The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-10-07


From Daniels Gap the line follows Lit
tie river through Floyd, passing the Court
house and striking New river on the line
between Montgomery and Pulaski. Thence
it is proposed to take it through Pulaski to
Little Walkers creek ; follow that to its
mouth, and then, ascending Walkers
creek to Kimberling Fork, go up that to
its head and cross the ''divide" to Wolf
creek in Bland, and ascending the Clear
Fork of Wolf to It's head, cross the "di
vide" and fall down Clinch river through
Tazcwell, Russell and Scott counties with
one branch; and crossing 10 Buchanan
county descend Big Sandy to Catlettsburg,
on the Ohio; and by another branch pene-
trate Kentucky, and following the valley
o fLicking river, reach ultimately Mount
Sterling and Lexington.
As a whole, this is a vast scheme, and
perhaps in that fact lies its greatest strength,
as it is large enough to enlist European
capital for its construction. AT the same
time it has the merit of a line that will pay
in all its parts as fast as it maybe opened from
Richmond westward and for the Southside
and Southwest counties traversed by it, no
better scheme can be devised to promote
immigration and the sale and settlement of
their surplus lands. For Richmond it is an
important enterprise is every way, as it in
the first place will increase the productions
of a large farming region now greatly de-
pressed from want of means Of Transports
ton !; secondly, it opens up the best iron
region in the State, bringing the rich mag
netitcs of Piedmont Virginia within easy
reach Of future furnaces TO be erected here
and thirdly, by opening a way to the great
coal-iields in Tazewell, two hundred and
sixty miles distant from Richmond, it will,
as a rival of the Chesapeake and Ohio road,
aid in giving us cheap fuel Of the best
qualities for our houses and manufactures.
1t would always be a Virginia, and pecu-
liarly q Richmond road and the shortest
line to tide-water for all the country it would
drain.
Can it be built? We answer yes il
narrow-gauge roads are as cheap and use.
full as their advocates claim, and as actual
experience seems to prove. But it can't
be built without an effort, and there is no
better time than the present for the people
Immediately interested TO take it ir
hand, and show a readiness to do their part.
We will hereafter advert to this subject
again, and give some facts in regard to the
cost and working of narrow-gauge roads,
which may tend to convince our people thai
such IN enterprise as this is not beyond
their means of attainment. They neednoi
subscribe in county bonds and lands
more than one-third of the amount nee.
essary to do the work. With a basis
of one-third-say $1,000 a mile-the
company can raise the balance tc
build and equip the road on bond ant
mortgage, if we may judge from the facility
with which such negotiations are effected
for similar works in the West and North,
where the prospect of large returns is
surely no better than this splendid regior
in Virginia. Then let the people of the
counties to be benefited, move at once
and sec to it that their representatives ii
the Legislature procure the enactment of Q
liberal charter, and when that is done be
prompt in making their private and county
subscriptions, SO as to organize the compa'
ny next winter, survey the route in the
spring, negotiate the loan and begin the
work next summer, and finish it in u year.
With proper effort and concert it can be
done.