The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-04-23
All Interests i'll This City and
Elsewhere Ask Better Rail XII
Connections.
AN EARLIER TRAIN NEEDED
Valley Towns Complain Of Iso-
1atioi1-An Engineer Sug-
gests a Remedy.

burg and points In tho Shenandoah VAL
Icy grows steadily. The produce mon and
various members Of tho Travellers Pro-
tectlvc Association have expressed them
selves as DESTROYS Of seeing such a train
put on, and the jobbcrs In all lines are
earnestly urging tho movement.
The Importance of the reimbursement
or schedule asked for Is that It will en-
able reople living in the Valley to get
to Richmond In one day and to got home
In another, instead OF requiring two days
to make tho trip, as now, and two more
to get homo, without such favorable
schedules iobbers SPY there is no hope
OF building UP trade in Northern vir-
s'nin and tho Valley. 10 get the Rich
mond papers delivered regularly in the
Valley and throughout Northern Virginia
the day they are printed will enable them
to win subscribers there and with tho
people Of those sections reading Ricl-
n,ond papers they will naturally trade
with this city, especially when thcy5cnn
make quick trips to Richmond and re-
turlL The Importance of making the
capital Of the state moro accessible to
oil POINTS In the State cannot be over
estimated in the opinion Of thoughtful
anu SUCCESSFUL business men. .1S' 5si
The business interests Of this city have
spoken on the subject and the statements
printed from time to time arc represent
tativc or the sentiment of the entire bust
ness community. Even the retail nhar-
chanta realize that they can do little
ont of. town business when the people
OF Il large portion Of the State are cut
off from this city by adverse schedules
and indeed cannot receive mall with suf-
fluicnt promptncss TO Justify them in or
dering by mail. There is every reason
to anticinte that the business OF retail
merchants will be greatly promoted by
railway schedules that will place their
adv crtisements in tho hands Of thou
sands mroe people and will enable those
people to get to Richmond as easily as
to Baltimore and Washington.
From all parts of the State come evil
dences OF the desire of tho people for
better schedules and connections to and
frcn Richmond at points reached by the
Chesapeake and Ohio anu connecting
lines. The effect of existing conditions
Is To isolate Richmond and to drive the
trade Of points nearer this city than to
baltimore and Washington to those cities
rather than to this city, because they
can reach them more easily and quickly.
LE&INCTON's COMPLAINT.
Tho following Latter from our Lex
lnS ION correspondents SElleS LIE SGiiliIicil.
Of the people of that section on the sub
ject of better connections:
1.-THE people OF Lexington and Rock
bridge heartily endorse he movement on
tile part of The Times-Disatch and bust
ness men of Richmond in agitating the
question of better train service from the
capital city westward, The poor service
is felt especially IN the matt of mail,
particularly III the delivery of daily pa
MI al In MI
York morning papers reach Lexington
one hour earlier than does the Rich
mond Times-Dispatch. The Sunday par
l,crs from tho Northern cities reach Bue-
ma Vista the same day at 2 o'clock, and
ara brought to Lexington by private car
riers, reaching here about o'clock. The
Tines Dispatch does not get here until
SO Monday morning, sometimes not I'M
til o:4J o'clock. and occasionally delayed
until 1915 p, NJ. Thus 1t will be seen
that Northern Sunday papers reach us
from sixteen to twenty hours earlier than
Tile Times Dispatch. This very fact
works greatly to the disadvantage of the
Richmond papers.
"ry right great deal Of the trade
OF this section should he conducted
through Richmond merchants, but for
some reason or other Baltimore and New
York seem to he the favored business
be advanced is that Richmond is a very
hard city to reach from this section. ow-
Ing lo wrctched railroad connection.
1.-THE business men of Lexington, with
whom your correspondent has talked
about this matter. are in hearty SYM
patty with the movement. and are hope
tul that something definite will be reach
ell tor the bett,,rment of railroad and
mil facilities"
TNGINEE,T, SITEEESTS A REAITDY
The following suggestions from an en-
EineeT, who has had much experience in
the Valley of Virginia is of value as
showing a possible solution OF the prob
lem that would be more effective than
any rendjustment Of schedules if it can
only be realized:
The heading Of an article In this morn
ing's T'lmes-Diapatch Crhursday, April
2lsD, copied from the Harrisonburg Free
Press, asks: "Shall wo have direct COM
municatlon by rail with the capital of our
State?" There are many reasons why we
should. among them, its devotion to the |
State In times OF peace, as we'll rs war; |
should make MS ever remember it, The |
rich products of 1t as the garden spot Of |
Virginia make 1t a section worth seeking
for its treasures
II Cincinnati. with It's 100000 of popula-
ton when it built the Cincinnati South
crn railroad from there to Chattanooga,
Tern, at a cost of S2o,00o,OOO, found 1t
profitable. why cannot Richmond ut a
cost OF $2,5ooo00 with its 100000 pop
ulation build from here TO IIarrisonburg,
passing through tho richest section of
Virginia to the point named, section
richer by far, as whole, than that
uayersed by The Cincinnati Southern,
Yet. If Richmond herself duas not want |
10 build, she can do n great deal to Sc
cure road from the Valley direct to this !
city bS assisting In having first-class
location made, rights of way secured and /
correct estimates made. and these pne-
sentoh to capitalists, money can be So
cured readily to build The local traffic
alone would nearly, If not entirely pay
its INNING expenses.
II after reaching lIarrsonburg or Elk
ton Ga point nearer, and the present
eastern terminus Of the Chesapeake and
Western (Which is near Swift Run Gup)
that load could be used to get TO Hulri-
sonplirg thence TO BridscWa,4r, on the
western side Of the Valley, the foot of
North Mountain If we once get to Iiar-