Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1890-08-01

CAPT. JAMES BUMGARDNER, r. S. TURK
AND CHARLES CURRY-MEETINGs APP
POINTED FOR THE WEST SIDE OF THE
COUNTY. So
- &C.. &C., &C.
There were over 200 persons in the meet
ing held in the Court House ON Monday
to hold out inducements to the Cumberland
Valley Ry. to extend it's line from Win
chester, it's present terminus, Southwark
through Augusta county. On motion of
Col. S. A. East, Hon. A. B. Lightner was
called to the chair, and MI. 7. S. Hogs
head nominated MI. E. o. Peale for Secre-
tary and he was chosen.
THE PURPOSE OF THE MEETING.
At the requestsof the chairman, Col. ].
g. Shields explained the objects of the
meeting. He spoke of the great Importance
to country of transportation, and alluded
to the fact that the mind of the country
was now turned to building longitudinal
lines from North to South, instancing the
line Chicago proposes to build to Tampa
Bay in Florida. Railroads gave every
product Of the land, no matter how trifing,
a market, and from his home in Rockbridge
he had seen five OIL six trains day pass on
the Shenandoah Valley Ry. loaded exclu-
sively with water melons. What were the
opportunities now offered for another Ion
gitudinal line? The Cumberland Valley
Ry. from Harrisburg, Pa, had been first
completed to Hagerstown and next to
Winchester, which is now it's terminus.
1t is fine road, splendidly equipped, and
it is not reasonable to suppose that it
comes into the Valley to make its terminus
here. The people of the Western side of
Augusta county were more Immediately
interested in it's extension South and had
already taken steps at the Middlebrook
meeting to offer it inducements. Similar
meetings are to be held at Moffett's Greek,
Swoopes, Churchville, Sangersville, Par
nassus and Mt. Scion. The plan was to
circulate printed accounts of those meet
ings and to confer with Rockingham and
other counties through which the route of
the road would lie, the result to be reported
at a general conference to be held in Staun-
ton in September.
THE CHEAP RAILROAD ADVANTAGES AU-
GUsTA COUNTY HAS ALREADY HAD.
Capt James Bumgardner being called on,
commenced by saying that nearly all the
prominent men, he might say statesmen of
Augusta, who had secured to her all the
present railroad advantages that she en-
joys, had passed away. Thirteen years
ago, or more, the Valley Ry. had been COM
pleted to Staunton and gave the people of
Augusta their first competing line of rail-
way and the choice of markets for their
products. Railroad freights had been re-
duced so per cent. since that road reached
here. He looked back with pride at the
part he had taken in securing it's building
to this section. Augusta has the greatIAd-
vantage of being on the line between Hamp-
ton Roads on the Atlantic and San Fran
cisco on the Pacific.
RAILROAD FACILITIES EASILY GOTTEN.
The county had gotten all her railroad
advantages cheap. Of the millions spent
to build the Chesapeake & Ohio Ry. Angus
ia only subscribed $4,000 and about the
same in individual subscriptions. Of the
millions spent to build the Valley Ry. Au-
gusta had not subscribed dollar, and
about $2O,O Of individual subscriptions
to it was all that came out of the county,
The Shenandoah Valley Ry., which, like
the other two, passed across her territory,
was built without a dollar of Augusta
county subscription. The total amount of
money contributed by Augusta to all the rail-
road advantages she enjoys is not as much
as she saves in freight by these roads in one
year.
THE EASTERN PART OF THE COUNTY HAS
THE BULK OF THE ROADS.
The Shenandoah Valley Ry. doesn't reach
more than One-eighth of the county. 1t is
far East and at the base of the Blue Ridge.
The Valley Ry. is also far East and three
fifths of the county are excluded from the
benefits of that road. The C. & o. Ry.
runs across the county from East to West,
but at least one-half OF the county is with
out railroad transportation of any immedi-
ate benefit to it.
ROAD FOR THE WESTERN SIDE.
There is now in progress the Cumberland
Valley Ry. that will bring transportation
to the doors of all the farmers in the neg
lected Western side of Augusta. The
county is right on the track of the great
passage way for traffic North and South,
and East and West. The Cumberland
Valley is now at Winchester. No great
railroad has ever been stopped at one place
as long as there is any other place beyond
it to get to, and there are thousand places
between Winchester and the Gulf of Mexi-
co that this road can reach and which it
will reach. The broad stretch along the
base of North Mountain in Augusta, con-
tains the most productive land in the world.
FARMERS MUST HAVE RAILROADS.
Now that this continent is being grid
irOned with railroads, the farm not on a
railroad cannot be worked with profit.
Those who farm them cannot compete with
the immense advantages of farms having
railroad facilities. So you farm owners
must stir yourselves to bring railroad in
touch Of your farms. This Cumberland
Valley road will come South. can't say
when, but it will come. 1t will come when
its managers see, OF think they see, that it
will be profitable. 1t is your interest to
give them this knowledge.
IT'S COMING MAY BE QUICKENED.
You may give some money to it and you
will get it all the sooner, but whether you
-
you have done heretofore, your grand-chil-
dren will see it. If you stir yourselves
gray headed men I am talking to to-t'aY@>
will see it. l think you should do some
thinn and if vnn want to Quicken it. also