The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-12-02
The Railway up the Jasnes-..What was

The Railway up the James,. w nat was
Thought Of 1t FIFTY Years ago.
It has been mentioned in our columns
how Colonel Crozct opposed the making OF
canal up the James river, and insisted
upon the construction OF railway instead.
We have lived to see how fatal to the inter
ests OF Virginia in general, and its capital
city In particular, the adoption OF the canal
policy has been. But we find that others
were ahead OF Colonel Crozet in the opinion
he held in this matter. In volume vii.
American Farmer, 1925, page 10, we read
communication to that journal, Of which the
following is the substance 1--WE give the en-
phasis exactly as in the original:
"In the Richmond Enquirer Of the 18th
and 10th OF December, 1918, there will be
found two papers, entitled 'VIRGINIA--Her
Resources and Ability 10 Secure the Vest
ern Trade 10 Richmond and PeterSbafg'
The object was to be obtained by sedu-
lous attention to an Improvement OF her
highways. I have long been OF opinion
that, as auxiliary to this Improvement, iron
railways could be highly useful. AS proof
OF this I refer to your journal Of 18th Of
April, 25th August, and 29th September,
1920. 7 could also refer 10 the Rich
mond ENQUIRER OF the 25th OF June,
1919. | think these references would
prove that I have clearly antici.
pated public opinion, for the people Of
Pittsburgh thus argue: That by means OF
RAILWAYS, which can be completed at one
| third of the expense and IN one third of
| the time requisite for CANALS, Pennsylvania
| will be able successfully to compete with
New York; that by this simple and easy
means OF communication Pennsylvania will
become the carrier for the trade, OF the
western waters; that the plan proposed, il
| at all eligible, is better adapted than that OF
canals to their general resources and. the
| general economy of their habits; that it
will have the incalculobLe advantage of re-
tanning in their present employment the
| immense number Of our meritorous citizens
who now derive their subsistence from our
peculiar system OF inland navigation; that
it is better adapted than the other to their
manners and views, and will have ten
dency from the quantity Of IRON it will re-
quire to gtue 4aeoo life and vigor TO their
extensive Establishments of that article.
| SIN the Richmond Enquirer OF the 18th
| OF March, 1925, find q letter addressed to
| Mr.. Barbour, the new Secretary OF War. -
rThis letter, signed ga Yirginian,' con.
/ tains q canal project by which the James
and Kanawha rivers Were TO be Joined,
aud claims the distance to be less to tide
water by two hundred and twenty miles
| than by the Erie canal, and winds up by
setting forth the advantageit would be to
the mineral regions OF Botetourt, Rock
Ehridge, &C., and uses these words, s.Rich-
mond would become the great emporium
OF the commerce these canals would
unite u ; -
The correspondent then proceeds with
his comment on all this, as follows: ~ A
Virginian willpermit me to ask him why
q railroad will not do as well as a canal? II
ne VIII refer to the various British publica-
tons on the subject think we shall not
fGifer Id opinion. But it is to be considered
whether Q combined effort on the part Of
/ Ohio, Pcnnsyl alia, Maryland, and Virgil