Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1903-01-11
THE 0LOC, & 0, ROAD,
,oMETH1So ABoyr THE LINE
THEs IT WAS VIRGINIA CENTRAL.
ITS PRIMITIVE EQUIPMENT.
The Original Design Wa. to oper-
ate IT by Horse Power and Tow
path Was Partly Built-chansc.
in It. same-wooden Rails.
ITS PRIMITIVE EQUIPMENT.
The Original Design Wa. to oper-

FREDERICK'S HALL. VA, January Z.
sspec!ai.l about sixty-seven years ago
the first train Of the old Louisa railroad
later the Virginia Central. afterwards the
Newport News. and Mississippi Valley.
and now the magnificent Chesa peake and
Ohio system, extending from Louisville
and Cincinnati to Newport News and Old
Point on the east-came to Fredericks
Hall. the western terminus Of the road.
Hanover Junction now boswell, was
then the eastern terminus. Your CORE
sponaent is told by old residents that
nine or ten hundred people gathered
around this historic old place to see the
iron horse steam into the station amid
the cheers and hurrahs Of those who had
assembled from far and near. AT this
time the freight cars were run into the
depot TO be loaded or unloaded. Signs of
The old tracks are still visible In the floors
OF the venerable depot here.
BUILT A TOW-PATH
The Louisa road was among the first
steam railways built in this country, but
II was the original design Of the promo
ters Of the line to operate 1t by horse
power A portion of the ''tow-path" was
actually constructed Later, however. 1t
became apparent that steam power was
The more economical of the two and the
latter was adopted. The beginning of
rhat Is now the great Chesapeake and
Ohio system. under the present able and
efficient management Of President George
y. Stevens. consisted of the mileage be-
tween Frederick's Hall and boswell.
The Louisa Company used the Rich
nond Fredericksburg and Potomac
tracks from Hanover junction to Rich
ulond going down Broad ctreet to Eighth.
At that time the ira ok and roadbed were
maintained by the Louisa Company,
beaded by Frederick Harris. of this coun-
y. who was Its first president. The
Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac
Company did the transportation. furnish
lng cars and other equipments, and pay
ING uainnen. etc The profits were di-
vided equally between the two corpora
lions They must have been small. as
the road never paid until 1t reached the
Ohio river. Stages met the trains here
and conveyed the passengers toward
Charlottesville, Stanton. White Sulphur
Springs, and the west The road was
built TO Gordonsville about 1914. The old
Louisa line was conceived and built prin-
ripaly by Louisa capitalists, who, by the
way lost in the long run. 1t being a poor
investment in those days to put money
Ii railroads.
ShCD- AZ I -A1lSs
The roaj was rudely built. the cuts were
narrow-just wide enough for the tracks
Ind Instead of having culverts, deep ditch
RS were dug to lead the water back from
the roadbed. The rails We're Of wood,
with fat-iron bands nailed to them to
prevent wear and tear. The ties were
placed eight feet apart. and scooped out
IN the middle to allow for the tow
path" which. however. was only con-
structed In part, as it was soon ascer-
tanned by the Louisa Company that they
could arrange with the Fredericksburg
Company to furnish engines for the new
FEEDER" as 1t was termed
Once during the early history OF the
road there was a meeting of the direc-
tors at Louisa Courthouse. AT this meet
ing the general improvement and extern
sior. OF the road was discussed at length.
Some of the officials wanted to project
the road southwark Others. among them
Mr. Charles Y. kimbrough. advocated
the present course west over the Blue
Ridge apd Allegheny Mountains. Mr..
kimbroush was at this time president Of
the road. One director. Parson Crawford,
voiced a considerable minority sentiment
when he exclaimed that any man is z
nj subject for the lunatic asylum who
would think of running a railroad against
the Blue Ridge Mountains
The road was soon thereafter christened
the Virginia Central. and Colonel Fon
tsire, of Hanover. was elected president
The line was extended to Richmond on
the east, and to Covington. Va, on the
west. Not very long after this period the
name was again changed to that Of the
present systen-Chesspe ake and Ohio.
Since that time the Old Dominion has
been developed rs she was never devel-
oped before.
AGAINST RAILROADS IN ENGLAND.
Our infant railway Industry did not
have the same difficulties to encounter
that fell to the lot of early railroads in
England. When the question of charters.
etc. was being discussed before the Eng
fish Parliament, some of those noble
Tiseacres argued against steam as mo-
tive-power. using such puerile objections
as the following: THAT the smoke and
dust from the engines would fill the coun-
try with disease and unf1eaithiness."
That stock-raisers and farmers would
suffer. IN that the horse would be super
seded.'' and that farming would be profit
able no more. as grain and hay could
not be utilized. the horse being out of
USE" Another old fosy even said that