The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-03-21
The Valley Railroad.

Editors Dispatch: Your article in yester-
davis issue on the Valley railroad extension
was sound, sensible, and well-timed. The
dangerous proposition to permit Mr.. Garrett
to "fiank" all the Southwestern trade of
Virginia BY connection beyond Bristol "is
not dead, but sleepeth" in the Legislature.
l have no idea that any serious attempt will
be made to renew it at this session. But as
sure as we live it wilkbe revived again next
winter, and in far more dangerous form,
unless in the meantime we pre0ccupy the
ground. The Valley people are as patriotic
as any in Virginia. At all times, and under
all circumstances. they have met the full
share of citizen responsibility, in peace and
in war. This you and all other intelligent
people understand and admit. They are "a
jus,ice-loviug people, too, and know no dis
tinctions between east and west in all Vir-
gilman claims upon their power and
influence in shaping the legislation of the
State. am an humble native OF that great
valley of the Shenandoah, and think know
its people, and will tell you in word why
some of them have favored Mr.. CARROTS
scheme at this session It is because they
know that the counties OF Craig, Giles,
Bland. Tazewell. Russell, Buchanai, Wise,
Scott, and Lee, 6. flesh of their flesh and bone
in the cold In the internal Improvement
policy of this State. 1t was to help these,
their brethren, and. not to favor Baltimore
over Virginia cities, that some Of the Valley
Representatives favored this fatal scheme
| which has only been stunned, not Killed, al
this session. #
I tell you, further, that If the Southwest
counties named had acted In concert when
the Legislature met in January and on their
own housekeeping Mr.. Garrett and all his
people away from Richmond, and ignoring
them entirey--and bad come before The
Legislature With modest little bill, called
for instance, "A bill to incorporate the
Crafg's Greek and Clinch Valley Railway
Company" and had put all Virginia corpo
rators in it, and had asked 1t as q means
of local development, and as feeder
TO the canal little above Buchanan,
who could have defeated it.? And
who could have prevented Mr. Garrett, wher
the books were opened, from taking all the
stock and building the road and then, IN
der the general law permitting ten-mie
branches without asking Legislative authori
ty, connecting his line from Buchanan to the
mouth of Craig's creek, each road making a
branch till they met? Such game would
have won the stakes. It's too late now to play
itthis session, but not too late to do so another
winter; and as we have no right to doom
these Southwest counties to perpetual isola.
ton, there remains but one way to head of
Mr.. Garrett. ana that is to pre0ccupy tht
ground with "a road of our own. The Legis
iseure has chartered such line as will, i
built, forever protect Southwest Virgins
np.insf NIL Invaders and mite that gallant
and ,ilong.snffering and patient people BY
- hooks of steel" to the Old Dominion and
her destinies. That scheme is the g Rich
mond Trans-AlIeghsny Narrow.Gauge rail
way to run hence 10 Pound Gap. In self
defence Richmond must come to the aid O
this new enterprise. Norfolk, Petersburg
and Lynchburg might well do the same il
the exercise Of . sound and far-seelng policy
All The intermediate country must ali
it,. General Mahonel should, and I be
liege will, lend it bis great ir
ifiuence, for it WILL give him the coal TO- npel
up one hundred miles Of iron ore along hi