Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-06-23
The ChAsnpaaka and ohlo svatem.


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The Chesapeake and Ohio System.
The early navigators upon coming within
the Virginia capcs thought that they had
found the long.sought-for shortcut 10 In
dia. After sailing up the James TO the To-
caiity whore Richmond now is, and seeing
the falls in the river, they abandoned that
idea.
They did not dream that beyond here
was q country richer than that which they
sought--a part Of that western land TO
which Tos BENTON afterwards pointed and
said: There lies the East"
The ambition Of our adventurous fore
fathers was TO bring into easy communica-
ton for commercial and military purposes
the Ohio and Mississippi valleys and the
Chesapeake bay. There are navigable
waters to the eastward rs far as Charleston,
in Kanawha county, and TO the westward
as fer as Richmond, where there is the
greatest tidal indentation on the Atlantic
coast, and whence vessels may sail sea
ward with draught Of i6X feet. To link
these two points the Jsmes-River and ka-
nawha canal was attempted, audit had been
built to the foot Of the Allegheny noun
tains whom thewar came on. After this was
over Virginia was no longer able TO prose
cute the work. Grave doubts, too, began
to arise whether canal ever could CON-
pete with railroads. These and many other
reasons combined to induce the General
Assembly of Virginia to agree to abandon
the enterprise, and to consent 10th build
ing of railroad on the tow-path of the ca
nal. So died the plan for the waterway.
Many years before wise men OF Virginia
had seen that though the canal might serve
useful purpose, railroads were destined
TO become the great modern modes OF
transportation, and again, and in this con-
nection, the thoughts of our people turned
to the West. So, about 1897 or 1888 be-
ginning was made on what is now the
Chesapeake and Ohio system, and line
was built from Hanover Junction to Louisa
Courthouse. 1.-THE Louisa cars" came
into Richmond on the track OF the Rich
mond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Rail
road Company and landed passengers at
the old depot at the northwest corner OF
Broad and Eighth streets. That was the
small beginning of a great enter
prise. The road then ran through
two counties; now 1t extends the
length of several States, and with its con-
nections reaches all sections of the Union.
The Louisa road" became the Virginia
Central" the Central Extended TO New
port News and Old Point on the east and TO
Huntington and Cincinnati on the vest
became the Chesapeake and Ohio. Its
trains take up passengers in sight OF the
sea and bring them through the Virginia
Peninsula and into Richmond. from which
point the Chesapeake and Ohio has two
separate lines reaching to the Allegheny
mountains. One Of these is the James-Hiver
division, on the tow-path of the canal
the other isits trunk line, passing through
Richmond on to Louisa Courthouse
Gordonsville. Staunton, and thence on
ward by the famous mineral springs region
of Virginia and West Virginia and down
the Kanawha Valley through the
rich coal-lands to Huntington; and thence
westward by various routes, and partlcu-
larly by its fine road down the banks OF
the Ohio and over its own bridge into Gin
cinnati.
Richmond is the great central station OF
the Chesapeake and Ohio in the East,
though its fast trains start out on their
westward trips also from New York and
Washington. Here in the capital of the
OldDominion is community of over 100000
inhabitants Eve include Manchester and the
immediate suburbs of the two cities), with
sec, 900 600 of property assessed for taxa
ton and nearly 800 manufactures in opera
ton with annual sales of $35,OOO,OOO. and
iobbing-houses that do business of S32,-
500 900. Here is city humming with &c
tivity; great manufacturing, jobbing
and shipping centre, set on high hills. at
the head of tidewater and in the midst Of a
country rich in historical objects of inter-
est and in sight, almost. of dozen battle
fields of the war of 1S6l-'65, when Richmond
was the capital of the Confederacy and
when two vast armies struggled about 1t.
The Chesapeake and Ohio system en-
braces miles of roadway, of which 800
miles were built within the past two years
of the presidency of Mr.. NJ. E. INGALLS,.
Great improvements have been made of
late in the roads equipment and service,
and its Fast-Flying Yirginian is one of
the famous trains of the United States for
comfort and speed.
II is in contemplation by the company
to spend several millions of dollars for
the betterment of Its road; for the con-
struction of new "spurs" to reach coal
and other mineral beds; to erectnew depot
buildings, and generally to increase its
facilities so as TO keep pace with its grow
ing business. All along its route new
towns are springing up and old ones are
increasing in population and wealth.
What is more, it is hardly surpassed by
any other road in this country in the
number Of summer resorts it reaches or in
the yastness of the mineral wealth which
lies in great layers alongside it's tracks. AS
for the summer resorts these are in the
mountains and by the sea-shore both, and
they are located in sections remarkable
for the beauty of their scenery.
In our columns to-day We give q vast
deal of information about the company,
and we present figures which rank it high
in the value of the work it has done for the
development of Virginia and West Vir-
einia. Ardent and observing friends of
the road as we have always been, the ex-
hibits of its achievements in this line are
equally surprising and gratifying to Us.
It is road in which the fortunes of
Richmond are wrapped. We expect to see
il grow and prosper, and we are glad to re-
port that year by year Richmond is be-
coming greater and greater patron OF it
A Story for Us by Klpling.
Beginning Sunday next and ending the