Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-07-24
TlIEyIRGINIA MIDLAND RAILROADS.
LAND SCHEME THE DEVEL-
OPMENT OF OUR IRON
TNTERESrS

INTERESTS.
ICorrespoudence of the Richmond Enquirer. |
ALEXANDRIA, Va, July 20, lS14.-At the
casc of the war the Orange and Alexandra
Railroad was 10 most dlapidated condition,
,nA was held by the government. ln 1866 or
- the road was turned over TO its owners with
Ar John S. Barbour as President of the COM
,arr This gentleman, with an energy almost
without parallel, took the chaotic matter in
hand and began to reorganze and to make from
material utterly worthless one of our best and
most useful rail thoroughtares. In 1867 the
consolidation of the Orange and Alexandria
and the Manassas Gap railroad, under the title
NJ Orange, Alexandria and Manassas .Railraad
COMPANY, took place. The road bed of the
Manassas branch was complete to Strausburg.
in the Valley, but under the management OF
Nessrs. Barbour and Superintendent Vaude.
prit, iu few months the road was completed
70 Ilarrisonburg. Mr. Barbour negotiated sew
era loans Tor his company IN manner that
showed great financial ability, and gained the
approbation OF large majority OF the stock
holders: the business of the road has Increased
each wear and the interest on the debt OF the
company has always been promptly net, even
during the financial crisis OF '73. Last year
that part of the Manassas division extending
from Strausburg to Harrisonburg was leased
TO the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad for term
of pnety-nne years Daily trains are still run
from Strausburg to Alexandria. During last
year the extension of the main branch OF the
road from Lynchburg to Danvllle was COM
peted, and now double daily trains run from
Washington city to the South via this llne.
The Danville stem of the road has opened up
some of the fuest tobacco lands 10 Virginia,
aud is of great service to the people of Plttsyl-
vania and Campbell, through which 1t ruus.
The roads last year were consolidated, uoder
the title of the Virginia Midland, Washington
City and Great Southern Railroad Company.
This pame being too cumbersome tor common
use, it has been shortened by usage 10 the Flr-
giuia Midland Railroad.
THE LAND AND IMMIGRATION SCHEME.
Mr.. Barbour, being one of those men alive
to the working OF the times aud seeing eVcntu-
ally that the through freight and passenger
business OF his company would be materially
iuterfered with by the iuroads of the Baltimore
aud Ohio roads up the Valley, aud the Peun-
sylvania railroad combination on the other side,
a year or two ago determined to take the mat
ter in hand and create local business along
his line which nothing could turn from him.
To do this, he plainly saw, required patience,
skill. capital, aud energy.
He, therefore, obtained the right to buy and
sell lands along the line Of his road 10 tracts OF
any size extending for five miles on either side
of the road. To supply the capital the COM
pauy issues their bonds bearing six per cent:
interest, payable in twenty years, aud secured
by mortgage on all lands of the company.
1t vas some time before the people could COM
preheDd the usefulness of a scheme by which
they converted non paying lands, upon which
taxes had to be paid yearly, into interest bear,
lug bonds But state of things like this could
Lot last" long, and through their energetic
agent, MIR. B. T. Nalle, the company has sue
cecded 10 purchasing large amounts OF land
along their line. Land being had, and bonds
bearing interest issued, it next became neces-
sary 10 find purchasers to settle upon these
waste lands To accomplish this end the COM
pauy takes the large farms and subdlvides
them into farms of from twenty to one hun
dred acres, as desired by the purchaser. They
require only one-tenth of the purchase mouey
to be paid down, and the balance in nine equa
annual installmeuts, with interest added. They
also furnish certain amount OF lumber toi
building purposes, when desired, on the same
terms The result of SO wise policy has been
the settling up of o large amount OF waste
lands by thrifty and Industrious people, and
| an pleased to learn that the demand tor the
company S lands is daily increasing. In addl'
ton to this, the purchase Of lands by the com.
pany has developed the fact of large iron aud
other deposits of ore in the counties of Amherst
and Nelson especially. These ores will, it is hop,
ed, be worked before long. The plan is to bring
them to Alexandria, where the coal from Wes
Virginia and Cumberland, Md., can be haC
at very small cost, aud to start at no very
distant day several large blast furnaces iu thi:
good old city The initiatory steps have al
ready been taken to this end, and all nov
needed is a little more capital. The advant
ages of working iron here Is very great as tht
pig can be turned out from FIVE to seven dol
lars ton less than in Pittsburg. Certalnl.
with the energy of Mr.. Barbour, and other
equally willing land working" the near tulur
of Alexandria is very bright. SWIFT.
GEN. BEAUREGARD.-A correspondent a
White Sulphur Springs writes: Zen y. L
Buauregard will arrive here early next montt
Erroneous statements have been published IL
regard 10 Gen. Beauregard's proposed engage
mcut with the Argentine Confederation. The
state of the case is this: About SIX weeks age
the general received an offer from Preslden
Sarmieute of the Confederation, rendering the
position of military engineer, With view te
making plans for the defense of the River La
Plata in Bueuos Ayres. The offer was made BY
an accredited foreign agent of the government
who vas then 10 New York. The general was
to make his own conditions and to choose his
own staff The reply was an acceptance OF the
position on condition that the sum OF $4,000
be deposited with some responsible banker IN
London OF Paris subject to Gen. Beauregard' $
order. This deposite was to be a guarantee
Tor the payment of bis salary Of $4,000, pei
annum and that of bis staff. ln the event Of
Geu. Beauregard's acceptance and the accept.
ance Of his conditions by the government,
Minister Garcia, who was in Paris when the Of
Ter was made, was to conclude the contract. Ii
Snot thought that the supersedure of Sarm-
'ente as President of the Confederation and ms
appointment as minister to Washington vii
allect 10 anyway the pending negotiations: AT
Present Gen. Beauregard is president OF the
New Orleans and Carrolton railroad and
consulting engineer Of the cities of Galveston
anu houston, and is soon to receive the presi'
ueuCv Ot roiroo1 - tHox,. 0f ooprsn he