Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1888-01-30
Letter from Richmond.
Special Cor. Of the Alexandria GAZETTE

RICHMOND, Va, Jan. 29--That part of
the State known es Southwest Virginia is
coming in for full share of railroad char
tiers at this session Of the General Assembly,
and it looks IS if the intention is to let
railroad penetrate every section of that por
ton of the State in which there is anything
whatsoever to develop. Besides some four
or Eve email lines thera are three quite i'm
portent charters for railroads in the South.
western portion Of the State pending. One
provides for q road from Norfolk to Bristol
which vii! be big rival of the Norfolk and
Western. The corporators are gentlemen
who claim to haya the money to build the
road, and include number of persons who
live along the route of the proposed road.
Another charter asked for is the Danvlle
ard Great Western Railroad, to run from
Danvile to Bristol. Among the corpora
tors are such men az Jas. B. Pace and J. b.
Dooley. The third charter Ia for the Dan,
Vile and Esst Tennessee Railroad, to run
from Danville to Bristol or some point on
the Norfolk and Western Railroad. The
corporators are W. T. Sutherlin, A. III.
Aiken and others, of Danville.
The two last named charters have been
favorably reported BY the committee and 1t
is thought the FIRST named will be. The lines
of all these roads run for long distance
through that portion OF Southwest virgin
lie lying between the Norfolk and Western
Railroad and North Carolina to the city OF
Bristol, at which point they will connect with
the Norfolk and Western, East Tennessee,
Virginia and Georgia. and South Atlantic
and Ohio Railroads. It is thought that this
Tr;rl Al ho q N
road which Is to be built from Memphis by
way of Nashville through East Tennessee.
The building of the SouthAtlsntc and Ohio
has already caused a wonderful develop
ment and increase in property in the coun-
ties through which it runs, and at Bristol
the company have bought about !, 100 acres
of land and are laying out and grading
streets and preparing for large improve.
meuts to enterprises to be commenced early
In the spring.
If these charters should pass and either of
the roads be built it will furnish to the people
of Henry, Franklin, Patrick, Floyd, Carroll,
Grayson ,Smythe and Washington long felt
necessity for transportation, besides deVel-
oping their fine mineral resources, and will
make Bristol large and fourishiDg manu-
featuring city at no distant day. With
these new railroads and with the new man
ufacuring enterprises in contemplation in
the Southwest, our Slate bids fair to be rap
idly deveoped within the next FIVE years.
The Arnold election bill pending in the
Legislature, is an effort to adapt thu Eng
fish, Canadian and Australian election law
to Virginia elections. Something similar has
been adopted in Wisconsin and this bill fol-
lows mainly bill offered by Judson Grin
nell in the Michigan Legislature at its last
session which passed the House but was de-
feated in the Senate by three votes. The
leading object is ito make the ballot legal
tnStrument,n as sorupulously protected as a
five dollar bill. A Chicago paper recently
commenting upon similar measure said
lit is an admirable measure and the proba
bilty of its enactment is sure sign of prog
ress Its grand merits are in the legaliza-
ton of the voting paper; the printing and
delivery of it to the electors by public au-
thority, ETC." AS yet this matter has not
been much discussed by legislators, and the
bill has not yet been reported from the com
mittee. Its patron claims that if the bill is
passed the talk of tissue ballots at elections
will be thing of the past A publication
Of the ballot, to Judge from the dispositions
that have been taken in the contested cleo.
ton cases now pending in the General As.
sembly is needed and one would think that
in many localities, Mr.. Arnold's bill would
work like q charm. Democrats charge re-
publicana with fraud and the republicans
cast the saine imputaton upon the demo
Gratis A legislator half In earnest and half
In Jest said to day without thinking of the
constitutionality of his proposition, that be
intended to suggest that In the contested
districts the parties to the contest adopt the
Arnold bill as mode Of settling all existing
differences.
The Mount Vernon Avenue bill which
passed the House with Mr.. Corbett's amend
ment will be reported to the Senate to.
morrow. Senator Moore will be asked to
| use bis influence to have the bill pass both
branches as 1t passed the Senate. Mr.. Cor
belts amendment met with no opposition in
the House, IL fact pot word was said for
or against the bill when it came up on Its
passage. If the Senate refuses to ooncnr in
the House amendment and the bill goes
back to the House with such an endorse.
ment upon it. those who favor the bill In It's
original shape will have to show good rea.
sons why the House should rescind its
amendment, or else there will be hitch.
B. P. o.