Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1890-01-08
Our Progress.


- azzszzzz -
Our Pr Ogress.
"But your Virginia people should not make
the mistake of thinking your fortunes lie only
in your minerals. There is one thing you
should take hold OF, and that is the building
up of the James river farming section. 1t is
of the best land in the State for agricultural
purposes With lands that sell at So per acre,
and are capable of raising crops equal to those
of the bluegrass region of Kentucky, and
with climate that permits them to be under
cultivation winter and simmer, the James
River Valley ought to have population
three or four times the size of that now in
hsbiting it,
The above is quoted from the report OF a
lengthy interview between Mr.. M. f. In
gals, President OF Ire Chesapeake and
Ohio Railroad Company, and a cores
pondent of the Richmond Dispatch. This
talk of Mr.. Ingalls, is one of the most re-
freshing, and, freighted as it is with wise
counsel to the people of Virginia, should
awaken them to renewed efforts for the res
ttoration of their agriculture to its former
prosperous condition. Whilst all sections
!. of the State may not have reached the de-
erae of prosperity to which the farming
interests Of the James River Valley at
tanned to, prior to the destruction OF the
system of labor, then existing, and not 90
fully furnished as it was then and is now
with transportation facilities, yet it may be
said, at that time it was fairly average
of the tobacco and grain and grass-grow-
ing belts of the lands best adapted to a
mixed husbandry.
We are truly gratified that Mr.. Ingalls,
has authorized the PRONUNCIATION OF the
views he entertains as to the policy our
people should pursue, for they are adapted
to the practical application of those who
possess arabic lands in every county in
Virginia. They should, and we believe
will, awaken new hopes, to be sustained
by earnest efforts on the part Of our people
to develop our agriculture, and to conduct
us on to our just and attainable position in
the building up of q great inward and out
ward commerce for Virginia.
We have been SO favorably impressed
with every movement made by Mr.. ingalls,
since he assumed the direction OF the al
fairs of the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad
as to see clearly something of the extent OF
his purposes which grasp in their economy
all the great interests of cur people,
strengthening them for the mission they
should fill, and for the glory and renown OF
the Old Commonwealth. We do not sur
render an iota of our zeal and hopes
in other departments of our progress, wher
laying our hands to the help of the farming
interest-and, on that point, we can wei
rest in the future as we have stood there il
the past and renew our faith in tn
doctrines expressed by Mr.. Ingalls, in hi
advice and in his conclusions as to the tru
estimate to be placed upon our opportuni
ties generally as given in his views re
s,ecting the James River Valley. Thi
brings us to the point at which RETROSPECT
tive view appropriately comes in as to hoS
the agricultural products of the James Rive
Valley were Influencing and building up {
large and prosperous domestic and foreign
commerce. The wonder may be INDUCED
that it could accomplish 80 much then,
before our trading interests possessed the
advantages of improved transportation
west of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Turn
ing to the present and prospective we see
that the great through-lines are in full
vigor with Mr.. ingalls, performing lead
ing part in the programme that shall in
fuence the home and foreign. commerce we
are capable of enlarging to an unlimited
extent, and especially for the prosperity Of
power Of the State. When Mr.. Ingalls,
takes the farming interest of the Jamet
River Valley to illustrate the general views
he must entertain, ii is most fortunate; fox
in times past, they created the commercial
resources which were doing more than al
other interests for the enlargement of onl
exporting and importing commerce-and
how. Thirty and forty years ago the foul
manufacturing mills at Richmond made
the largest output of -four per diem Of
any location in the world. The Gallego
which was rebuilt in 1667-the former es
adjustment having gone down in the
general confagration of 1S65-stands TO-
day in its excellence and with larger ca,
pacity In that respect, thirty years ago,
it was the chief Of all except, perhaps, one
- at Rochester, New YORK.. Then there were
she Haxall- and the Dunlop and McCance
and the Crenshaw-mills, all running on ful
tine and filling the place in commerce ad'
verified to above. Where did the wheat
come from to sustain all these large opera.
tions? Mainly from the James River Val
ley below and above Richmond. The
Southside was coming forward handsomely
in wheat production. The Piedmont, anf
the Chlckahominy counties furnished some
but because of the cheap water-transporta
ton, most of the wheat produced on the
Rappahanock, the Pamunkey. and th'
Mattaponi was sold in Baltimore. TIT
Southwest, west of Roanoke, did not a
that time produce more than for the loca
consumption, and Roanoke and August'
counties were still welded to their good OLE
county mills, the wheat the!
produced, and sent forward the surplus il
-four to market.
Now here is the TERRITORY of supply, ex
oept an occasional cargo, bought by tn,
Richmond millers in Baltimore. Let u
see what portion of Eastern Virginia O.
the main reliance, Of which the james
River Valley was the chief contributor, &C
complished for this home and foreign com
merce we are discussing. A commerce.
was thereby opened with Central anf
South America and the West Indies, bot
principally with Brazil with these results
The Richmond -four was preferred to thai
of anv other in the coffee-exportinp couu