Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1879-08-30

not honestly come up and ask for new
agreement unless they reimburse the
money expended already in their coun-
ty. As for the talk of a compromise,
that was nonsense; either the county
had bound herself by an agreement or
she had not; she owed the whole or she
owed none. If the debt we're just it
was the duty Of every honest man in
the county to see it paid. If it was not,
then no one had a right TO advance a
cent towards it. So compromise was
out of the question.
The feeling upon which a party OF
men were trying to act was tina. the
taxes would be heavily increased, but
Mr.. Mines showed that the good peo-
/ pie of Page have had a much heavier
tax to pay. and are paying /: yet. lie
quoted the corn crop at 25O,OO0 bush
els; the wheat crop at 250,oOO bushels;
and the merchandise and fertilizers
brought in as equal to 10000 bushels
more of corn, as far as their carriage Is
concerned. Now at 10 cents per bush
ell
$40 600 bu. corn at lOcts $4,000
250, 900 bu. wheat at 10 cts Zo,UOO
10000 merchandise, &c. lU,UUV
100000
This is the annual outlay or tax on
want OF outlet for produce. The coun-
tv, in its most solemn manner by the
voice Of its people, promised two hun
dred thousand dollars of their bonds for
which they will receive stock OF the
railroad Company. Now, it has yet to
be proved that the road would not pay
dividend, if it was managed properly.
1t certainly should pay one, but even if
the worst came TO the worst, and the
people had TO pay every cent Of inter
est, they would be $4,000 into pocket,
Mr.. Mines gave no encouragement TO
those who are trying to create feeling
that the road will be built anyhow,and
that Page can get out Of her bond issue
and get the road alter all.
He stated that if once the people OF
Page decided to dishonor their solemn
obligation in this matter, the road would
never enter Page at all, but stop on the
county line. lie added that an absurd
belief seemed to be abroad that the road
was only for his own benefit and relief,
and showed most conclusively that 1t
would be impossible for him TO put a
road through Page without helping
every one in it, for the county being
long and narrow, no one in it would be
more than 6 or 7 miles from it, and
every one would have value added to
their land. Of course it would benefit
him, but so it would help the whole
county. He was now citizen OF Page
by adoption, and he wished her re-
sources to bring her prosperity; for that
had he worked and would work, paying
his own expenses, as did the other Off
GERS of the Company, at vast sacrifice Of
time aud convenience, honestly trying
to put line to join the Pennsylvania
Railroad sy stem to the Chesapeake and
Ohio Railway and its Western branches
and thus making great trunk road,
bringing the vast productions of the
West through our Valley to the sea
board This is what he had worked
for necessarily for years. Were it only
relief for his works he could have done
any time in the last seven years what
he proposes 10 do if the Page men wont
make good their word: To run q branch
from Harrisonburg in connection with
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and
let Page stand out in the cold.
Mr. Mines then proceeded to state
what he wanted from Page county. lie
said that it was about thirty miles long,
and his company wished to construct
five miles fully before cent was paid.
They want nothing paid on grading, but
when the road bed is complete, the
cross-ties in place and the rails spiked
down ready for the locomotive, then
they want for each five miles so COM
pleted, one-sixth of the county bonds.
He concluded by calling vote on the
granting of the bonds, which was unani-
mously in favor Of it.
In Justice to Mr.. Mines it must be
said that his speech is quoted from
memory,a and not from short hand notes,
and that errors may have crept in as to
particular expressions, for which, there
fore, he is not TO be held responsible.
To us it appears as important to the
residents Of Rockingham as it is for
Page to have this road completed to the
Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad. The
vast mineral resources of which Mr.
Mines spoke, are continued through
our county, and although we are not
quite as far in the woods as Page coun-
ty, we have the same need for the i'm
provement of manufactures. Half a
dozen cities like Harrisonburg, scatter
cd along the East Rockingham line,
each with its blast furnace and rolling
mill, or other works, would be prizes
worth contending for, even if it did
mean dollar or two more taxes for
year or two till things got into working
state, and would be at once paid for in
the increased rateable value of the land.
We hope our brethren of Page will not
debar us of these splendid advantages
by their not very digni6ed attempt to
stultify their own action.
sB" The state of affairs in Page
County, referred to in above article,
reminds us that in every community,