The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-06-10
Weaforn Connections Of the Chesa-
peake and Ghte Road.

NOnuGUtIOuH OE the SuG6Sas
peake and Ohio Road.
Aspeciai meeting of the Chamber Of Com
merce was held yesterday afternooa for the
purpose OF receiving aud hearing delega.
| ton Of gentlemen from Ohio, who visit
| Richmond 10 the interest Of the western
connections Of the Chesapeake and Ohio
road. The delegation was composed of
Judge W. W. johnson, chairman /; Messrs.
John Campbell, D. r. Wolf, Samuel Rich.
ards, and Colonel E. Nigh, of Ironton and
Colonel W. NJ. BolIes, and Mr.. A. N. Dana.
rim, Of Portsmouth.
lEUpon calling the meeting to order Mr..
Anderson, president of the Chamber, re.
marked that he feared that all ,ths mem.
Der. Of the Board had not had their at
tentiou called to the meeting Of the Board.
He made this apology for the members be-
cause be thought it due 10 them that he
| should do so, so few of the directors being
present. He then welcomed the visitors
| from Ohio, and stated in brief that they had
come in the interest Of the western connec.
tions of the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad.
He also alluded to the fact that general
committee bad been appointed for The pur-
pose of gathering valuable Information
concerning the various routes. For
twenty years or more we have been looking
forward with great interest to this work.
Virginia and her people and the city Of
Richmond had put in round numbers
$4,000 in railroads. Although we have
not done all that we desired to accomplish,
at the same time much has been done. Ad-
dressing himself again to the delegation be
cordially greeted the gentlemen from the
| West, and remarked that the Chesapeake and
j Ohio had penetrated the Blue ridge and
Allegheny mountains, and now it awaits the
verdict of the people on the banks of the
beautiful river from which these friends have
come. He then alluded to the benefits to be
| derived from the completion Of this great
| line and the value of the Richmond market.
At the conclusion of MIR. Anderson's re-
marks Judge johnson, chairman of the del
egation, and bis colleagues were introduced.
Judge johnson said it was no part OF his
purpose to present any detailed plans for the
| work which we are all so anxious TO com.
plete, but to confer with the businessmen
and the people Of Richmond and see what
can be done to carry out the end in view.
He then cordially thanked Mr.. Anderson
land the good people of Richmond for the
warm welcome they bad given him. He was
not unprepared for the generous hospi.
tality of Virginia and the citizens of her
beautiful capital. He felt that he had come,
too, to a place which nature has provided
as an outlet for the trade of the great West
and the Mississippi Valley. He regarded
the matter as one of mutual concern. He
bad come not 80 much to lay before the
| Chamber any plan for The work, but in gene.
raj terms to detail what he and the people of
the West wanted. he desired that the
Chesapeake and Ohio, now terminating at
Huntington, should be connected with the
Ohio system of roads-wlth line from
Portsmouth to Columbus, which will be
sufficient for the present.
The proposed route along the Sciota Val.
lev is a fixed fact. The subscriptions are all
taken except about $4,000. The company
has been organized and the work given to a
contractor. There will then be only gap
of forty-sx miles to be joined up. The
Sciota Valley is as rich as the richest in the
production of corn and wheat. and in the
raisipu of cattle. Such railroad will be fur
nished with vast amount of local traffic.
Two plans have been suggested to connect
Huntingdon with Portsmouth. One, which
seems to meet with much favor at Hunting
ton. is to bridge the Ohio a. Hun
inelon, the railroad running down 10
Portsmouth on the Ohio side. The
other is to build the road from Huntington
to the Big Sandy, and to connect the roads at
Ashland. He then went into the general
advantages to be gained by this road and the
wealth of the great West, and concluded by
thanking the Chamber OF Commerce again
for the cordial greeting, auding in compll-
lmentory terms to the kind words be bad
heard from the Governor in visit paid him.
MIR. George S. Palmer next introduced
Mr.. Campbell.
Mr.. Campbell followed up what Judge
had RI al "a
weight or thirty years ago when Ironton was
laid out it vas done with the Idea Of an outlet
to the east connecting with the Chesapeake and
Ohio, He had always looked upon the valley
of the james from Clifton Forge as the outlet
for the trade of the great West. His advice
was to support no road that didn't have easy
grades. BY getting to Columbus and getting
an outlet in that level country it almost com.
J pels Cincinnati TO lend o helping hand
70 build the road to Portsmouth. But
the other route is more favorable to this city
He next alluded to the advantages 10 be de.
rived from western connections, and closed
} his remarks with a grateful acknoWledg.
ment of the kindness be had received since
he had been in Richmond. In reply to 8
J question he stated that the distance from
Ashland to Portsmouth was about thirty
miles, and from Ironton to Ashland four
lmles, and from Ashltnd 10 Huntington four
teen miles.
Colonel Nigh, represented to have had
considerable experience in the coal trade o.
e the Ohio valley, next addressed the meeting
: He said that the reason why the road wa.
3 not built by the people in his section Was
because they did not have the means outside
of the capital engaged in their business
= They had, however, iron and coal In abun
dance. He wanted direct communication
with Richmond, because it is point from
] which they expect to draw supplies for the
operatives engaged in manufacture. Fur
naces are being erected with a capacity o
$50 tons, and others are being put up Of less
capacity.
Mr.. Campbell, in reply to question from
Colonel CADel, said that the road from Ports.
mouth TO Ashland could be built for SlS ,0Ol
per mile, complete-makins the cost about
100000. -.....
Colonel Bolles, of Portsmouth, also adj
dressed the meeting in advocacy of the early
completion OF the road from Huntington to
Portsmouth,
1 Judge johnson said that as the Sciota
Valley road is fixed fact he desired to know
upon what conditions the city OF Richmond
would aid in the completion OF The road
from Huntington 10 Portsmouth. Hehoped
he could leave here with the assurance, or
receive it in the near future, that Richmond
will give handsome sum to aid in the com.
pletion of the work. He thought that Ports.
mouth and Ironton would raise $4,000 per
mile in money if they would be assured that
Richmond would aid in the enterprise. He
said that he was authorized by the president
of the Big Sandy road to say that that COM
pauy would build the road from Ashland to
Riv Sandy. meeting the extension of the