Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1874-10-17


Or over Sc per cent.
1t will be seen | have added no item for
freights, nor Engineering expenses-as for ell
Their guaee the Expense would not be materially
different.
The cost Of Equipment of the road with the
Rolling Stock, the Water Stations, Station
Houses, DepotS, &c, can be readily estimated,
aud the comparative cost Of the two guages
will not be as great as the iron road-bed, but
will doubtless be about so per cent. IN favor
If the Narrow Guage.
The cost of requiring the present road-bed,
Trestelliug and Bridging, will be % per cent.
less than the Broad Guage. To make the con-
nection with the river and to gel into the ca
nal at Shepherdstown can be made practical
bic with the Narrow Guase where the Broad
Guage, if it reached the river side ut all, would
be at an expense exceeding the Narrow Guage
ky 80 to 80 per cent. Ii Is to be hoped the
people Of Front Royal will help to build the
road from that town to the River Crossing
some miles, aud the Bridge across the river
To make said connection with the Manassas
Railroad at Rlverton. 1t is practicable 10 run
j Narrow Cuage into aud through rOut Roy
al IN extending On to Ldray; whereas now they
are lett some I miles from the line Of the
present Broad Guage as graded. The distance
from the Crossing of the Shenandoah river be-
low Front i,oyal to Luray by line of road Is
80 miles-in all - miles from Potomac at
SbepLerlstown to Luray, Page county, Va
The work of completing the portions OF the
l.ne between Front Royal aud Luray, now ~
completed, could be accomplished at cheap
rate by changing and throwing out the heavy
work not required by the Narrow Guage and
the great wealth Of Iron Ores and Agricultural
products, banks, timber, &c, Of the county OF
Page alone, would, if carried over the 5. V.
Narrow Guage, pay fair dividend u its stock
holders.
The bulk Of the carrying trade from and to
Page excepting Iron aud Coal would doubt
less seek an exchange OF hnes at Front Royal,
over the Manassas Road. Ii an exchange OF
tariff Of rates could not be satisfactorily ar
ranged with them they could very soon look To-
an outlet to Alexandria via Berryvllle aud
Suckers Gap, over the W. & o. Il. Il. soon to
be built across Blue Ridge. Next, an exchange
at Charlestown, with ". q 7. Branch. Next
at Duiieds, with l.. Il o. Aud should all
these fail (which surely wise policy would
forbid then we surely have the outlet by the
cheapest route Of all-the Chesapeake aud
Ohio Caual-to which we can carry the Iron
Ore, Grain, Flour, Bark, Lumber aud Timber,
from the Valley, and return them Cumberland
Coal and other freight. Should the Cumber-
land Valley Railroad, aud the good people OF
Marunsburg aud old Berkeley desire to clasp
hands with the Narrow Guase at Charlestown,
we say welcome them. The break OF bulk aud
traushipmeut OF lreights here will certainly
not DO CharleStown people or property any
Injury; nor would they be stuck up by an
event Of that kind.
1t will be observed have not estimated the
cost Of Ironing the road bed above Front Roy
al, which is easily calculated, as the cost will
be the same per mile as that already calcUla-
ted, namely, 90 per cent less than the Broad
Guage The people OF Page are yet in the
possession Of all OF their $500 000l Bonds, Is
sued for The 5 V. X. X. Co. ito be expended
I'm the county and IL Is iair 10 presume would
cheerfully expeud them all at necessary to Sc
cure a road aud outlet from the C.. H. of said
county, aud the rich valley Of the Hawks Bill
North aud Eastward TO any connection, that
would iberate them from their preSeu, almost
hopeless isolation. Where the right of way.
land damages, &c, have not already been ar
ranged OF paid tor, 1t certainly would not be
asking too much OF the landowners to receive
payment in the stock of the company, which
certainly could not fail to be good aud remu-
uerating investment tor road built upon So
cheap and economical plan, and with very
limited amount of bonded debt aud stock issue.
the value of the stock aud bonds would be OF
equal value, aud should be issued only with
that constant aim in view. The CouutieS-or
taxpayers thereof who have subscribed their
bonds. and exchanged the same for the stock
Of this or any improvement company, have a
right to expect aud demand that their stock
shall not be rendered worthless by an over and
unnecessary issue of either Bonds or Stock -
This precautionary and wise rule being strict
~ observed, our Bonds will readily hud sale.
aud the Stock of the road be among the best
investments of the day. With ar J. bed COM
pleted aud Ironed, ready for the Rolling Stock.
as far as Luray, Up miles would it not be a
safe basis of credit to spec lily push il on
through to the Chesapeake Il Ohio Railroad in
Augusta County? Should Page, Warren aud
Clarke not deem it wisdom TO enter into thi,
work with jefferson, then jefferson can by her
own energy and means procure herself an ont
let iudepeudeutto Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
at Shepherdstown, aud via W. Il 0 at Snick-
eTs Gap. g. II. b.