National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1873-06-18
LETTERS FROM TINE PEOPLE.

The Great Fnils-Tbe Chesapeake and
Ohio Canal 4. he Extended to the Osio
Rlver-governmen Aid RAILROAD 20 the
Great Fails.
~ ne gILtor " N. Ni'ioaai Republican,
sR. Your rea1srs are flmihar with the eati.
mated extent and capacities OF the Great Falls
water.power OF the Potomac; and are also avare
that at that point we have every material for
founding and building, not only mills, work.
shops, &c, equal 70 a large manufacturing
centre, but a city as large and broad as Industry
will expand II. In fact, so abundant are our
granite, marble, nre.brick and other Gays, TO,
gether with timber necessary for building and
manufacturing purposes, and all AZ hand, or
very easy OF access, that cost OF building mate
nal will be but mere Tag itelle. And II Is also
generally known that, so far as regards coal aud
lron-the two principal factors Of manufac-
Wa,ea pOWep IL lie United states 50 soanday
and conveniently surrounded as y the Great
Falls OF the Potomac. Az present THIS point "
cnmbetlsnd coal region. and that BY the Chesa-
Hut ere long projected railroads will put us
a Mss VA IN n,SSr eosl eds Of ,Se virpnss With
/ regard TO iron, that article begins at the Great
Falls Is TO be found In all directions through
0 1nc in tnesn sS,es NAV sso All o.
| for they arc never far apart, Horace Greeley
remarked In the Tribune, October ~, isil,l on
MS subject, TIA, IN mSs a o. ne counties 9'
both IN close prONlmlty-can now be bought AZ
prices ranging from t5 TO tio per acre. Many OF
the acres have a rich, deep, virgin SOL. Win =
thirds TO three fOurths Of thom-lands which In
PENNSYLVANIA would be deemed cheap at 900
per acre. Who can dou6t that free labor with
railroads will soon give q like value TO the mine
| raj lands Of Old aud West virginia."
We quote these words from Mr.. Greeley moro
particularly because the authority y good, and
IA. N.Nan a.sWNa tn ahnN
and abundantly surrounded with coal and Iron 4
the Great Falls, thereby doubly hitting the local
ity for the manufacturing centre for which ma,
il. All these vast coal anil iron beds OF the Wiz
ginIas aud Maryland will eventually be directly
connected with the GREAT Falls by rail- OF canal, o
by both, especially as acknowledgements the great
est available power Of the kind In our country
and Is situated only fourteen miles above heay,
ship navigation, and open thereto by canal, whicl
can readily be deepened aud bfoidened so as v
admit the largest merchantmen up TO the Falls
And further, a. our harbor. is naturally lnferio
to none, and can easily be made equal 10 any o.
the Atlantic slope; and further, becausc tn
Great Falls Is situated on the most feasible an'
! probable route OF the main q and trunk air lin
railway frOm the East, via Baltimore and IN
lei thirty nine, Via Cincinnati TO ~. Louis, an,
| thence to the far West
Inc Chesapeake and Ohio canal, soDu or late
will Inevitably be extended 10 tho Ohio river
and probably long before either OF the other con
templatcd routes shall have been put turtle
under way; because, In the language OF the Hon
a. W, d. ef, OF the District Legislature, u "cAi
DO accomplished a. one third the cost Of IN
. other (neanlng the Virginia canal with q muc
! smaller llft, with equal advantages Of supplyln
feeders, with equal immunities from the irosts q
winter, and with saving OF one hundred an
We would not dlsparaEe the James River an
! arc ali destined, soon or late, to be built an
will alike benefit mankind. but what Is MOI
! wanted Y the cheapest, shortest and most prae
teal route-that which can be butt ths soons.
And this Is certainly the Chesapeake and OBJ
canal route. Let It, therefore, be built and II
good effects felt and the completion o. The othel
will be far easier TO accomplish; In fact, TIT
} 10 extend the Chesapeake and Ohio canal ,
: ihe Ohio river, either direct or via some one
Is naylgable tributaries, will require Cover
mental aid; and rs II IA an enterprise 10 whic
the interests Of the whole people are more {
. less interested, OF course this AID wiz De free
4 given, and the work pushed forward TO the ca
. Hest possible completion.
Q Now It strikes US that the extension Of u
Chesapeake and OHIO canal should be accomp
MED by the development and practical applici
ton OF the water power Of the Potomac 10 mani
featuring purposes, and rs the General Goyeri
ment Will freely aid the canal extension, WI
A not the District government come 10 the AID
the Great Falls enterprise upon some terms
safety 10 all concerned7
Not knowing where the Piedmont aud Fot
mac railroad will crOss the Potomac, nor whethi
Il will cross at all, we learn that there are steI
being taken for securing charters fOf q railrol
= from this city or Georgetown TO tho Great Fall
n under the general Incorporation act for the ID
\ tTict Of Columbia and under a like statute
n Maryland known as the free railroad act II
e object ofsthis movement Ia TO secure a rallros
= direct TO the Great Falls, thence on TO Adj
|. there connecting with the Piedmont and Pot
q mac railroad, should this latter road be built q
9 oortllng TO the terms OF It's charter. THIS Gre
caI 70 he Pedmont aSd foto%se fOSd r. Sut i
movers arc determined to have a railroad dire