It's foreign
| importalions must of necessity grow very
| largely.
For prudential reasons we forbear for
| the present giving further facts IN regard TO
| negotiations now in progress, which VIII
| add greatly to the magnitude OF this enter
prise. We will only add that the organl-
Zatlon which controls these operations Is IN
| no way connected Wsth the pennsylvania
Central. 1t is necessarily most dangerous
competitor tor the Baltimore and Obio road,
its prime movers having had the sagacily
and the tact 10 obtain quietly most impor-
| tant leading communications, from which
our State road is now absolutely cut OIL.
Baltimore is at least to be congratulated
upon the fact that no matter what else may
be sand of it, It bas grown great enough 10
sustain more than tH0 considerable rail-
road enterprises.