The Aberdeen examiner. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1866-current, 1883-04-26

of 50, ,704 square miles, with but 1899 miles
of railway, or one mile of railway to
thirty-folr miles of territory, and one
| mile to each 94 inhabitants. Tennessee
has Al, 500 square miles of territory. with
but 1874 miles of railway, viz: one mile
to each 25 miles of territory, and to 50
inhabitants.
A large portion of the State of Massa-
Chusetts is mountainous and sterile, and
is unfit even for grazing, and therefore
has no use for railroads, nor contributes
in any considerable degree to their sup
port. On the other hand the mountains
of Virginia, North Carolina and Tennes-
see, are rich and fertile, especially upon
their north sides. and are covered with
magnificent forests of the most valuable
timber to their very SUBMITS.
This agricultural fertility and forestal
wealth, Incompatible as il is to
the natural resources of New England is
of slight importance to the vast stores of
IRON, coal, copper, lead, Zinc and other
valuable minerals which lie waiting the
developing hands of enterprise and i'll
dustry; they in turn are anXOuSly wait
ing for the building of railroads which
shall furnish cheap transportation for
these iueXhaustible stores OF latent
wealth Unlimited water power is walt
ing to be utilized
Virginia, from her proximity TO the sea
from her geographical position, posses
sing in Hampton Roads, Norfolk, the
James and York rivers, the only iirst-class
harbOrs on the Atlantic coast south Of
New York. THESE harborS must, for all
time, be the chief points of embarkatiun
for the productions of the States south
and west of Virginia. The natural outlet
for all Tennessee and for North Carolina
is through Hampton Roads,l
ON account of these advantages. which
are briefly noted above, il follows that
Virginia rcqu res for the development of
her resources, and to carry on the
vast through traffic which must come, Il
railroad mileage far in excess of that re-
qulred by Massachusetts. To provide
Virginia with railroad mileage equal to
that of Massachusetts would require the
building of ilG2 miles of railroad
These 71G2 miles of railroad would cost
on AN average $50 900 per mile, and in the
aggregate ?232, $50 OO0,n sum almost equal
to the assessed value of all the real and
personal property in the State Of Vmginiu
rs shown III the appraiScment of 1881.
Allowing ten years rs reasonable time
to construct the 11G2 miles of railroad re
qUlred to place Virginia on Il par with
Massachusetts, ii viii require the annual
influx of capital from abroad Of 923, ,2S6,
0O0-a very large proportion of tins will
be expended in the state. Iron and steel
rails can be made rs chcaply, if not
cheaper, than elsewhere; all the materials
for engines and cars are found in the
greatest abundance. While the colstllIc-
ton of TIG2 miles of railroad yearly in the
State of Virginia would bring into the
state over twenty millions of money an
ulally this would be but II small amount
compared to the amout realized from the
exports of wood, humber and minerals
winch are now practically vaholcss for
want Ot transportation.
The Norfolk X Western Railroad is the
only rairond upon which the people in
Southwestern Virginia, Northwestern
North Carolina, East TcnueSsccmd South
| Eastern Kentucky, can area larger than
! the States of Massachusetts,, Rhode Is
| land and COnneCtlCtIt) have to transport
their productions. Agriculture Huguish-
es upon the most fertile soil, when the
cost of transport alton by wagon to the
| nearest railroad varies from rs cents to
| ! 80 per 100 pounds. Itis no wonder that
the chief articles from which money is
obtained by the inhabitants of large
| portion of this section are bpcSWaX feat h
| prs and wool. Tobacco will hardly bear
the cost of carriage for fifty to seventy
| five miles. A farmer starting from his
| home III one of the fertile valleys of Lee
| Wise, Dickinson or But hanan counties IN
| Virginia, or from Surry, Ashp, WltOngH
or Wilkes counties, in North Carolina, ol
from Claiboru, Hancock, Scott, Fentre,
OF Morgan counties in Tennessee, with g
| load of wheat, would consume its value
in supporting himself and team ere ht
reached the nearest railroad and return
ed TO his home.
| Under such circumstances it is not
strange that the valuation OF these State
should be 81 low that it is looked upon ~
II p,qD,0 Gdcm reproach; that Nirglnlf
should. with natural advantages greater
than any other State in the Union, b'
valued at less than the little State o.
| Rhode Island which possesses Onc-thir
ticth of her area, and not one one-huu
drcth part Of her natural advantages anC
| reSuui C'S.