Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1910-07-15
THAT RAILROAD AGAIN.

\ meeting OF the citizens of
Lancaster and Northumberland
counties is called for Monday,
July 18th, ut Lancaster Court
house. The object is to interest
the citizens of the Northern Neck
in Il third project for a railroad
from fredericksburg to- deep
water. \ charter was secured
for such II road as far back US
1870, but excepting u survey
nothing was done to further the
matter, save issuing of bonds.
In 1894 another attempt was
made, a new route surveyed, the
money of English capitalists
secured and a few miles of the
road graded. Just then u dispute
between the United States and
England us to the proper boun-
Diary of Venezuela precipitated a
rows resulting i'll the frightening
away of the capital and the sur
render of the money advanced,
and that ended the long desired
railroad.
1t is hoped that this attempt
to revive the scheme will he "A
success. To be eighty miles or
more from a railway isolates "a
section so completely as to make
1T difficult TO induce settlers.
There is room i'll the five counties
In. the Northern Neck for hall n
million people or more. 1t is one
of the most fertile parts of the
State, the land naturally easily
improved and adapted to almost
every sort of crop that is grown
in the middle Atlantic States.
True, its rivers and creeks are
available for shipping, perhaps
more SO than any section of the
Atlantic Coast, and the steamers
do good service. But it is hard
to persuade men that a country
with no means of transportation,
save steamers, i'll waters that
even at rare intervals freeze. is "a
good pne TO settle in. Account
Tor 1T as we may, incomers great
ly prefer to settle on or near the
railway lines, for quick transit is
almost the first consideration i'll
our day, ais witness the ambition
TO increase the speed of all things
movable.
1T takes two days to get to
Richmond. practically that time
To get to fredericksburg, four
teen or more hours to travel to
Baltimore, and this because
steamboat navigation is neces-
sarly slow.
There Is an amount. of cupidity
shown among people along the
route of Appreciated railroad hard
to account for. So soon as any
plans are made at once those
through whoselands il is to pass
seem to conceive the idea that
the road is n sort of enemy out
oil which they must make all the
money possible, and instead oil
gladly giving rights-of-way and
even Offering to aid by assisting
III grading, they demand high
prices for the little strip of ground
Tor the track, and throw otherl
obstacles i'll the way. The as
sumption seems to be that if the
road Is coming their way it will
come any way, and should bel
mulcted (milked would be "a more
expressive word) us far as posi-
bic. As for giving the road any,
thing, that seems not TO be
thought of.
Whether the road is to be built
depends largely ON the people oil
the. five counties that make upI
the Northern Neck. 1t would paw
them to build it themselves with
out outside aid. And if they can
show capitalists that they need
the road, that they will give all
possible aid i'll constructing it. Ii
hey stand II good chance of opt-I :
ing it. /.
Go anywhere i'll Virginia al +
most, travelling along the lines q
~ A'ii"eiDS- anu Ollc ctlIl see 4
hat settlers by preference pur-
hase land contiguous to the h
racks. Go back Il dozen miles q
ind the settlers are few. Again IN
{ is repeated, that if the peoplel a
II this and the adjacent counties i,
Wish settlers of the better sort
hey can advance such SETTLE
nent III no way SO readily us by |
making ngress and eo.ress easy. io
l frozen riverfor a month. and hi
onSequent suspension of travel =
hills the hearts of prospective \
ncomers. And it is "a curious =,
act that were man obliged TO fl
ravel over II route only once a n
lay he would preferably settle on h
railway line with a dozen trains W
day, though he had use for but e,
ne. r.
IN YOUR TOWN. h