The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-09-18
: Ra,,road, 70 the southwest,

Editors Dispatch, - Ordinarily; upon open
ing our city papers. purposeiy ignore any
communication discussing railroad schemes
we have been so much and SO sadly disap
| pointed in the prospective advantage to bt
derived from the location Of roads IN Viz
Epinia. that have turned with disgust from
all articles advocating them. Under the cap
ton of "Board of Observation Tin your
issue of the 9tb) I was cnticed into perusa
of this subject, and / confess that | found
food for reflection upon this, distasteful sub.
ject that | did not suppose [ could in.
du!ge 10. This led me to refer to General
JohDson's remarks upon presenting his reso.
| luton to the City Council, and to appreciate
the pungency OF your remark, "That the
people of Richmond are prone to fold their
arms and calmly contemplate the legislation
affecting her interests without exerting them.
| selves to control it."
Severed in our connections (at Staunton)
with the great West by the Chesapeake and
Ohio road {from which we anticipated such
great benefits; severed again at DanyillC
10y which road we expected to realize great
adyaDtage)-with corporation Of seemingly
ineXhaustible means extending its line to
Lexington 1.-THE head Of canal transportation
and pressing on to the Atlantic, Mississippi
and Ohio road at Salem-we sat supiney By
and allowed this same foreign corporation to
propose a farther inroad into our territory
by the extension Of its line into another sec
ton of our State (the SouthwesO. Truly
you say it is time for our city to abandon
s. its passive policy and take measures to SUR
vey outside fields, and adopting such policies
Us are necessary for the protection Of their
interests" and "unleSS ne combine and con-
fer and work together" we can make but
very little headways Cut of as it seems to
me we are, is it not Incumbent upon us to
seek new fields and pastures" il they eau
be tound2 And where else can they be
found except in the southwest?
Months ago / say movement made to
connect this section of our Slate with our
city. 1t seems that this, like everything else
calculated to enlVcn our city, is torpid and
slumbering. Why is thi- Here is sec.
ton teeming with the richest mineral and
agricultural veal b desiI Gus OF connecting
with US DESTROYS OF proving her continued
loyalty to the State by pressing upon Us her
anxiety to deal and trade with US, and abso
lutely begging Us not to force her TO 80 out
side of her borders, but yet asserting las il
her right that if We will not come forward
and unite our fortunes with hers she must
and will 60 elsewhere.
If this section is such as it is represented
to Reproductive lot only in the cereals,
but perhaps the richest in mineral wealth iii
Virginia--is it not elninently wise that we
should combine and confer and work to-
gether" to investigate the merits of the pro-
posed railway penetrating this section and
connecting it with our cityf If it has merit,
let us take it into consideration; if it has
none, let US dismiss it. But it does seem
that an Improvement bearing upon its face
such proofs of value should not be allowed
TO fail for the want (pcrhaps) OF proper con-
sideratiou and interest. VIRGlNlAN.