The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1872-10-03
Thursday, October 8. 1874.
THE VALLEY RAILROAD.

THE VALLEY RAILROAD.
We print elsewhere Says the Baltimore
Gazette Of the 9th } a brief account of the
stockholders meeting Of the Valley Railroad,
held on Wednesday last at Salem, in Roanoke
county, Virginia. BY glance at the map it
will be seen that this road, now in process Of
construction from Harrisonburg, in Rocking
ham county, to Salem in Roanoke, county will
open up new and extensive region to the
trade and commerce of Baltimore-second,
indeed, In Importance to none it has ever
made. By connecting with the Chesapeake
ard Ohio Railroad at Staunton,-at which
place the Valley Railroad crosses it at right
augles-Baltimore will, practically, have the
avantage of an additional! first class road to
the far West, with maximum grade Of thir-
ty feet to the mile between the Chesapeake
Bay and the Ohio river. Connecting also at
Salem, its terminus, with the established line
now in successful operation, we shall have,
likewise, a continuous line of rail to the far
Southern States, terminating at the city Of
New Orleans.
The mineral wealth of Rockbridge, Angus
ia and the adjoining counties through which
the Valley railroad passes, and where many
persons believe the iron interest Of the coun-
try will be centered in few years, gives ad
ditional weight to the earnest demands for
speedy completion of this. important connec-
ton.
Many thousands of acres Of mineral land
in these counties have, within a brief period
been purchased by the iron masters and other
capitalists of Pennsylvania, and it is compus
ted by the most intelligent and far-seeing OF
those connected with that important branch
of industry that the supply Of raw material
that enters int the making Of iron is sufi-
Gent to furnish five hundred furnaces for an
indefinite length of timc-in other words, that
the supply is virtually inexhaustible.
With the advantage of the entire valley
trade, part of which has been. for half a
century, valuable auxiliary to the CONNER
cial prosperity of Baltimore, as we'll as the i'm
mense prospective extension OF this trade II
the near future, and with through line t.
New Orleans, and an additional connection
with the far West, it would seem difficult te
vcr-estimate the Importance Of the Valley
Railroad in advancing the material Interest,"
of our city. Nor can these interests fail to b.
promoted In every possible way, 80 long a
such prominent and substantial citizens o;
Baltimore as we're elected on Wednesday, art
members of the board of directors.
Such are the views of the Gazette-one Of
the best informed and ablest journals
in the scountry-of the advantages Balti-
more must derive from the completion Of this
great improvement. We do not mean grea'
within itself, but by reason of the important
connections it will consummate between the
rich fields of production of the South and
South west, and the commercial entrepots oil
the east.
Staunton will then have been established
as the great central point of the vast enter
prises linking the prolific regions of the ta'
West and North West reaching to the Mis-
sissippi, and the Lakes, by means of TIL
chesapeake & Ohio Railroad and its ramife'
connections even to the Pacific slope
and Underwater, and the magnificent cotton
and rice regions of the gulf, with the eastern
cities. by means of the Valley Railroad and
its connections. The construction of the con-
templated branch road from here to WASH
ing.on, and the completion Of the Shen-
andoah Valley road to this point, ano
passing on to the South west through {
rich mineral country, intermediate between
the direct lines of the Chesapeake and Obi
Ioaa and the Valley road, to the Mississippi
Valley, will make this one Of the most lmpor-
tant inland centres in the South, if mot on the
continent.
The establishment of the Workshops here.
which must be followed by blast furnaces and
rolling mills and other manufacturing enter
prises, open upa future to us truly inviting.
The iron, coal, aud wood will be at our doors,
and nothing but the want Of the energy and
capital Of man can prevent the rapid growth
Of our city in population and wealth.
SUPREME COURT OF APPEALS.