Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1871-05-16
For the Spectator.
a Lucky Escape.

congratulating the people of Staunton on the
lucky escape they have made, from getting
another Railroad to our town, and at the same
time, [ feel it to be duty in behalf Of the cit
liens of the town, to return thanks to the peo-
pie of the county, for voting it down.
These Railroads are bad things any way
Before we had any Railroad the people of the
town had things pretty much their own way.
We could buy the best -four at from three and
half to four and five dollars Beef used to
sell at about or 6 cents, and we got butter at
l23 cents to shilling, eggs at to 10 cents,
chickens for l23 cents, and turkeys at so to IS
cents, and everything else in proportion. Now,
we have to pay two or three times these prices.
In the good old times the people of the coun-
try had no other market than Staunton, and
they were obliged to take what a0e chose to
give them for their products But since the
abominable Railroad was built they have got to
be independent of u.s. When the country peo-
pie bring their supplies to town, instead of ta-
king what zoe choose to offer them, they fix the
prices themselves, and if we hesitate about
giving them they sauciy turn on their heels
and send their commodities to Richmond. We
are thus brought into competition with Rich
mond, and have to pay Richmond prices. This
is bad But if we had another Railroad, it
would be great deal worse For, then, we
would have to compete with Washington and
Baltimore as well as Richmond, for all our sup
plies. This would have been monstrous op-
preston on the people of the town.
Why, gentlemen if the people of the coun-
ty had voted the subscription of two hundred
thousand dollars, and put the work in opera
ton, what would now have been the condition
of the town people? By this time there would
have been three or four thousand hands at
work on the road. All these people, with
their families, and horses and mules, &C.,
would have had to draw their supplies from
the farmers of Augusta and Rockingham. It
is plain, to see, what would have been the eff
feet Of this. Corn. -four, oats, hay, potatoes,
bacon, eggs, poultry, milk, butter, cheese, ap-
Piles, cabbage-indeed everything grown in the
county, would have raised greatly in price, and
we poor people of the town would have had to
bear it. We would have been taxed by the
heartless Railroad for the benefit of the coun-
try people, to the extent of this increase in
prices. doubt not, that if all these laboring
people had been brought into the county, corn
would now have been selling at dollar bush
ell, and every other kind of food for man and
beast, at a proportionate increase of price,
This would have been outrageous, and what is
worse, it would have continued for several
years.
It is bad enough for the people of Staunton
to compete with Richmond But Richmond
is comparatively small place with only fifty
or sixty thousand people. But what would
have been the result, if, in addition, we had
been brought into competition with Alezan-
dria, Washington and Baltimore, with four
hundred thousand people. I shudder to think
of it. Why sirs! we would have been COM
pletely at the mercy of the country people. =
We would have been obliged to pay them just
what they chose to ask for all the necessaries
of life. live ventured to dispute their prices,
the infamous, intermeddling Railroads, and
Richmond, Washington, and Baltimore, would
have been fauted in our faces.
But this is not ALL Some Of our town peo-
pie like, now and then, to buy tract of land
in the country. Like everybody else we would
like to buy at a low price. But if Railroads
are brought here. and the products of the land
made to sell fer higher prices, land itself will
go up in value and our people would have to
pay the increase. Thus you see, we people OF
the town, are taxed in every form and shape,
by the internal Railroads Railroads are the
devils own progeny. Aud some times, when [
see long winding Railroad track stretching
through our country, almost fancy that it is
the DEVIL tail, which be has dropped in one
of his piIgrimages through the land. And
who that has seen Locomotive, laundering
along in dark night, with its eye of fame and
breath of sparks and smoke, has not been
struck with its resemblance to the cold gentle
man" himself.
think / know why the county people voted
the Railroad down. They did it purely for our
benefit. They knew it was taxing us heavily
and they determined to save US as far as they
could in the future This was magnanimous
and demands our thanks.
Am I not justifable then, in. calling this a
lucky escape and in rejoicing in it?
"OLD FOGY."
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