The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-05-24
The strnight-Shoot-Ho 10 Head OIL
Baltimore.
p,cuuoxn May - 1913.


Edjtors Cf the Dispatch:
Youannounrc in your paper OF this morn.
in. tina. Baltimore has determined TO add
her proportion 10 the subscription OF the
counties living on the Valley railroad, and 10
extend this road TO Staunton. and thence
down the Valley 10 Salem, thus tapping
the present line of the Chesapeake and ono
railroad at the former. and the Atlantic, MIS-
SiS>ippi and Ohio at the latter. III the pre-
sent railroad Status is to remain, tins scheme
should call>e deep so!icltudc on the part OF
the eastern cities Of Virginia. and cSpeclal'y
to Richmond Already this ambitious COM
mercal rival attracts TO herself Il tlEer
share of tho trade OF Underwater Virginia,
almost the entire trade Of Piedmont IT
gina Iyin:: north of james river. the entire
trade of the upper valley, and she now
hopes 10y this last move to strike at tlla'
trade which Virginia cities have ever re.
garded il their special hcrita"e-the central
and sou hwe>tern trade: in other words, TO
turn our flank and get possession oil thl>
rich and fertile back country.
From the day that Virginia ever prod'@al
i'm the hrstowal Of her territory and IRAN
rhi>eS on othrr>) gave 10 the Baltimore anu
Ohio Railroad Company the right TO pass
through her territory to tn" Ohio river III
Wheeling that ambitious corporation mas
been making steady cnrroachments on hcr
soil, and divCrtiu~ the natural and leSltl-
mate trade of Richmond and other Eastern
Virginia cities from them: and now, by the
extension of Il franchise already secured,
from Stanton down the remainder OF TINS
beautiful valley. she proposes to divert Il con-
siderable part from these cities OF the TRACE
destined to pas over these two great llheS,
which have cost the state and her citizens
more than $4,000 900. There *, however,
vet remedy in our hand, il wc will only be
prompt in applying it; which is to build at
once the >tlight->hoot from Richmond TO
Lvnchbur~. and extend the same to Clifton
Forge. and by This means keep the vast trade
Of the Central and southwest on IL line south
of james river.
Sir. Huntington stated his purpose few
days since to the writer of This TO build the
Clifton Forge railroad and extend the same 10
Yorktown IN order to preserve the ea>y
grades of 2g4 feet, which his road had west
of Clifton Forge, to tidcwatcr. He stated,
moreover, that this would be his freight
road to tidc-water, and it would enable HIM
to carry frci.lllS at the very lowest rates. 1t
becomes now Il matter of prime importance
to the people of Richmond WHEN Mr.. Hun
rington is going TO carry out this purpose.
will he wait until he fills up the gap oi
ninetv-two miles between Huntington and
Mount Sterling, on he road TO Louisville or
until ne builds the Huntington and ClncIn-
natl branch. north of the Ohio or until lie
completes his passenger road at some polnt
east of Stauntun to Washington city; or
will he defer this until all three of the others
are completed: II 50, can Richmond. thus
threatened by Baltimore, wait, or should she
not, in hat event, build her stl1ight->hoot.
which would hasten the building OF the
Clifton Forge branch. or else Richmond ana
the counties should offer such inducements
TO Mr.. Huntington a. would induce him to
build the strlight-shoOt to Clifton Forge road
1T once!
1t NAV he said that the finances of Rich
mond will not permit her TO eNpcnd two
million dollars at this time in this straight
shoot. but yet il would he better far for her
citizens to stand the increased taxation
which would be necessary than 10 let Balti-
more divert this vast trade from her. She
can in all probability secure this by al eX-
peuditurc of Il far less sum, by Offering
81 900. 900 of her bonds. with 5000 900 of the
counties lying on tltr route. TO Mr.. Hunting
Ton on the condition that he will ut once
build this road. he to return il like number OF
the bonds OF the Chesapeake and Ohio rail-
road TO her five years hence, secured OH this
part of his road. She would therefore Sc
cure this most important object by the pay
mcnt of $4,000 interest for five years, or
100000. The consideration between Mr..
Huntington and the city would be clearly
mutual.
Ii it was wise on the part of Richmond to
give $500, 900 to the Church Hill tunnel to
give that road superior facilities of shipping
through the city its coal and other heavy
products, how much wiser would it he for
her to make like expenditure to fix forever
the line of the great Chesapeake ana ONO
trade south of james river, and thus forever
block the game of Baltimore?
Would ii not be eXpedient to call together
the corporators of the amended straight
shoot charter at I'M early day for the purpose
of considering some such propositions with
Il view of presenting the same to Mr.. Hunting
ton? Respectfully submitted, W.P. Is.