The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-09-25
A letter frosa SOUTHWEST ern virginia
ano MT tfef Trans fleghany Rshs

! retlN. - - 81
IN APPEAL TO rfIE PEOPLE OF RICHMOND FOR
=. d m own BENEFIT 1NDrnAToF THE STATE
ROCKY Gar, VA.y September 10, 1874,
Editors Dtsputch !: Z have had occasion to
mix with. tbs. people ofseyeral Of the South
western counties that failed to vote the sub.
scription to the Trans. Alieghany railway
scheme when the proposition was submitted
To them last May. and find that there is de-
c;ded change In all these cotntfes since
Franklin votedla subscription OF S2Oo,U0O
and subscribed largely in lands and money
to the road. The intelligence and faith OF
that county has been well shown, and ;sne
appreciates the importance of this improve
ment.
at last court of Floyd al order was
made for vote to be- taken in that county
for subscription OF one hundred thousand
doilars1o the road, which will be carried by
An almost unanimous voice. The people will
also. I learn from reliable men Of that
county, subscribe lands and money to the
amount of several thousand dollars to the
road. TazeweIl county will make an order
at the next term of her County Court 10 SUB
nit vote for subscription from her people,
which will be carried. She has also sub
scribed valuable lands TO the enterprise. L
learn from the people of Bedford that a hand.
some private subscription can be obtained
from those citizens residing near the line OF
ihe proposcd road. Many gentlemen OF
Cslnpbsll show very kind feeling for the
enterprise, and promise subscriptions to it.
Connecting the Trans-Alleghany railway
nroiect and the AIRLINE scheme from Rich
mond TO Lynchburg, we facilitate the con-
struction of both. 1t is ninetyssevel miles
straight course from Richmond to. Lynch.
blIre-eighty miles Of the route is directly
ON the proposed line OF the Trans-Alleghany
railroad. By uniting the tWo'schemes and
building ive.foot gauge for the airline
eighty mileso OF the roads would be blended,
leaving ONLY seventeen miles of one road to
he built independent of the other. There,
would be upon This plan three rails for eighty
miles. the narrow.gauge being three feet,
leaving two feet from.the middle rail upon
one side and three upon the other, which is
sufficient protection from the danger Of any
thing wedging in between the rails.
But-it-is not of this that intended to
talk. startedto tell you something about
the Southwest and how anxious the people
of this section are to have the Trans-AlIe--
gfany railroad built, and how they look to
III
would add a SOURCE Of revenue to the city
of not less than one million of dollars an
nualy. 1t would give to Richmond large
portion OF the trade Of Kentucky that now
goes to Cincinnati, besides It would open
the immense coal and iron fields in the.
Southwest, which alone will amply feed and
keep up any railroad, and will help to en-.
rich the State and give employment to thou
A., g nd OF tt-nr in
This is no eXaggeration. .-,...
/ There was 4 proposition to build rail-
road through portion of East Tennessee,
and Kentucky soon after the close of the late
war, and the. people showed an earnestness
in the enterprise, and at once capitalists Of
the West saw the opportunity and bought
large tracts of land along the projected line
in Tennessee. The result is known and felt
and appreciated throughout,the entire State.
The town Of lockwood was built. A joint
ock company from the Northwest invested
several millions of dollars in the State and
started bIast-furnaces and rolling mills.
Southwestern Virginia possesses adyan-
tages over East Tennessee in coal and iron.
CAPITALISTS will settle in. this section if we
commence building this road, who will ex-
pend more money in the State than the
W uOlC COSG vi UulluiuS UuS 1oao iAchi ANVIL
mond to Pound Gap. There is an immense
mountain OF copper in the county of Bu-
chanan, which, am informed by those who
have seen and examined it, is of the purest
and richest quality. Here, away from any
railroad is millions of wealth lying locked
I'D. From all accounts it is equal to the
copper regions of Michigan, which have
seen, ard which yield about S2O,OOO,00O to
that State annually.
The material prosperity of Virginia should
claim the attention of every lover of the
dear Old Dominion. 1t should at this criti-
cal time be paramount to everything else.
Outside plans tend to cut off the trade OF
our cities and cripple our commerce. This
must not be.
; We look to our own capital with pride.
We appeal to her to take hold of this most
important railroad project-a project, if con-
summated, that will surely add q hundred
fold TO her advancement and prosperity.
We appeal to her to aid US to have the route
survey ed, that we may estimate the cost and
know what we have to do, so that we may
90 to work like men-true men to the inter-
est of Virginia build this road.
.