The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1871-03-16
The Shenandoah Valley Road.

The Richmond Enquirer, which is suppos-
ed to reflect the views of the Pennsylvania
Central Company in relation to its Virginia
schemes, speaks as follows of the S. v. Rail-
road:
"The importance of this road to our people
can hardly be overcstimated. From the Po-
tomac to the Tennessee line it traverses a
section of the State, rich, beyond compute,
in all that is calculated to make State veal
thy and powerful, whether we consider the
fertility of the soil. or the vast and mex
hausible sources of mineral treasure. The
engineer, who reconnoitered the country to
establish proper route, in referring to the
deposit of iron, says, Pennsylvania, RIGA as
she is, is poor in iron ores as compared with
Virginia Besides iron, there are coal, salt
and gypsum, without limit, and other miner
ais. These are scme Of the local Inducements
to complete this road, and the people along
its line should spare no effort to lend GER
tain, prompt and apprcciable aid toward its
construction.
The traffic, local to the line, as the mines
become developed, and the productions OF
the soil are stimulated and increased by rea-
son of first class railway facilities and the
true policy of a large business carried at low
rates, must necessarily, in a very short time,
be fruitful Of large benefits both to the road
and to the people, But when the through
traffic and travel are considered, and it is
remembered that the valleys extending from
the Shenandoahto Knoxville and Chattanoo-
ga afford the most direct route which the to
biography Of the country will ever permit be-.
tween Philadelphia, New York and other CT
ties of the Northeast, and Memphis. New
Orleans and other cities of the Southwest
ard that these routes will be directly con-
ncctcd with the Southern Pacific road; the
magnitude Of the trade and travel that must
pass over!' its line, if expressed in figures,
might seem extravaganza and vain.
The necessities Of our own people demand
cd and obtained Ct TIE Legislature a charter
to construct this road, but l.aralyscd by the
issue of ruinous war the corporators were
driven to seek aid from other quarters. They
applied first to various railroad interests and
were rcpul> ed there was no hope OF relief
from the Baltimore and Ohio road. which
was then pursuing its own aud rival schemes
down the Valley and there was none other
which could help except the Pennsylvania
road. This company received the applica-
ton with but little favor, but yielded at last
so far as to premise their aid if favorable
report should Is nlade Of The project by its
own officers Here commenced The connec-
ton of the Pennsylvania Company with that
of the Shenandoah Valley Company.
The reports both of the Engineer and
Geolagist eoncurring in favor of the con-
struction of the road, the Pennsylvania COM
pany agreed to back up the Shenandoah
Valley company with the Necessary funds,
and the work on the road has becn continued
by, and will be carried through on the should
ers Of, the Pennsylvania company. The ne
cessities Of the country along its line, the
demands of trade and travel beyond the State,
seeking transit through her territory, its flu
ture connection with tho Southern Pacific
Road, all concur to render certain The con-
struction Of this road and as the advantages
have attracted the attention of the Ponnsyl-
vania company and enlisted its favor, it is
entirely reasonable to believe that it will be
completed at an early day"