The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1873-05-29
SssgEAHDgAA VALLEY ROAD.

ga is now definitely known that this 5rDpor-
ssns rqssa IS to be constructed Ip converse :
ssou with Henry B. Harnsbergerr ESQ, of
sesea su ghsu, one Of the Directors in the
, gornpsmyr % Monday last, he informed US
4 AsssF the road was graded and ready for the
ties and rails up to within thirteen miles OF
Iluray. Page county-that This last distance
was under contract, and workmeu busl)y en-
gagged on it, and that the road had been loea-
ted fourteen miles South of Lurey to within
SIX miles Of Mines & Cos Furnace. on the
Shenandoah river We learned from Mr.. IL.
that corps Of engineers was now in the Held
locating the route to its intersection with the
Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad, either at
Stanton or Fishersyille, aud that it was the
purpose of COL Scott to have it under Gen.
tract to one of these points in less than one
hundred and twenty days. The means have
already been negotiated for its construction
which under the charter, has to be consum-
mated by October, 1874. The question oil
land damages will enter largely into the de-
termination of the point the Shenandoah road
will tap the Chesapeake and Ohio. A libe-
raj tender has been made On the Fishersville
line, but no substantial approaches have been
made to the landowners on the S.aunton line
from the point Of divergence near Mt. Me-
ridian. The inclination of the company from
what we have learned, lears towards
Staunton, where combination depots may be
effected but this will be regulated, of coul Sc
by the attendant expenses for we all know
railroad corporations look to their own into
rests before they do to those of individuals
We cannot shut our eyes to the great i'm
portance Of this road to Staunton and Au-
gusta county. It will develop one of the
richest sections Of country on the continent
in minerals and agricultural capacitles-a
section now entirely shut out from market ex.
cept by the slow aud costly process Of wagon
transportation. In the matter of minerals
and utilization Of water power, these will be
entirely new sources Of wealth. for they have
been scarcely touched as yet.
Look at it Staunton, the crossing point
for three great international railways-the
Chesapeake and Ohio, reaching from the Bay,
on the east, to the Ohio on the west and
draining the Northwest to the Missouri and
The Lakes-tie Valley road, spanning the
great Shenandoah Valley from the Potomac
to TIE Tennessee line, and reaching out by its
connections from the Atlantic in the east to
the Gulf in the south-the Shenandoah Val
ley road, binding the Atlantic Slope and the
Pacific, at San Diego! and running through
one Of the most wonderful mineral formations
in South Western Virginia, tia: the hand of
nature ever created With these great lines
now assured where is the point in the whole
South so inviting for capital and enterprise,
when it is considered that we are il The
heart of the coal, iron and timber regions
of the continent Then the short line 10
Washington must soon engage the atten-
ton of the Chesapeake and Ohio Company
This will be constructed under the impulse
of an irreversible law of trade. Then nal :
row guage to the iron mountains Of High
land, must come into prominent view, when
these roads get under way. 1t is not ex-
travagant to say, that the future of our hill
bound city is at least promising.