Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1874-02-24
OUR RAITsROADS.
SOoI-r CoUNTr, VA.
Feb. 18th, 1874.

Feb. 18th, 1914.
Certainly no people can very
well desire more earnestly the OK
tension Of the A. NJ. & O. Road,
TO Cumberland Gap, than the pco-
pie of this County. and such is ON
heBegt soliehade ii this matterthat
we cannot approve but depreciatc
as unwise, as unjust the proceed
ing, which have been instituted in
our Legislature at the hands of the
Representative of the County of
Scott.
The Railroad cannot be built
without money, and surely these
are hard times, certainly inauspic-
ious for Few undertakings. Who
is to furnish the money for this
road? We wish orr people were
able, then we might say go ahead
with pfopriety. But it is not so,
we are too poor, and it is unrca~
sonable to expect other people to
build railroad at their expense,
simply because we desire it. Now
we have great county full of val
liable resources, bnt they arc not
sufficient to support the railroad,
and it may do to say go ahead
and build the road, and by the time
you get to the Gap, Kentucky will
meet you-supposc she don't, what
them And has she ever given any
assurance that she will meet us at
the Gap9 We are not so advised.
On the contrary, we believe effort
after effort, has been made by the
a. M. Il .. CO., to bring the Ken
tucky Co, to an engagement in
this very matter without success
Would it be wise lhcn for our Vir-
GINA road, which has Eeen stagger~
ing for 50 many years under all the
necessities of pl ysical restoration ;
why who would furnish the money
for our Road under such c;rcum-
stances Let Scott County raise
the means, and then there will be no
occasion, fer Legislative proceed
ings. The State has a large claim
against this 4. M. e O. Road, and
we as tax payers, desire to see it
made good, but we are frank TO
confess, that we can hardly sec
where such a hope would be justly
founded if this A. M. 81 o. Co., are
to be required TO bankrupt itself
in an unsuccessful attempt to build
merely local road for us, costing
us we hear it would, fully six mil
lions OF money.
When the Kentucky people
agree TO meet lis at the Gap, then
it will be time enough to ush our
A. NJ. &. O. Co., on the Virginia
portion Of the great highway.
Who is to build the road if this
Company does not? Who could
have any possible use for it! 1t is
all bosh to suppose that anybody
else could have any use for this ex~
tension. Then if the A. NJ. e O.
Co, is the only party interested in
this road, VIC had as well confine
our hopes for railroad, to that
Company, and if SO, it should be
our aim and our duty to help and
TO foster that corporation as best
we can. War upon it is suicide,
for it is simply madness to suppose
that you can COMPEL the ccnstruc-
ion OF the extension. If there is
an obligation TO do SO, what are its
conditions 2 What the object, and
with whom made! The object is
to connect with the Kentucky sys-
tenn, and the contract is with the
State. Does nonperformance now
work any damage TO Virginia >
VIII the State be advantaged, or
her claim against the A. NJ. & o.
r. r., be advanced by bankrupting
the Company in an effort to build
a railroad to connect merely with
the Cumberland Mountains +! We
cannot see that aud il behalf of This
people we protest against the mad,
ness.
---------------
Hon. COnnaIIy L Trigg.