The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1881-09-22
NO.24
Virginia Midland Road.

A correspondent Of the Baltimore SIN furn-
ishes the following interview with President
Jno. s. Barbour Of the Midland road. The
correspondent remarked: .e8 TX an
"There seems to be some misunderstanding
or at least very considerable display of ignoT
ance, concerning the absorption of your road
by the Richmond and DanYille syndicate?"
There has been no absorption. The Rich
mond and Danville has not bought the Viz
| ginia Midland, but they have been brought un-
der one management. Their interests are
| possibly Ill some measure competitive, but they
could be operated more cheaply and better for
the interests of their stockholders and their
patrons ii held in common interest Ap-
proaches were made to us by the managers of
the Richmond and DanYille, but knew enough
OF paper guarantees to know that they can al
ways be broken whenever either party chooses
to do so, and it may or may not pay to enforce
them. The Virginia Midland was pledged to
certain extensions, and it could never afford
to permit itself to lose its entire independence.
Finally parties holding controlling interest
proposed to me to secure the controlling in
terest in the Virginia Midland, these, two in
terests to be held by the new association, SO
that they could never be separated; any sale Of
any part in this interest to carry with it an in
terest in both the Richmond and Danyille syn
dictate and the Virginia Midland-an alliance
IN which neither should be sacrificed to the 9th
er. When such plan was proposed to MEL
said that we had at least a basis for negotia.
ton. AS prerequisite tor the opening Of the
plan, had first 10 secure guarantees from
them that the North Carolina Midland would
be pushed to completion, and that the interest
OF Baltimore city, which Mr.. Garrett had so
zealously guarded, should not be injured in
the least, and, | may add, that it was under
stood that Baltimore was to be made the port
OF export for the enormous cotton traffic of
the combined roads. l could not 90 to Mr..
Garrett, and, holding the views that he did, he
certainly could not entertain any proposition
tor the sale OF the Baltimore and Ohio interest
to which was not party. went to him,
assured him that all his projects should be car
ried out as agreed upon, and that there should
be no discrimination against Baltimore or the
Baltimore and Ohio. When the certainty of
this was shown him, it took us q very little
time to settle it,"
when was the matter decided upon?"
About a fortnight ago. Yes. exactly two
weeks ago to-day"
"What do you think of the future of the al
he'd corporations .N
"They can be made immensely profitable to
their stockholders and be of incalculable bene-
fit in the region through which they run in
proportion as they cooperate with the people
and develop the country through which they
run. have never been railroad speculator
and have always thought local development
the true policy to pursue In fact it was about
on that platform that | was elected to Con
gress. l told the people of my district that
their prosperity could be reached only through
the same means as in the North; that they
must develop their industries and become self
There was no use in trying to
raise grain against the West, but they had vast
mineral wealth in the ground, and they could
raise cotton and tobacco and establish manu-
factories. The war wiped out all our values,
swept away all our railroad stocks, our bank
stocks and our bonds, and we must recover
them, or civilization will fail of its object and
The race will go backwards. There must be
progress or retrogresson, and everything is
now for the industries of the South''
"Does your road fully occupy the field?"
$50 fully that there can be no chance of ri
7alry. By laterals into the Blue Ridge, we can
20 up the natural courses of the streams
wherever it is necessary to reach after ore,
which can gain an outlet only over our road
We have now our Franklin Narrow Guage
Branch to fine beds of Bessemer steel at Rocky
Mount, Va, and lateral lines of ten or twelve
niles in Amherst county, Va, will take us to
,ther ore beds on the James river"
why do you consider it necessary to con-
inue the North Carolina Midland, which is,
n measure, parallel to the Richmond and
Danville?"
ave are pledged to do so, and that pledge
must be redeemed; but, aside from that, it will
give us virtually double track, though some
distance apart, and at the same time develop
. new district and give us all good traffic
rom the Charlotte and Straitsville Road. 1t
will enable us to do more business than with
single road" f8 fa1Hts
In the course of the conversation, the SUBJ
tance of which have given, President Bar
Jour said the business of the road had largely
during the past year; that it was
low in so good physical condition that it
;ould be kept up without any extraordinary
expenditures, and that it had earned fourteen
months interest in six months operating. 1t
s more than evident that in securing Presi-
lent Barbours cooperation with his line that
he Richmond and Danville syndicate had Sc
ured a through North and South line, which
will afford Baltimore merchants better
hance for Southern trade than ever before