The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1874-01-27
AND ONO RAILROAD.


CmEsAPEAKE AND OHIO RAILROAD.
The following is copy of portion OF a
letter written some days ago by gentle
man Of this city to the New York Herald
but for reasons not known to us was not
published. The writer has for number of
wears been engaged on the Chesapeake and
Ohio railroad in various capacities, and is
perhaps as familiar with the management
of the running department. and its finances
as any one person in Virginia.
II is proper TO state that the transporta-
ton department is in the exclusive con-
troll of the general superintendent.
The finances, SO far as they relate to
this city, are controlled by the vice-presi-
dent, and are managed as successfully and
ludiciously as could possibly, under
the circumstances, be done, and as
this letter does not in the slightest reflect
on any of his acts we give room for it, hop.
ing that it may lead to reformation. If
however, as the writer thinks, publca.
ton Of the facts produce no change, nc
harm can result, while if a change be
produced it must be for the better and re.
suit in good.
He promises series Of letters to oon-
tain an expose of the entire condition Of
the road, its prospects &c, &c., which will
give information to a great many persons
pecuniarly interested who might no
otherwise obtain it, as also the opera tions
of the "Central Land company" of which
we know nothing at all:
The Chesapeake and Ohiorailroad is 421
miles in length, extending from Richmond
on the James, to Huntington, O town Of
about two thousand inhabitants, chiefly
operatives of the company, with few
the Ohio river, distance OF 100 mile.
steamer in twelve hours trip.
The chief source of revenue to the com.
pany at present is the coal transportation
GINA. The Goals consists Of two kinds
the camel and the splint--thc former
valuable for gas-making purposes and the
Considerable quantities of splint coal are
shipped westward from the Kanawha bank
bnt AS the distance is short, Huntington
being the western terminus as stated, The
revenue is inconsiderable and will remain
so, for at that point it must be reloaded in
harges to be carried to its destination, and
TO get the transportation from the coal
banks the rates must be very low for the
~ IL, -
Huntington could take it on where it il
mined, and down the Kanawha river vi,
Huntington, where the transhipment is now
made, TO its destination. So from Goa
transportation westward there can never
be much margin for net earnings.
The camel coal is shipped to Richmond,
where it is also reloaded in vessels. thence
to New York for consumption.
An average Of perhaps ten car loads, OIL
ten tons each, per day, during last summer
and fall, of this coal were transported t.
Richmond at five dollars and twenty-five
cents per ton, or say five hundred ant
twenty-five dollars per day.
The splint coal transported to Richmond
would probably average five car loads PEI
day, at four dollars and fifty cents pei
ton, or two hundred and TWENTY-FIVE
dollars and twenty-five per day for this
kind of coal, making total average
eastward of about seven hundred ant
fifty dollars per day. These prices may
pay, but, as stated before, coal carried
westward will hardly bear transportation
The splint coal shipped to Richmond has
been exclusively for consumption here, ant
must remain SO, as there are along the
line of the Baltimore and Ohio anc
other railroads terminating nearer tc
where the Northern demand is, Goals
equal TO This for crate or manu-.
featuring purposes, as easily mined
and as accessible where no transhipment
(Which is considerable item is necessary
So of the splint coal, may say it will not
bear transportation out Of Virginia, and tt
this city it must be shipped distance O
$50 miles, at figure that in addition tt
The mining and handling will not exceed
what is paid for mining at the Glover Hill
and other pits in the vicinity of Richmond
and none of them fifty miles distant, there
, being very little difference in the quality OF
the Goals.
After leaving the White Sulphur Springs
westward this road intersects wooded
country, chiefly of yew, pine, spruce OF
hemlock, white pine almost equal in quail
ity TO Michigan pine, poplar sycamore,
chestnut, white oak and black walnut
A great many saw-mlls had been con.
veniently erected in anticipation of the
facilities this road would offer in shipping
sawed timber where it would find mar
ket, but many of them have ceased opera.
tons in consequence of the discrimination
in transportation in favor of coal.
have recently been at Charleston, in
West Virginia, where | heard repeated
complaints of this discrimination.
One gentleman informed me that he
desired to ship black walnut logs to Rich
mond engo,ae to Europe but that while the
company was shipping coal to Richmond
for forty-fiye dollars per car load of ten
tons, he could not contract for flats on
which to ship his lumber to Richmond at
less than sixty dollars per fiat, and he to
load and unload, and Notwithstanding that
a large number of flats are idle on the
sidings from which he desired to ship and
had been macy of them for weeks.
As stated in the first part of this letter.
that coal transportation was the chief
source Of revenue to the company, | did it
because the management make it so, coal
to them seeming to be what cotton was to
the South during the war, "king;n but to
the Conlederacy the blunder was no
greater than to them it will be until they
realize the fact that all their patrons con-