Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1905-01-13
GOULD TALKS OF NEW ROAD.
Is Ready Now To Construct Line
TO Northern Neck.


Mr.. Frank Jay Gould. whose
plans, if csrried 10 fruitiop, will
mean more for the development and
upbuilding of Richmond as we'll as
the Northern Neck, large and i'm.
portant section of Virginia, than
anything that has been put on foot
for many years, has been spending
the last few days in Richmond, look
ing over bis extensive properties.
Naturally the frst question asked
Mr.. Gould was whether the reports
of his proposed street car line to
Ashland aud on to Chesapeake bay
were correct. Mr.. Gould said that
they were, and that it only needed
decision of the Supreme Court for
his company to begin at once con-
structing an electric line from Rich
mond to Ashland. Said be:
"rhe line from Ashland has al
ready been surveyed, and as soon as
the court has handed down an opin-
ion, We will begin operations by the
construction of car line of the most
op-to-date equipment possible. This
line will open up all the territory
lying between Richmond and Ash
land. This branch electric line will
at the earliest practicable day be con-
nected with another line running
through Ashland to the historic
Northern Neck, which is perhaps the
most richly endowed section of your
State, both in agricultural produc-
lions and the sources of wealth aris-
ing from the far famed fish and
oysters of Chesapeake bay and Its
estuaries. 1t is naturally source of
qualification TO me-" said Mr.. Gould,
"to be able TO Garry modern conyen-
fences in the shape of improved
methods of transportation TO that
section of the country, which was
the birthplace of George Washington,
George Mason, Robert Edward Lee
aud host of others.
cat first our intention is to use
steam on the line from Ashland to
ridewater, but as soon as the present
judicial trouble with Mr.. Fisher is
settled, we will put in 10000 horse
power electric plant at Petersburg,
and will thereby be enabled to operate
a line, covering at least one hundred
miles In area"
The route of the proposed road is
as follows: Through the counties of
Henrico, Hanover, via the town of
Ashland; thence through King Will
liam, King and Queen, and Essex to
Tappahaunock; thence across the
Rappahsnnock, through the counties
of Richmond, Northumberland and
Lancaster, or any of them to point
or points on the Chesapeake bay.
In addition to this line, another
is outlined, diverging from the fore
going at or near Ashland, through
King William, King and Queen,
Gloucester, Middlesex, Mathews, or
any of them to Gloucester Point, or
to any other points on Chesapeake
bay in Gloucester, Mathews or Mid
dlesex. The estimated length of the
route first outlined is about one
hundred miles; and the estimated
distance from Richmond to Glou-
cester Point, or the terminal of the
second route, is also one hundred
miles.
LATER The building of the
Richmond and Chesapeake Bay
Railway is now practically assured.
The only obstacle to the project was
the question in the minds of the
Corporation Commission whether the
statute forbidding the parallellipg
of the Richmond, Fredericksburg aud
Potomac Railway would lar the
building of the prospective line.
This question has just been sub
united to the Supreme Court of
Appeals of Virginia which body has
removed all doubt on this point.