Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-11-20
THURSDAY. NOVEMBER 20, 1890
The Treasures Of the Earth.

Ten or twenty years ago readers OF
some OF the newspapers OF virginia
often expressed themselves as much
bored by the continual harping of the
editors upon "thc mineral resources OF
the State" Gentlemen who attempted
To call the attention Of the Legislature
10 the hidden treasures Of the mountains
were either snubbed outright or treated
with calm indifference.
There were many men, some OF them
intelligent, who really thought all this
talk was nonsense and who contended
that the sooner our people dropped
il and proceeded about their ordinary
pursuits tho better it would be. They
were unbelieyers. They had no faith IN
that future of Virginia which was fore
seen by WASHINGTON and JEFFERSON
and staked off by ROGERS, MAURY,
CsozET, HoTcHKss, and BOYD. All
this has changed. There is no other
snbjec. now so engrossing to an audience
Of sagacious businessmen.
Night before last Major JED HoTcH-
KISS addressed the State Press As
sociation on the Future of Virginia,
and though his remarks were necessa-
rily in some measure couched in techni-
cal terms not man in his audience left
his seat. and few turned their eyes from
him during his entire address. This
fixitv OF attention was remarkable and
was testimonial Of interest in an i'm
portant story well told. Indeed some OF
it, though fortified by the best possible
array of facts and figures, seemed to be
almost too good to be true. To the
Majors "reminiscences of the past and
well-considered assurances OF what Is
coming in the future as the result OF the
development of our mines and the ex-
tension of our railroad systems, the au-
dience listened with earnest attention.
There we're no ordinations of incre-
dulity as of old, for at last the people OF
Virginia believe in their State. A
few years back such scene as that OF
Tuesday night Of eager men craning
their necks and heads to hear an indus
trial address would have been unlikely If
not impossible. Now thousands OF men
are cleaning information wherever OBJ
tainable and faithfully studying maps Of
Virginia in search of localities where in
vestments may be proftabiy made.
Major HorcHKIss, without deprecia.
ting the efforts of others, awarded tC
Mr.. KIMBALL and the Norfolk and West
ern Railroad Company the honor o
having inaugurnted this boom in Nir
GINA, and it began, he asserted, will
tho construction OF the road to the Flat
top coal region. He declared his belle
that Mr.. KINBhL had done moro for on
people than any living man.
One OF tire speakers statements, illus
trative OF the errors made in railroat
building, wss that there wers two routes
proposed by the Chesapeake and Obi
railway engineers for carrying that roa'
across the Alleghanies. One was fron
Covington through valley lined 70
thirty miles with iron-ore beds; tn
other was by way of the White Sulphu
Springs. The latter route the manager
determined upon, though it involved al
expenditure of S10,000000. This, h
said, was monstrous blunder, but this
the other route was also destined to b
occupied by a railroad he had no doub
The speaker favored free railroa
law. He wanted investors to be pei
mitted TO build roads wherever the
choose.
We doubt if Mr.. KDIBALL would er
dorso this plan. He would probabl
contend that after he had taken the ris
aud borne the expense of opening
country for new industries, 1T would /
grossly unfair to allow rivals to come i
not only TO share his profits but to d.
preciate the value OF his property.
ia not improbable he would also ga
that as il is the General Assembly c
Virginia is exceedingly liberal in gran
ing railroad charters.
OF the many interesting address,
delivered before the Press Associate
none was more practical or more appr
riated by members than that OF MaiC
HorcHKIss.
II gave them material for reflection
II was seed sown on good ground whic
win sprout and blossom into scores {
editorials and locals.
Press people are worth talking to.