The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-07-29

Gals and Conservatives
The officers havi'g charge of the affair
discharged their painful duties extremely
| Well. and the occasion was surrounded by
AL the solcmnity which should attend The
taking of life i'll the calise Of law.
Correspondence Ct tie iIcInnona Dispatch.
Roanoke Valley Hu.leond--E'ablic
| Meeting and Barbecue EeerncS-
ksailromd Views and PoitcieS-Good
Advice.
HrFrALo SrR1SGs.I
MECKLENBURG COUNTY, July q, 1871.
A party of gentlemen, including Coy.
Walker, and his aid. Col. Owens, lett ltich-
mould thi>m morning for this place TO be pres
| cnt ut a meeting to consider the project of
rebuilding the Roanoke Valley railroad and
10 paltake of the things provided in this
hu>pl!ahlr section for their consolation ut
the festive board. A special train was pro-
| Nidcd for the occasion, and President Blu
ford, and Chief Engineer Talcott, accom-
panied the guests. doing what they could
TO promote their comfort and enjoyment.
Leaving ut 3 A. NJ, we reached Clover
depot At 9.15, and there found u sumptuous
! breakfast just served for us.
Major W. W. Wood, on behalf of the
| company who are about to undertake with
small assistance from the people Interested
the building of the road, also accompanied
the train, and was untiring in his attentions
| to passengers.
Breakfast was soon disposed of land a
most excellent one it was), and we went on
TO Wolf Trap depot, where anumber OF ve-
h:cieS were in readiness to convey us some
twelve or fifteen miles to Buffalo Springs.
In these we were all o o seated and off
upon the ,journey-and such a Journey. If
ANY road named "Jordan," or any having
Any other name is worse, we have not met
With II. To be worse, would be to he im-
pa>Sahlc. 1t Is nearly rs much out Of order
Is The famous bridge of which the poet who
immOltallzcd it said
"ADd now this bridge is not passable,
No, not even jack ass-ahle."
But the men that rode in the wagons were
powerfully fortified with the best of fare
and the stoutest Of stimulantS. They
event it, aud this shows now important
il is that in ali arduous and pcrilouS under
takimyS those who embark in them should
lie well fed. 1t takes Il heap of eating and
drinking, for instance, to baud roads and
haa oHi adventures been atfi cted with
empty stomachS they mist inevitably have
been laid out hy the way.
II STRING AND THE PEOPLE.
But we made the trip, and reached the
spring. where we found Il great array of
countrymcn, and Il number of the fuireSt
Il ,w@r> OF Mecklcnburg, brightly blooming
from the purrheS and windows OF the hotel
and 'Dcath the broad oaks. Their bright
! eyes and sweet smiles sOOn hani>hcd all re-
collection Of the dtscomiortS of travel. We
were OF al hands received with ho>ptable
smiles and the graceful manifestations OF
friendship, Of which our correspondent is
proud to say he had his share.
.. he NtuprIhlp Col T1wnpc ca we'll
known a> Il representative Of his county,
auu so prominent for his clear intellect,
sound judgment, and social virtues, was
one Of the tiC$t OF those who shook ne by
the hand next that sterling and excellent
clt!ZcU, Is. i. overly, ut whose ho>pitahlc
board / broke bread near forty years since,
gave me his welcome. He is still hale and
hearty, running close up TO his four-scorc
wears. After these came w. X. Basker-
vile, nee an able representative OF Meek
Icnburg: Henry Wood, of Mccklcnburg.
once Il prominent delegate ilom Amelia !;
+. 4. Rawl!ns, and indeed troops OF
friends where | expected TO meet only one
| or two. The cheerful greeting Of the
Mtckicnburg people put us all at ease.
The spring is Il chalybcutc, much praised
| by those who know ii test. The buildings
| are plain but c~ommodiouS and comfortable,
the abundance OF trees afford both shade
dlu DcdttIg W tHc Siuulus, anu Tue iaIc IL
good. At Il side OF the grounds the barbc-
| cue was being prepared, and the sayory
odors waited upon the winds were most
| grateful and appetiZing.
In due time the people were convened
under the shade near the spring, and the
PUBLIC MEETING
WAS oreanized-Mr. A. S. Buford, president
OF the DanviIlc railroad, in the chair. Al
ter Il brief explanation from him as to the
objects of the meeting, he introduced
Mr.. r. Il. Harris, Il young lawyer OF
Mecklenburg, who is winning his way to
distinction by his talents and his devotion
to his profession. He made a very clear
statement OF toe plan for the rebuilding Of
the Valley road. 1t was estimated that the
whole road (3l miles long) would cost
$50, 600, and il was desired that the people
living along the line should subscribe ut the
rate Of $1,000 q mile TO the work. He show
cd that this was not more than would be
necessary to build Il plank-road or Il turn
pike, and ridiculcd the idea that the people
would be unwilling to give that little to
secure the advantages of q railroad, when
without that form of Improvement in this
day of railroading their region must ever
remain in a state of paralysis. Nothing but
poyerty-poverty of men and land and of
the rewards Of labor-could be expected
where the railway did not exist.
Mr.. Harris gave point to his argument
by pithy and well-choSen Illustration and
anccdote. lie justly ridiculed the pre-
iudices INDUCED in by some against for
cigncrs-against trusting to them the work
of building our railroads. He denounced
the prejudice as narrow-minded, lmpolitlc,
and absurd. When a man proposed to
spend his money by building Il railroad III
his county, he didn't care where he came
rom. he welcomed him with all his heart
as q public benciactor. He pursued his
argument with tact and force, touching
several points which YOU have not room
for me to explain. After be concluded,
Judge II. III. Marshall was loudly called
for, and under some protestatlon he was
compelled to advance and say something.
1t would make this letter much too long 10
enter upon IN abstract of the speeches OF
the day. Judge Marshall warmly sustained
the improvement. ard gave the most I'M
qualified assurances of the reliability aud
sincerity of the gentlemen who proposed -
rebuild the road, and who were asking the
small aid Of $3, 900 L mile from the ciliZeus.
He elouuently appealed to the people to
enter heartily into the project, and thus
ioin in the general cXertton of the people of
Virginia to lift up their State out of poverty
and association, and make her prosperous
and powerful.
aGoyeruor Walker was then IN an appro-
priate ami ~Wsil.conceived predatory ihtro-
duccd 10 the meeting by Mr.. uarrls.
Tnc Gcycsnor was halted with the most
cordia! ipunitestations Of respect and esteem
BY tue large crowd, and made 10 tnem d
speech Astounding in warm expressions o