The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-07-14

December ~. f7ss. And on the 10Th OF De-
cnn,bnr. 1889. the members OF the Leg
islature we're invited 10 take trip up
fho canal and through the locks. IL
was then opened for seven miles above
The city. In 1926. Just 100 years ago. the
canal was completed 10 the head OF tho
"Pasln." a large excavation In the heart
~ tho cifv. 10 receive and accommodate
boats whilst loading and unloading; and
A. 100 The water was let into the basin,
which. owing 70 the peculiar topogra-
pfy Of the locality contained a chasm
seventy feet deep at one place.
This first seven miles Wis the en-
tor,ng wedge" in "A great enterprise
FOR mat day; and worked 80 well that
various commissions urged its extension
bivhcr I'D the river. In 1916. Chief-Jus-
lice Marshall. as chairman Of one OF these
commissions, made an elaborate report,
,ron which Governor Nicholas recon-
u-sndod action I'm his message. In con-
sonance herewith. the Legislature Great
"a a BOARD Of Public WORKS" in 1916
= ho had exhaustive surveys made all
tho way TO the Kanawha river. and on
March IL. 1892, '~rhe James River and
Kanawha Canal Company was incor-
uorafed. and organized on May 18th FOL
iowlng. and on the 18th elected jos. c..
Cabcn fits first president. Thencefor-
vsars the company had an enthusiastic
and irresistible following in the State
and majority control In the Legislature
for about twenty years But more or
this a little further on.
INTRODUCTION OF RAILROADS.
a brief reference now 10 the introduce
tfon Of railroads into Virginia viii be
SUFFICIENT to make clear an understand
ing OF the domestic State politics OF Viz
pinia. that made I'm our Legislature, On
questions purely local. strange bcd-fci-
lows OF Mhgs and Democrats Who
ON Federal issues were at "daggerh
draw" on February TO- lSSD the FIRST
railroad company ever chartered IN Nlr-
GINA was That to construct n line OF six
tv-one miles from Petersburg TO Weldon
with an oighteen-mile branch 10 Castor,
y. G.
The next charter was for the Winches-
ter and Potomac railroad. 10 meet
lire from Baltimore at 1farpers Ferry.
This was really a Baltimore scheme, to
he pushed up the Valley and head off"
the canal az buchanan, and thence to be
carried on TO the OHIO river via the
Kanawha. A scheme TO deprive Rich
mond of o. legitimate commerce, that IT
took many years to Kill, as will be shown
further ON
ON the sth Of March. 1892. the Seaboard
and Roanoke Company was chartered
TO build line from Portsmouth to Roa-
nokc river near Weldon, OF eighty miles.
I'm February. 1896. the Richmond. Fred
er,.ksburS and Potomac Railroad Com
many WAS chartered 20 build line sew
entv-fvo and one half miles long, from
Richmond to Aqua Creek, at its mouth
on the Potomac. and the same mouth,
the T.oiiisa Railroad Company was char
tered TO build a short line from the x.
~ and p. road at some point In Han
over Ctho Junction., to Louisa {. H.,
and on March "a. 1875, the Petersoufs
Railroad Company was chartered 70 unite
Richmond and Petersburg by rail AZ
This uoInt the Legislature called matt
for five years. until February s, 1871,
charter was granted 20 the Glover hlli
Railroad Company 10 build ROAD from
the Clover Hin coal mines IN CHESTER
field 10 Osh0rncs. on James river, De
loo. Richmond. twenty-one miles. Again
no new charters were granted for an
other five years so that In the sixteenth
year from gSg TO 1876. Virginia had
authorized the construction of just about
800 miles of railroad all told. Ana IL
Will be observed that all Of these roaos,
without execution. were located in a dead
level country or at most, only undu-
srring enough by nature for surface
drainage. Ii was believed that gradients
of more than % 20 80 feet per mile could
not be overcome hy Il locomotive, and 10
null a train after IL. The road-Deds
were all very simply equipped. Shai
notchcd crOss-tics were laid 10 leet
apart. and into these were notcheu anu
wedeed sawn timber "strlngers about
bv 8 inches. set on edge, the top strapped
with bar iron 2 IL inches wide by IL
to 81 thick, and punched for spikes ABOUT
every three feet along the length OF the
bar or rail.
Frau as was this structure. it served
for several years without repairs 10 car
~ tho little to 10 ton engines ana
corresponding light cars and loads.
remember quite well that we mountain
people entertained no hope or expectation
OF ever seeing railroad west Of the
Blue Ridge. except the little one running
from Harpers Ferry 10 Winchester
Turnr.ikes. McAdamized, 81 possible were
the utmost we aspired 10. and az tne
State was helping 70 build railroads ana
the canal I'm the East, our mountain leg
islat0rs demanded. as some eduiFait"'
for the large sums voted 10 aid the con-
etruciion of these costly Injuries, that
OUT iIN.INIH ItHlOil1 E44'ANN A'"'Af" '+'''
nroportionate share Of assistance from
the treasury i'm making passaDle nigh
ways for our loaded wagons. soon
Wings and Democrats Of the mountains,
LAYING aside their political differences,
united i'm solid phalanx 10 guard The
States treasury against partial depletion
for sectional advantage, and as express
sive OF our ideas Of the mutual obligation
of all mountain men 10 stand together
we adopted a compound associate name,
very homely. but very significant, ana
growing out OF the struggles OF the ear
ly settlcrA and their descendants ID
getting rid Of the giant trees Of the
forest 10 open up the land for cult
walton, and thus had made the word ana
its meaning most expressive. When
mountain pioneer had chopped down me
trees ON q few acres OF ground, ana
cut them in convenient lengths 70 De
rolled together in heaps his wife pre-
pared a big dinner and he invited all
the ahle-bodied men Of the settlement
20 come on a given day, and help nm
roll NJ his LOGS I'm great piles. ms
ncighhory act was always CheerlnAy re-
c'Procated. and was called q 'log-roN-
ing" Hence "log-roiling" IN legislative
Tariance meant in the combine you
help me and IN help YOU" And II was
argued with force that "iog-roiins or
internal Improvements had been forced
on the State at large by the unwlse
and selfish policy Of the people Of Tide
water IN refusing all State aid TO facih-
tate transportation, inasmuch as they
needed no other facilities than the nav
igabie waters in their midst afforded. l
never knew but one member of the Leg
stature in those days elected by rural,
planting, and fishing population in favor
OF large and liberal state appropriations
IN u-.r--a - iuLnInnl announcement and