The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-09-09

la i.orraire,.s syears since made
srernte stiiI1aie oE the p6obab cost 0fex-
,esdinpythe cssual from Bnchanant ID Hainess
IN ss,,s poiukaAous two miles, above Cliton
Fosge. / aud Informed that bis estImalepl
the cost OF the extension, In addition to.Lnc
eost of the Werk- arready constructed, was
about 90, O55 900 (; or, to complete the ex'en.
sion TO the mouth of Craig's creek, POINT
aboilrsixteen miles above BucbanaD $751;
600 Id addition to the amount aireaoy eA'
pended: Ia
Mr.. Stuart. basng bis statement on ln'
formation derived from MajJr Mcmanon,
estimates the damage TO the work alreauy
constructed at less Than! two per cen1. y. ans
original est. L suspect that MaJor McMs,
hons information was derived from o. casual
INSPECTION made several years ago: AZ ieas.'
I speak from information derived iroin pio'
fcssional engineer Of skilf ana e ;>.
who has gone over the work Wifntn LUG iass
ak months, when I say that the estilhate ~
damage Is far below the truth. iearn tpas
the locks will all require new oottoms ahu
no uncomfortable repairs 10 the masonry,
aarth and ne rapproach.cuts. The towing
nath Is in many places entirely washed away
and tbe support.walls seriously damsgeo.
The statement that 8" the foundation OF the
dam. of the Old Forge, thirteen miles west
of Rnchanan. has been laid aHd raised TO
low. water mark,"is only partially true. a
Considerable section of itrennains yet TO De
filed in. as I am informed BY the engineer
above referred to. " I'D -" 80
As 10 the saving which will be effected by
tbeu,e of convict labor, from all can learn
from those acquainted with the suhJsct, MT.
Stuart has greatly over.estimated IT, a large
norton of the cost Of such work consists OF
wages paid for skilled labor, mules, CARTS
machinery and tools, cement, and the IKE.
The saving which results from the Use OF
convict labor is about fifty cents per hana
per day., If we suppose that five bundreo
conyjcts will be employed for two years 10.
the construction of the work, the Utmost
saving we could calculate on WouiQ De.
s155 600 which would not be over ten per
cent. OF the cost Of the work, Instead OF
sxty.six per cent, as supposed by him.. o..
Taking Lorraine's estimate of S2,05J,0O0
AZ the amount necessary to complete the eX-
tension to Haine>'s farm, and deductDg from
this 100000 on account Of stopping two
miles short of that point, we would have
81. s55 900 as the total cost Of the extension
of the caral to Clifton Forge. II we then
allow saving of $3.50, 1000 on account of coD.
yjctlabor there would still remain 81, 100000
to be provided.
Now, am far from saying thata competed
come ction between the present terminus OF
the canal and the Chesapeake and Ohio raj
| road would not he richly worth all of this
expenditure, or even ten times its amount.
am thoroughly convinced that Mr.. Stuart
has scarcely arisen to he height OF this great
argument in his estimate of the wealth and
PROSPERITY which such connection would
pour into the lap OF Virginia. The prophetic
| genius which could adequately conceive and
portray the results which would flow TO fn-
gnia from placing the boundless coal de-
posts of the Kanawha valley in practical
| iuxteposition with the ineXbaustib!e iron
| ores Of the James River valley would soar
| so far above the level Of current contemporary
| thought as 10 stand 10 imminent danger q
being afjudged q luGatic. 1t is Calculation
which defies the utmost powers OF arltnme-
| tic and bewilders the statlsticlan. thipk IL
no exag geration to say that the future des'
| tiny Of Virginia Is bound up in the making
of this connection, and that her people are
regardless OF their highest interests II they
! hesitate at any expenditure which is neces-
sary to secure its very early completion. Ii
there we're no other mode of accomplishing
Tue OUJcCl luuu W LuC SA'SoSiSa Va ~AS SSo'~1
I should say let us proceed With it ut once
regardless of cost or Of the difficulties which
will undoubtedly attend the effort to raise the
adequate means. A philosophic poet tells US
"In idle wishes fools supiDely stay:
| Be there VIII, and Wisdom finds way"
But it is always to be remembered aud
depIored that the financial resources of Vir-
ginia and her people are not what they were.
Much as she suffered in the loss Of accumu
lated wealth from the results of the war, over
which her thriftless and idle sons have
wasted so many precious hours in vain re.
pinings, this is smull matter in com parison
with being condemned TO writhe under the
tortures of Ignorant and reckless legislation.
| The former was q stimulus to redoubled eX
ertion ; the latter has parayzed her liurbs aud
dried up the very sources of her strength.
Not until, in divine anger, she drives out
with whip Of scorpions the selfish delna-
goeues and hclots who polute the sancIua
ries is there any hope for a return Of her
prosperity. The deadly blight of repudia-
ton has fallen not only upon her own credit,
but upon that Of her corporations and her
people. Twenty years ago her name was
the synonyme Of good faith; now, ALAS ! il is
by.word and a repreach in the money
markets of the world. Stern necessity thus
drives US to adopt such methods Of improve
ment as are least expensive, instead Of those
| which promise the largest results. Ii it can
be shown that a railway can be constructed
| for greatly less money and will answer
the purpose, the argument is concluded.
I have before me an able p'mphlet recently
put forth by William Jollife, Esq.,a practi-
cal engineer OF intelligence and experience,
and native Virginian, in which be points
| out the immense advantages which must
accrue from the construction of a railway
between Buchanan and Clifton Forge. 1t is
not fancy sketch drawn from his imugina.
| nation but as to The practica bility of the
route and the cost OF constructing tine work
embodies the results Of careful iustrI.
mental survey made by himself and party
OF young gentlemen. during the past sum-
mer, without compensation. He says: The
calculated results Of this survey are as fol.
lows: Measured distance from Buchanan to
Clifton Forge, on line of thirty feet grades
coming east and sixty-feet grades going west,
twenty-seven miles. ..s- F.. -.:.s,.}
Cost Of grading, including 1900 feet " i.
or tunnei 731 1858
Cost or bridge masonry ................ 24,30O
Cost or bridge iron. 74400
Cost OF small culyertS and water ways. 27,10O
Cost OF LAID track, &c........".,,,..".. 243 600
| wa ">. '"" o." s1,1o0,65S
To this he adds $4,000 as probable
amount to cover and-damages, stations and
tanks /; but it is almost certain that a free
right-of way might be obtained by suitable