The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1878-11-28
Letter from Rockbridge-Valley r. R.

FAIRFIELD. Nov. 25th. 1873.
Editors Of VALLEY ViTginidn We do hope that
your enterprising city and the grand old county
of Augusta will cordially unite with us in our
new movement" for the extension of the Val
ley r. X. Is 1t not your interest to do so Look
at Staunton and see how she has prospered, and
with her the county of Augusta under the system
Editors, IL would seem that trade and enterprise
OF Staunton now almost equal that of Big Rich
mond. When you and were boys, remember
When the rumbling OF an occasional stage coach
through your streets awoke the denizens of your
then quiet village from the dull monotony of life
and wagon now and then from "Pochy," or
some of the backwoods counties enlivened the
trade OF your merchants with a load of venison
hams and dried truck.
near, including the undeveloped county of
Rockbridge," extends tribute to your growing
with the banks of the Ohio, the tide water cities
OF Virginia, and the great commercial marts OF
the North. Staunton has stretched her briarian
arms East, West and North. and now only lacks
the iron track southwark to complete her con-
nections with the four quarters of the earth.
Give her that and it would seem that her success
is assured as the most thriving inland city of the
State.
All that is slsed of you is to come up to the
help OF those who want to bring this great south
erh line to your doors. You have been greatly
benefited by the extension OF the Chesapeake s.
Gifted by the extension Of the Valley road south
ward. We have all waited on Baltimore until
our hopes, like Dead Sea fruits, have turn
still see nothing done? Was the Baltimore and
Ohio Company only after connection with the
Chesapeake Ohio road and control of the Valley
line to prevent its further extension? If So GER
tainly, that does not suit your city, your county,
nor your sister counties of the upper Valley, nor
is 1T what you and they bargained for. We went
into this railroad enterprise to get its extension
through the Valley, not a piece of road rs miles
the purposes OF the Baltimore and Ohio Com
pany, and a line of unfinished culverts and en-
bankments now crumbling to ruin. with the
lapse OF time, to remind us of the way we have
been cheated out OF our money.
We now offer all that is fair, or that reasonable
men should ask. We say to the Baltimore & Ohio
Co. take your line where you saw proper to stop
it, take that portion OF it upon which you spent
your money to acquire your connection with the
Chesapeake & Ohio rC ad-you have in that accom-
plished your purpose-now let us make the bal.
ance OF the road-you don't seem to want tive
do. Are we to be told that this proposition will
not compensate the Baltimore interests for their
two millions OF dollars 1t will compensate them
US for ours, and at the same time to be deprived
OF the right to make one on our own account.
But the Baltimore & Ohio Co. only subscribed
one million of dollars Cts said good deal of that
Cancelled in extra charges and old iron at exhorbi-
liant rates., and they spent more than that OF
line would be more than recompensed by the ad-
ditional trade and travel the continuation of the
Valley road would throw on their whole route
from Staunton to Baltimore.
The city of Baltimore would more than get her
money back by the vastly greater trade a com
pleted line to the southwest would throw on her
mart, She will get it back sooner in that way
than she Will by having it sunk in detachments
OF an unnnlSned road through Augusta, Rock
bridge and Botetourt Such stock has the ap-
pearanee Of being rather poor Investment at
present. Ii she is patiently waiting on President
Garrett pushing on the work, in the course oftme
it might be well enough for herto consider that
she is losing more in the way of trade, by trust
ing to any such hope than the proposition of the
Valley counties will ever cost her. Let Balti-.
more city remember that she reaps profit of
near seven millions of dollars annually from the
trade OF the great Shenandoah Valley, and it
might be increased proportionably by an extern
sion OF her railroad connection through the VAL
lev of Virginia.
We want the road, and Rock bridge is willing to
pay what she subscribed for its construction,
but not for its mop construction. That portion
of her money which is spent-weIl, it can't be
helped now. But that portion OF her bonds which
is held as collateral, why, the payment of them
will be collateral upon the building of the road,
and without that the holder of those bonds will
have good time getting his money. The Board
of Supervisors has not yet been elected that will
vote for levying a tax for the payment of those
bonds, or the interest on hem, and when Rock
bridge elects such Board look out for the crack
OF doom or to hear something smash If that be
the most of it,