The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-10-01
The GREAT 4
SOUTHWEST
Norfolk and Western Thorough
y Identified With Its
Development.
'E En- / COSTLY TUNNEL {: WORK
Still Mitch Talk About the Tide.
water Railroad The Rye
Valley Road.
rom our Regular Correspondent

(From Our Regular Correspondent.)
WASHINGTON, D. O., September 3d.
The correspondent who travels through
the Ninth District IN search Of political
Information, and on the lookout for point
ers as to the drift OF political sentiment
in the Southwest, cahnot fall to see and
hear more indicative OF the developm ent
OF that section and the prosperity OF the
people than OF their political predictions.
In many counties which l visited In
Southwest Virginia last week there was
! great interest manifested in tho outcome
of the contest between Nysor and slemp
for the seat in Congress from the Ninth
District, but the voters have not allowed
their enthusiasm to get the better Of busl-
ness Attention to the material develop
ment Of the country never wanes in tho
Southwest. no matter how great be tho
temptation in other fields. n
There is no railway corporation in the
United States so thoroughly Identified
With the development Of any section Of
country, perhaps, as Is the Norfolk and
Western with Sou Invest Vlrginia's
growth. The railway first made possible
the exploitation OF the great resollr ccs OF
the country, and the development Of the
riches Of the counties through which It
passes has kept pace with the extension
OF its lines and the Improvement Of its
facilities for handling the traffic originated
,.along Aits tracks. jul 1T Is also true that
the development OF the country has made
the little Norfolk and Western of earlier
days ono or the great railway systems
| OF tho country If the railway company
has done much for the Southwest, the
Southwest has also done much for the
railway company. It is more or less Of a
stand on. The railway company and the
people interested in the development Of
the country appear to recognize the fact.
FRIEND OF THE PEOPLE,.
Il I have been struck repeatedly with the
friendly feeling manifested BY the ship
pers of Southwest Virginia towards the
Norfolk and Western, and also by the
readiness with which -the railway COM
pany undertakes any movement calculated
to benefit the territory through which the
road runs. It is clearly apparent to the
management Of the road that a policy
which increases the shipments from a. GER
tain territory along Its lines benefits the!
Transportation company in about the same
proportion the shippers are benefited.
This should be plain to all railroad COM
panies, but I have found several in Viz
| ginia who appear to have failed TO recog-
nize the principle
Evidence OF the prosperitysof the South
west. as well as the railway company, Is
manifested in the immense amount Of
work dono by the railroad company In
the past year in improving the oadbed
and otherwise meeting the demands OF in
creased traffic Nearly the entire line.
from Roanoke to Bluehcld Is now double
tracked. It will be only a comparatively
short time before the gaps are COM
pleted, though there are several tunnels
on the line that are giving a great deal
Of trouble In September. 1903, was out
at Pembroke on the n orfolk and West
.ern IN Giles county, and was much in in
ttercsted ii the work then in progress
on a tunnel being driven through the
mountain at that point. for the purpose
Of giving room for a double track. When
i was there last week the tunnel appeared
no nearer completion than 1t was one
year before. The formation encountered
had been Of the most difficult character.
There have been repeated breaks and
slides. Hundreds OF thousands Of cubic
yards of rock and earth have been taken