The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-03-31
'- ~. Kanawha and James River
Valleys. +

I, =
na. Kanawha and James River
A"' Valleys.
1,e news from the Valley Of the Kama
-. ~ :. worry interesting. The richness OF
W .ol. and coal mines, and the iron ana
lad and gypsum Of the upper Kana"na, ~
.,,eh that capitalists have become grea',!
interested In them, in view OF 'he cary
nomn,esion of the grand Chesapeake ana
,,h,n railroad. Lands, whether mineral or
acricultural, have risen rapidly in value,
osa the state of feeling upon the line OF
the railroad Is pronounced feVefisn' 80
,,oh has risen the desire for ownership OF
,aeI rronerty in what is az near the Land OF
promise as any within the broad hm''s Oh
What a world of industry and thrift VIII
,e disnlaved In the grand Valley OF the
Eonowha within the next ten years we
.,s. s,,re the man of intelligence who knows
onvthinp Of the mineral wealth of that
valley cannot think Of its near future With
ont feeling Of enthusiasm. The Chesa-
,,eake and Ohio railroad will afford to it not
only the means Of transportation, but the
means of rapid communication with the
world, and that at once must inaugurate a
degree Of enterprise in the development OF
Its wealth commensurate with its immense
resources. We have not doubt that ten
wears will bring out al amount OF energy
and prosperity in that wonderful valley not
surpassed anywhere in the United states.
Now. when considering this grand view
OF bountiful natural resources and human
eneraies, we are naturally led to contem.
plate the continuous line of low grades Ia
yorable to transportation Of heavy freights
from the Kanawha Valley to the sea. That
low line takes its course along the James TO
the Virginia tide that is but the pulsatlon
Of the great ocean, which is the highway 10
all parts Of the earth.
And what is that James River Valley!
great gift OF kind Providence. Its fer
tile soil, its mineral wealth, its water power,
fts Grand landscapes, its salubrious atmos'
pheres, mark it as a seat of human industry
thrift, and happiness. Opening to the won
derrul Valley Of the Kanawha, the bright
wav to commerce with the world, It, is
studded with rich rewards for the industry
Of man, and no less with resources Tor MS
health and happiness. II
n for the individual we may look for
these sources of compensation and OF con-
tentment, we may equally value the benefits
of this noble valley as the source OF wealth
to the State. Burdened and impoverished
as she is, she may well look to the James
River Valley as for her another Nile, TO
pour wealth into the Golfers of the Com
monwealth.
But how is the wealth Of the James River
Valley to be developed? By the continual
ton of the line of railway which brings the
rich Kanawha Valley to the uses and benefit
of society, to the place of shipment upon
the tide that leads to the ocean. That Is the
pertinent and decisive answer to the ques-
ton. And it is matter Of felicitation to
us all that the Chesapeake and Ohio Rail
road Company has come to the conclusion
that it Is absolutely necessary that its line
should follow the James river from Clifton
Forge to Richmond. The company cannot
transport the heavy eastward freights that
will be thrown upon the line BY any other
route. By the James River Valley the grade
Is low-nowhere exceeding twenty feet to
the mile-and upon road with q
grade so favorable it is plain that
the freight from the Mississippi Valley
to the Atlantic can be transported at lower
rates than upon any other now known.
Mr.. HUNTINGTON, the president Of the
Chesapeake and Ohio, has we'll investigated
this matter. His mastery intellect has
readily brought him to the conclusion that
he must find his way to the ocean from the
Kanawha by the James River Valley that
bv that way alone can he obtain the low
grades essential to the successful transport
tation Of the great and ponderous COM
merce from the Ohio and he has at the
present session of the Virginia Legislature |
secured charter for the construction Of !
the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad to Rich |
mond along the james River Valley.
Here, then, we have the unity and in
tegrity of Virginia commerce fairly de-
veloped. and, as we believe, thoroughly |
protected. The two great valleys OF the !
Kanawha and the James are to become the !
localities of great achievements and active |
iutercommunication between the West and |
the Atlantic coast.
Need we add word to draw public atten- |
ton to commanding point in this grand
line OF transportation Need we name
Richmond as focal point on this line of
great action and OF immense prosperity I?
The most simple understanding should I'M
avoidably settle upon Richmond as this
point. The trade once in the Valley, OF
James river cannot be diverted from it, but
must thread its way along the Valley until
1t strikes the shipping at Richmond.
We are very practical. Rigidly so. But
we cannot look upon the picture, as we De-
hold 1t in the future, of the immense sue
cess of these agencies without. looking Tor
the day when Virginia will be SO relieved
from burthens and so full of prosperity and
contentment that we forget entirely the
present painful hour In the contemplation
Of the lows that are to come and that are so
near at hand. = r.
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Trade with North Carolina.
We cannot urge upon our citizens too