The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-02-08
man ON tho Railroad

j, Editors. Dispatch . L was greatly sur
prised, in common with our people gene
rally, I think, at The position taken by Gen
eral Echols on the great James River Valley
railroad. II the General really desires ia
reflect the sentiments of Augusta county be
has surely mistaken the road, I will moi
pretend that I have very widely mingled
and conversed with the people on this sub
fleet, but have yet to meet the first man
who Is not warmly in favor Of the projected
scheme as due first to that grand valley it.
self and then to our capital city, and finally
to the best interests OF the State at large.
Our delegates zeal and admiration for the
defunct canal appears almost ludicrous. OF
what earthly practical use is 1t to talk about
the millions expended upon the canal
Did the General fare up at the bestow-
ment by Virginia upon his great rail-
road company Of the millions she had
expended upon the Virginia Central and
the Coyington and Ohio railway?L There It,
stood, butting up against the first spur Of
the Alleghanies, at the portal OF the tunnel
near Caltaghan's, palsied by the war. ana
utterly dead; bat not more paisied and dead
than the long-cheI ished canal, by floods not
only, but by its Incomplete condition, stop.
ping in the woods between Buchanan and
Clifton Forge. Why parade President
Johnston's or the Rockbridge supervisors
appeals for further aid to the canal. when
tnat outlet alone seemed left, to them to-
reach the outside world? Better ask where
do President Johnston and the supervisors
no1o stand? Where on this question stand
the great corporations and the private citi-
zens who have for more than generation
put their money without stint into the ILL
fated canal2 Are. they not competent
to Judge OF and guard their own interests
And the water-rights and franchises Of
Richmond-is it not little superservices-
ship when those rights and interests are.
guarded and maintained by such men as
Writ Henry and his colleagues? ],
But on all these points our delegate may
we'll be lett in The care and keeping Of DIR.
Henry, Speaker Allen, Coghill, Bocock.
General Tahaierre, and other a6le men Of
the House. Il > ...la ~. se...H .G.-3aN3T
One thing I know: the people Of Au-
gusta are warmly attached to Richmond,
and would delight to see her grow into
great city. She is the only town in our
State that gives promise OF becoming
sure-enough city in the wide cosmopolitan
sense. A magnificent manufacturing GEN.
tire she must in time become; and-Tith
the railway carried to West Point-a great
commercial city too; for her merchant
princes would then from their Richmond
offices talk by telephone with their West
Point wharves. -.!<5El.i.r..,i Srf.lsi
Is nothing due to, nothing to be done for,
that loveliest OF all our domains, the James
River Valley? Must her fertile lands and
all her untsld mineral wealth embowelled
in her hills forever lie in "cold obstruc-
ton -? Is nothing due to her people .who
hold, CT are striving and tugging to hold,
those lanils and mineral wealth? Shall We
blindly turn away capital that comes 10 us
seeking to develop this wealth
I am told (but did not see this in the de-
bates, aud can hardly credit it) that one
Scion objected to the scheme because it was
to be achieved by foreign capital! Why,
what fools we have all been in striving to
invite foreign capital. What fools when
we stood hopeful and eager to welcome the
third Napoleon, by his agents, to take hold
OF the canal and carry 1t to the Ohio How
fondlY We pictured to ourselves the thrifty
rural populations OF France settling
amongst us and causing all the hillsldes that
bind our lovely valley from Richmond to
rich clustering vines Of his native France
That dream, like SO many others, has passed
away. But do not let us turn away from
to US Offering to aid in the development Of
our State, merely because in doing so they.
hope also to! beRefit themselves. s:.t -
! With this road built and in operation
within two years, with the growth Of popu-
lation and manufacturing industries It must
needs bring to that whole valley and to
Richntn,,d 1yv here yy of,tfS no the burIIen Of