The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-07-09

on the making OF railroads in virginia
there Is no end. HgxRx GsoRos, tue IL
nous author OF Progress and Poverty, In
cludes unproductiye railroads among the
things which cause panIcs aud financial
troubles. Far be II from Us, however, to
predlct that the new road we are about TO
sneak OF will prove TO be an unproductiye
one. The Valley Yirginson tells us oil
about Il as follows:
The organization OF The Atlantic aud Ohio
Railroad Company, comprising, as IL does,
In IFS members gentlemen OF large business
experience and ample means, y iayoraoie
indication for the interests OF virginia ana
West Virginia. The central object OF the
organic alton Is TO construct narrcW-gauge
railroad from MathIas's Point on the Poto'
mac river to Point Pleasant on the ONO
river. The rights and franchises OF the road,
now completed from Fredericksburg 10
Orange Courthouse, haye passed into Inc
possession OF this company. from orange
Courthouse to Harrisonburg will constitute
another link In the construction. At Har-
risonburg the Washington City, Cincinnati
and st. Louis Narrow.Gauge, which
has also been purchased by the At
lantic and Ohio Company. will fall into
the scheme, and the road be rapidly COM
Melted TO its western terminal point. Last
week Professor Thomas Dosne, OF Boston,
proceeded TO Charleston, w. Va, TO enter
upop hts duties as chief engineer OF the At
lapttc and Ohio railroad, where with tnree
CORPS OF engineers he was to at once pro-
coed 10 the examination OF the entire line
from the Ohio river TO Harrisonburg with
view OF active OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. Last
spring Professor Dosne made carefui ex-
animation OF the country from orange
Courthouse to Point Pleasant, travelling
over 400 miles on horseback and In private
| CT nyeyauce, for the purpose OF reporting
upon the practicabilly OF the route, the
character Of the country to be trayersed, It's
mineral, timber, pastoral, and agricultural
advantages and capacities. His eminent abili-
~ and reputation were relied upon TO deter
mine the action OF the gentlemen who were
Interesting themselves IN the scheme, ana
when his report more than verified all the
statements which had been made OF the re-
sources OF the country through which the
proposed road was 10 pass, the preliminary
arrangements were instituted 10 cOnsum-
mate the organization contemplated. Ne
gotiations were commenced for the purchase
Of large surveys in Virginia and West Vlr'
gInia, embracing valuable coal and iron de-
posts, extensive timber wealth, and large
agricultural and pastoral territory, aggre-
eating over two hundred thousand acres,
and lying in twenty.one counties OF the
two States. These negotiations have been
closed, and the surveys, embracing the an
lbracite coaI.felds OF Augusta and Rock:
lingham counties, passed into the hands OF
the Atlantic and Ohio Company. Judge
Shelley, Of this place. has for the past ten
days been 10 the East arranging mortgage
Of 80 100000 upon these valuable proper
ties, comprising the railroad completed from
Fredericksburg TO Orange Courthouse, the
grading OF the NarrOw-Gauge from Harrl'
sonburg to Highland county and in Ka-
nawha county, w. Va, aud the extensive
acreage with all its marvellous natural
wealth mentioned above. The whole scheme
has been brought 70 successful teImna-
! ton, the capital for the construction OF the
road secured, and the agencies Tor It's pro-
eress and completion put in molten.