Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1872-02-20
Staumtolt Spettatur.
Tuesday, February 20. 1872.
The Valley Railroad.

The Valley Railroad.
AS everything that relates to this important
work is of interest to our readers we feel it to
be our duty to lay before them the following
extract from the leading editorial of the Balti-
more Gazette, of 18th inst We presume the
Gazette speaks advisedly.
We must confess to much disappointment at
the tone of this article. We had supposed that
the question of the early construction of the
Railroad from Harrisonburg to Salem had
been finally settled. But, if we rightly under
stand the editorial of the Gazette, there is only
"a fair probability" that it will be buit--aozen.
the writer does not say.
We are gratifed, however, to baye a more
distinct assurance, that the Road between Har-
risonburg and Staunton, will 'oe constructed in
any event.
The delay which has occurred 10 awarding
contracts for building the Road from Har
rlsonburg to Staulton, had created some ap-
prehenslon thai unexpected difficulties had
arisen. The Company advertised for bids for
the work. to be received on the 18th of Jam
uary Many persons made careful examina-
lions ofthe route, and put in bids, before or on
that day, and no public action has yet been
taken In regard to those bids.
The difficulty in carrying out the original
plan, seems to have arisen from the s'consoli-
dalton bill, which enabled Gen. Malone to
get possession of the Lynchburg & Tennessee
Railroad, and thereby to flank Mr.. Garrett by
depriving him Of his connection with that
Road at Salem. And now, it turns out, that
Mr.. Thomas Scott, of the Pennsylvania Cen
trail Railroad. has, in turn, fanked General
Malone, by getting possession of the Railroad
from Bristol to Chattanooga and Memphis,
and thereby cutting off Gen. Malone from all
connection Except on such terms as Mr.. Scott
may prescribe) with the cotton and sugar re-
gions of the southwest
1t is rumored, however, what truth
we cannot say,-that Gen. Malone, finding
himself fanked by Mr.. Scott, has entered
into some friendly arrangement with that gen
tleman, by which Mr.. Scott has acquired
commanding interest in the operations of the
Lynchburg Il Tennessee Road IF such be the
fact, we think it more than probable that be-
fore long, the Shenandoah Valley Railroad,
which is said to be under contract from the
Potomac to Front Royal, will be extended up
the Valley to Salem, thereby giving the Penn
sylvania Central Railroad an unbroken line of
Railway from Philadelphia to Memphis, and
leaving Baltimore out In the cold
The leading men of Baltimore have been
too slow in their operations. They failed
to seize the golden opportunity when it was
offered to them.
Attic close of the war, nothing would have
been easier than for the Baltimore people to
have acquired the control of the Lynchburg &
Tennessee Railroad, and of the Road from
Bristol to Memphis. Then, by filling up the
gap between Harrisonburg and Salem, they
would have had a continuous line from Balti-
more to Memphis. IF they had done SO, they
would have had road, quite as long, and
probably more important to their commercial
interests, than their great Baltimore & Ohio
Railroad. The former would have given
them the cotton trade of the South, as the
latter gives them the grain and meat trade of
the West. The combination of the two would
unquestionably, have made Baltimore second
only to New York, as a commercial empo-
rum.
The action of Baltimore is an illustration of
the proverb that delays are dangerous"
Many years ago, gentleman remarked to
Gent jackson that some people thought he
was occasionally disposed to be rash. ''By
the Eternal, " replied the old hero, sit is some
times policy to be RASH" It would have been
we'll if Baltimore had exercised little more
of this kind of polite rashness, and been less
disposed to dilly-daly, and drive hard bar
gains.
But we will not detain our readers longer
from the extract from the article of the Ga
zette:
''That Lexington should be very disheartened
IS not to be wondered at. When the Valley
through road. All that was needed to obtain any
competitions that were necessary, was to put onr
hands to the wheel and go to work in ecr,,o,t tui
Inc Valley Road could have and would have
%ew %or the great through mail route from
Slow G ehn eo T Hs But we were too
the V;ro;r: -sGed until he obtained control of
Scott and Tennessee Line, and Mr. Tom
= and his allies, actually got possession of
every piece of road in the South that could in any
possible way be of service to either of our Balti
more Southern lines. The Valley Road has
dwindled down to local road merely through
the neglect by its promoters, of great opportunl-
ties which were for long time within their grasp.
This is SO eminently the fact, that there is very
good reason to believe that if the city subscrip-
ton of ST. 100000 were applied for to-day, it
would not be obtained, for the reason that the
great object, which could have been accomplish
ed few years ago at comparatively triding
outlay, can now only be effected by an expendi-
ture of millions.
It has been very evident, for some time past,
from the results of surveys, that the route
through Virginia cannot pass through Licking
ton. The cost of construction is too expensive,
and the grades are too heavy. A lateral branch,
six miles long, with light superstructure, will be
all that Lexington can obtain. It may be that
Rockbridge county may not think half loaf
better than no bread, and may determineto with
this legally, its subscription having been made
for a consideration-that of securing the subscrip
ton of the city of Baltimore-is aquestion which
the Courts would be called upon to decide. If
ROckbridge county wishes to test the question,
that will certainly be a sure method of stopping
the building of the road for three or four years.
Baltimore would, of course withhold its sub
scription, and the Valley Road would be pushed
on to Stanton, at the expense of the Baltimore
and Ohio Road, for the simple reason that the
construction of this link is indispensably neces-
sary to throw large and paying business over
the road from Strasburg to Harper Ferry
We are sorry that we have so little consolation
to give to our Rockbridge friends. 1t is certain
ly not pleasant TO put up with things but we
must sometimes submit to the force of crcum-
stances. There is, after all, fair probability of
no rOad hoino hr1i1f