The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-01-30
a. On to Richmond. -

The announcement that we made in our
telegraph columns yesterday, that the
Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad was COM
pleted from the Ohio river to Richmond,
will naturally suggest to many minds some
familiarity with the words which we place
at the head Of this article. The "On to
Richmond cry, which commenced some
twelve years ago, and which summoned
the country to an undertaking more diff
cult and colossal than any ever before
demanded of them, had its browning VIC
tory at last, though such an one as brought
only desolation and ruin to Virginia. The
"On to Richmond " cry that comes
now from Ohio and the Great West,
is one that threatens no such destruction to
our material interests and welfare as that
which came up from the whole North and
West ten or twelve years ago. ''Peace
hath her victories no less renowned than
those of war;" We would rather say
peace hath her victories far more renowned
certainly far more beneficent-than those
OF war; aud she has won no greater victo-
ry in the last ten years than that chron-
icled in the completion of the Chesapeake
and Ohio railroad from Richmond to Hun
tlngton, on the Ohio river. 1t would be
difficult to estimate the importance and
true commercial value--its vastness in fact
to the future of our city-of this great
work now completed. The Ohio river,
with its immense and teaming commerce, is
now, by easy grades and not indirect
line, brought within days distance
OF the James river; so that
a man may do business the same day on
the banks of the two rivers. At Hunting
ton, new and thriving town on the Ohio,
will be received the great staples of the
West, to be brought here and exchanged for
our manufactures, or to be reshipped by us
to the great Atlantic cities and those ofinland
commercial Importance, demanding the pro-
ducts of the great Mississippi basin. All
this will require an immense return of
freight, which at certain seasons of the
year can 60 by no other route so cheaply,
and which can at no season be rivaled in
cheapness of transportation, except at
ruinously competing rates.
1t also opens up for Richmond a coal
and iron trade that will be unsurpassed.
in very brief space of time, by the trade
of any other city in the United States.
But in addition to the iron and coal trade.
the country along the line of this great
road offers other and most important
sources of. productive wealth. All along
the road are immense deposits of
lime, granite, fireclay, salt, coal
oil-with here and there other and
valuable mineral products-while the
hills are covered with vast forests of tim.
Der of the most approved qualities, such as
pine, oak, hickory, walnut, chestnut, ma
pie, birch, poplar, &c., for which there is
constantly increasing demand in the market.
All these sources of wealth must find their
way to Richmond, and through Richmond
to the markets of the world.
Every one can see at glance the i'm
mense value to our city of this great work.
Would it not be well for our people here to
act in concert with those of Huntington in
having grand celebration over the COM
pletlon of this road? Something of the
kind should be done, and that at once.
Huntington is moving in that direction /; let
Richmond second her motion.