Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1907-07-05
GOULD ROAD
SURELYCOMING.
An Associate of the Rail-
way Magnate DivuIges
to the Virginia Citizen
the Plans OfMr. Frank
Jay Gould in Respect
to the RappahannOCk.

Jay uUuiu Ill keSpeCt
to the RappahannOck.
EDITOR VIRGINIA CITIZEN:
1t may be of interest to your readers
to learn something authoritative and
definite concerning a railroad to the
kappahannock, and herewith give out
the following information with the sane
ton OF Mr.. Frank Jay Gould. When
the latter was seen two weeks ago in
New York he told me that his line I'D
TO Ashland (about twenty miles north
of Richmond) would be opened up to
the public about the middle of this July.
AS soon as it was opened they would
push their construction for about five
miles further, and at this point make a
junction with side line to the Kappa
hammock river, which would be con-
structed at once, before the main line
was pushed on to Fredericksburg. The
Rappahannock terminal for this side
line has not as yet been decided upon.
1t will depend entirely on the difficulty
OF obtaining the right of way, or, in
other words, on the courtesy of those
whose lands are to be traversed. Need
less to say the one that offers the least
obstruction and short-sighted grasping
will be the route chosen for this branch
line to go through. There are three
surveyed routes to the Rappahannock
river which they have to chose from.
and the terminal will of course depend
on the one taken of the three. 1t will
be either at Tappahannock or Urbanna,
or a point midway between the two.
The building for the Richmond ter
minal is about completed. 1t is made
of concrete and is in the heart of the
city. The main line leading to it is
double tracked. The electric power is
furnished from overhead wire, water
supply furnishing the power. In this
connection it will also be of interest to
know that the sale of the water supply
at Fredericksburg has been already
consummated. This gives the company
now three bases of supply for water,
roughly speaking about eleven thousand
horse power in the aggregate. A
quarter of this potentially would be
sufficient to run car from Richmond
to Washington.
All electric apparatus is furnished by
the Westinghouse people. The cars are
guaranteed for a speed of sixty miles
an hour. This of course will not be the
speed used at present time, however.
The time schedule for the route opened
to Ashland will be simply five minutes
ahead of the express of the R., F. &
P. r. r. The cars themselves are of
the newest construction of the American
Car Co.
The branch line to the Rappahannock
will not be built of the same construc-
ton as the main line until the business.
which is still questionable, warrants.
1t will be run by electricity and have
the same cars, but in all likelihood will
start with single track. Gwen with
this there should be praise the Lord
with deep sigh from the bottom of
our heartsD In connection with this
Rappahannock terminal it may interest
you to know that the same COMPANY
has procured steamboat franchise for
this river, and if to their mind the oc-
casion is ripe line of boats will be put
on that will have enough strength to
keep from being bought out.
So much for information, and here is
for what it means. A new market
opened up to the inhabitants on the
shores of this river, namely Richmond.
With two markets we get competition,
with one none. Fertile fields that are
quite capable of raising garden truck
can get their stuff to a market the day
it is picked. Instead of spending an
entire day and night, or part of
day and night as many if not most of
us have to do in order to get to any CITY
of size where our wants can be filled.
few hours accomplish the result and we
are home again the same day. With
the advent of the railroad comes the
telegraph wire and no longer do we have
to depend on the doubtful message over
the telephone.
With the extension of the main line
new markets will be opened for our
produce.
1t is unfortunate that the law of give |
and take will not be better understood
by the owners of many of the farms
this railroad will have to pass through |
before 1T reaches the river. The ad-
vantage to the farmer through whose
ground this proposed road will run is
tenfold. 1t is true that the railroad
station may not be at his back door but
it will be much nearer than any means
that he has at present for shipping his
stuff. This land can of course be con-
iemned and the value of damage arbi-
rated, but all this means the loss of
lime, and little good is accomplished to
he farmer except that he has put HIM
self in hostile position to the railroad
md the advancement of the community
It large.
ID. w. WYNKooP, M. d.
Montague, Essex Co., Va.
JAMESTOWN EXPOSITION NOTES.
C,~1o