Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1886-04-07

$t0u1tt0tt S1tfft0I0r.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2, 1856.
Railroad Movements on The Southside.
Neither the State debt, local-option, nor
the discussion of any other question can
stay the purposes of the people of the South
side and the Southwest in their movements
preparatory to building new leading and
auxiliary lines of railway. The plans are
comprehensive, and concern North Carolina
to large extent, and Georgia, and trade
centres of the Gulf States to degree which
has called out concerted action with the
Virginians who are looking forward to the
establishment of great railroad centre
West of the Blue Ridge mountains, which
shall be, also, leading commercial and
manufacturing city. Taking Roanoke as
base, the trunk-line South will be on a
higher parallel than the Piedmont, and
opening in extension to Asheville, N. c., and
Atlanta, Ca, a continuous line, which will
have it's Northern and Northwestern con-
nections by the Baltimore & Ohio and the
Shenandoah Valley railroads. Then there
are branches or connecting links which,
whether wholly or partially carried out, will
materially change the map of Virginia and
North Carolina in the transportation routes
of the present time. and will build new
marts of commerce, and open new indus
trial fields and furnish tonnage and travel
for the lines traversing the Virginia Val
ley.
The leading line from Roanoke to Ashe-
vile is called the Roanoke & Southern Rail-
road, and will develop country rich in re-
sources, now scarcely opened at any point.
1t will cross the Danville & New River line
at Martinsville, in Henry county. That
rich little county helped to build the D. d
N. R., and is now prepared to take stock
as a county, as it has largely done by indi-
vidual subscriptions.
The Danville & Northwestern is line
projected from that city to Big Island, Bed
ford county. This point is twenty miles
above Lynchburg, on James River. This
projected line crosses Pittsylvania and Bed
ford counties, giving Danville direct con-
nection through the Richmond & Allegha-
ny with the Baltimore 6 Ohio system and
the Shenandoah Valley line.
Lynchburg is working up direct South
ern line in her own interests from that city
through Campbell and Halifax counties, in
Virginia, and Person and Orange counties,
North Carolina.
The Danville & New River R. r. has
leased feeding-line, which branches West
of Danville, running to Leaksville and
Mocksville, North Carolina.
The Atlanta & Danville r. R., which
commences on lower James River, at Clare
mont, a new port and growing CONNER
cial and manufacturing town, is completed
to Greensville county, and the City Coun-
Gil of Danville proposes to take one hun
dred and fifty thousand dollars of stock on
its completion to that city. The aim of this
line is through the Danville & New River
to Bristol, and thence by the road now build
ing from that town to Big Stone Gap, in
Wise county, to form due West and direct
route from this new port on James River te
the Kentucky line.
The Norfolk & Western is preparing fol-
extension from Pocahontas across West
Virginia to Kentucky, and it is supposed
this will be commenced as soon as the
Cripple Creek auxiliary line shall be com
pleted.
There is concert and great activity in al
of these schemes, and it may be affirmed
thst all will ultimately be accomplished
except the Danville s. Northwestern, ano
that will be, if Bedford county chooses to
give it the help she is able to do.
In addition to this, greatly improved wa
ter-transportation by the Stanton river is
annually increasing. There are two steam.
ers now on that river, ascending the stream
as high as Brook Neal, in Campbell coun.
ty. The Stanton is always in the Congress
ional appropriation for rivers, receiving this
session of Congress ten Thousand dollars.
1t will be observed that the chief of these
several schemes is the prolongation, South,
of the lines which run through our Valley.
BY the way, the county of Roanoke, whose
subscription to the Valley Road is now bar
red by injunction, is considering the ques.
ton of asking a revocation of the injunction
and proposing to invite Mr.. Spencer to come
on and finish the connection and have the
B. & 0. line take its proper place in the
further schemes Southwark.
1t would make this article too lengthy to
bring out all there is of interest to our sec
tion of the State in some of these schemes,
and to refer to the varied resources of the
country which will be opened by them. At
no former time was there ever so much &C
tivity in the Southside and Southwest of
the State in planning schemes of develop
ment-nor, indeed, is its parallel to be
found in the history of the Commonwealth.