Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1901-10-18
Will the Chesapeake and Western
=" Raj! Road be extended?


I1arrisonburg Evening News, in
part as follows:
sunless something nntoward hap
pens, the usherlng i'll OF another
month will witness the completion
of the fourteen mile extentiOn that
the Chesapeake Western Company
is building from Bridgewater to
Stokes City, piece Of railroad that
is ultimately going to form a part
of a road froEi tidewater to slack
water.
The railroad situation has un-
doubtedlv reached that stage where
this can no longer be doubted. The
care with which the engineering
work from Bridgewater to Stokes
City was done shows that the COM
'pany are building no compromise
between a tramroad and railroad.
There is no finer piece Of railroad
engineering to be found anywhere
in Virginia than that. 1t begins
at Bridgewater and runs to North
River Gap, with only such grade
as is necessary to reach the base Of
the Shenandoah Mountain.
Again, four engineering corps
are over in West Virginia making
a way FIR it. Rights Of ways are
being bought and everything in the
way of surveying and preparatory
arrangements are Being completed
IN q manner that points to an early
extension west.
The material that is being used
is another thing that points to IN
tentions beyond the present. Capt.
wright, one of the firm which has
the principal contract, said to an
EVENING News representative
Thursday evening that the ties be-
ing used are the best lie eyer saw put
ION a road bed. No better rail was
ever laid on a new track than the
Chesapeake Western people are lay
ing, They are the heavy steel
rails made by the Carnegie people
and are Of the standard pattern.
No short lin. would ever have any
occasion for such road as they are
building.
! Another arrow pointing to the
extension of the road comes from
the East. Engineer Cornell, who
has the corps east Of here iii charge,
IN answer to question as to how
he was getting along buying rights
of way, that east Of the mountains
every one was anxious for the road
and he was getting along nicely
over there, bat that Oh this SIDE,
from Elkton to tie mountains,
ahere was opposition and that ii
good deal Of land would have to be
condemned"
In another article in the same is.
sue Of the News the following is
stated:
'sThere are several new develop
ments in the loca, railroad situation.
The statement conles from proml-
nent G. & o. Railroad man in Rich
mond through friend that the =.
e. O. expect to operate the line from
Lexington to lEarris,nburg within
year. The source of the Informal
sion is such that it. cannot be doubt
I'd" 4 X q Il y
" II a n II X n II Il y
"Tha. the Chesapeake Western
Company will extend their road
east can no longer be doubted.
They are hand and glove with the
Seaboard Air Line, if not in realty
the Seabpard Air Line itself. lt is
authoratively stated that the S. a.
/. has enough interest i'll the road
running from Gordonsville to Rich
inond over which TIE G. & 0. trains
run, to dictate whatever traCkage
arrangements it may desire. The
Seaboarl Air Line built the Vir-
ginia and Carolina railroad and
called it bv that name. They ask
ed the Legislature for charter for
line from Richmond to Wash
ington Air Line. This road is
being called the Chesapeake Yves
tern, but there is nothing in lame.
Dewitt Smith, who is President Of
Of the Chesapeake & Western Com
pany has always been identified
with the S. A. L, which is another