Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1879-07-04
FRIDAY MORNING, JULY 4. 1879.
CHEERING NEWS FOR THE Elk
TENSION OF THE CHE
PEAKE d. OHIO RAILROAD.

fEAAE &C OdlO lIAlLhOAOs
The news from the recent railroad ne
Rotiations in Kentucky, regarding the ex-
tension of the Chesapeake & Ohio railroad
has two most acceptable qualities; 1t Is
both good and certain. The construction
of the Elizabethtown, Lexington q Big
Sandy Railroad, or rather Of the remain
ing lightweight miles Of it, is to be COM
menced in the fall, and the road to be in
running order in eighteen months from
now. This completes the connection of
the Chesapeake & Ohio with the West.
The history of the long delay which has
attended the completion of the road is in
teresting and also instructive as relating
to other roads that have occupied a some
what similar position. The road is one hun
dred and twenty -one miles in length, the
route being from Lexington to the mouth
of the Big Sandy River, eight miles from
Huntington. Seven years ago party of
New York capitalists got control of it and
built twenty three miles of it to Mt. Sterl-
ing, on it's way to meet the Chesapeake &
Ohio Road. The panic of '73 came and all
operations were stopped. AS in the case
of our Valley Railroad, the Kentucky
stockholders became afraid there was
design, in the language Of the streets, to
ssgobble up'' the road by the Northern
capitalists, and it was thrown into the
courts. so stood affairs with the only gap
in the straight line between Louisville and
tidewater in Virginia. Last May, Gen.
Jno. Echols went to Kentucky to see it
the difficulties between the Kentucky and
moved, a visit which was speedily follow
ed by another, this time President Hun
tington, of the G. & o. road, and one of
the capitalists interested in the E. L. &
B. s. road accompanying him. Three
weeks ago the parties in interest had an
interview at Lexington, which resulted in
the cessation of litigation and the
removallof all the obstacles to the
resumption of the work. The New
York parties are to be restored
to the control of the road, and contract
to proceed with its construction, the de-
tails of the arrangement. being left to be
arranged by Gen. Echols, a work which he
satisfactorily completed last week. 1t is
the opinion of Gen. EchOls that nothing
has transpired in the way of internal inn
provements in the last twenty-five years
of more interest to Virginia and especially
to her metropolis. The work will be com
msnced as soon as the engineers establish
the line of the road which was surveyed
six years ago. Speaking of the success of
the negotiations alluded to above the
Richmond Dispatch" says:
This is very grand news for Richmond.
We are sure that the compliment paid to
General Echols for his part in the matter
is richly deserved. He has been the long
and devoted friend Of the Chesapeake and
Ohio line, and no one is more rejOiced than
he by this removal Of the last obstacle in
the way of the through connection by that
important railway between the Virginia
tide and the railway system of the West
and Northwest.
And on the same subject the Lexington
(Ky.) "Press pays the following compli-
ment to Gen. EchOls
In this connection we think it due to
Gen. Echols to express our conviction that
both parties, those in New York and
those in Kentucky, are largely indebted
to him for the satisfactory result that has
been arrived at. His manly, digniied.
and conciliatory management of the ne
ROTATIONS had q great influence in bring
ing the disturbing elements into perfect
harmony.