The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1884-01-31
TIE VALLEY RAILROAD.

liz IA lax ID
II the opening OF the valley RAILROAD
oeUmeel oIaunton ana HarrlSonou!g, tllus
con1ecslng thls CITY Win the ever lhcreas
sng p. ~ y. railway system, was Gauss
~ representation, IheIe Can pe no dotpi
.iit'y Ine recently competed extension u
siie my hioni soIaulton 70 lexington Wa
:. ina.tel Vi slim greater ana more vltd
lnpoLcaiice; ne road now mas IL ,ota
lengtn u " mllesIzo from HarflsOnDure
~ S.auhc U aug 90 from Ciiis Guy 70 Lex
ans.om a ne la1ter ParI OF sne me wa
u,ptiieu W tral'lc on t'le ION Oh November
lasV. aa3sts
Many people fancy that the :" ALLEY
Railroad = is only another name for Sec
4 tlon OF the Baltimore " Ohio. Such AL
impression is wholly wrong, and is album
dainty contrOyerted i'll the following ex-
eerpt from y letter recently received by
the writer from Col. 5. Spencer. He says:
In regard to the company s relations
with the i. Il o.. would say that the b. q
y. II. H. Co., with the citysof Baltimore,
own much the larger part OF The, stock or
this company, THE v. Il. RI yet this
company has a separate and distinct Or
ganlzatlon; operates its own road; but acts
III the closest harmony with the r. " a.. =
! From remarks, recently made ny Eresf-
| dent Spencer to the stockholders, upon the
occasion OF his reelection, we make some
fextracts. From this address we learn
| Thai. Two years ago. wheQ 1t was deter
mined to extend the road from Staunton
to Lexington, the net earnings were but
VII ,ooo per year: IL was necessary TO as
sumo an obflgatl0n OF one million dollars
to'comPlete this extension, and the issue,
as the President expressed it, was certain
y considered doubtful = at the time.
Economy and StrlcteSt system became the
order of the day-not false economy,
that imperlled life and property, but bus
iness-llke careln expenditures :more than
a quarter OF a million was saved in con-
structiOn; the revenues of the road were
increased from all sources, and since Lex
ing became a terminal point the ratio of
growth OF business of the road has been
most satisfactory. The station agent at
this point, Mr.. f. Fowler, referred to the
increase as having been decidedly beyond
expectations. so far as affected this sta
tion. President Spencer says * If the
road to Lexington gives the result which
we now have every reason to anticipate,
and the increased net results on the 26
miles from StauntOn to Harrisonburg grow
as they should under the traffic from the
Lexington extension. il is probably not an
over-estimate to saw that the line for the
DIoSeIlU 11.UtV T.
900, metz This leaves but a comparative
" small deficit to be made good. and the
company have, we think. been thus far
justified in taking "hostage of the future y
AS regards the proposed extension from
Lexington to Salem. If appears that from
$500. 900 to 500. 900 of work has been
done. and concerning this President Spen-
Ger saws !: ssAny Substantial move on the
part of the valley people to extend to
Salem or beyond. would now
meet with hearty accord in Baltimore
As the road to Lexington has been com |
pleted with an obligation less than was ex-
pected. there is probably a basis of conf
dence that did NOT exist at that time |
which might be utilized by the valley |
interest and by the citv and the railroad |
company to secure a still further exten- |
sion. and [ hope that some of the counties
and other local interests beyond Licking
ton will take this ouestion m and give fo |
it definite shane. y Such wish the peo-
pie of Staunton can heartily saw 6 amen y
to. for. if the trade of Baltimore can he
largely enhanced by such extension. not a
few crumbs from the table will fall to our
merchants and to the factories which we
hope to see established here in the near
future. 73sf
The first President elected by the Val
ley Railroad Co. was sRobt. Garrett. ESD.
He was, elected on the 2Sth of June. 1871.
and occupied the position until June Sd,
1875, when Mr.. PIP. Pendleton was elect
ed. Mr.. VIM. Keyser was President pro-
tenn. from Jan'y Sd, 1878, until Nov. IA,
1878, when he was elected President and
in the position until Oct. 6. 1881,
when the present incumbent, S. Spencer,
was elected. Under the management that
now exists the Company has accomplished
wonders-WOnders that will not even be
diminished by the full realization of all
that the road hopes to accomplish. Presi-
lent Spencer has certainly proved himself
10 be admirably adapted to fill the position
ne does, and his recent reelection mani
tests how fully he retains the cofidence of
MS co-workers.