Year: 1871




Stauuton and the Valley Railroad


1t is we'll known how quickly Bail Roads
either make or destroy Towns and Cities. =
Wherever Rail Road terminates it is sure
to build up City as is we'll known to the OBJ
serving everywhere. So where Rail Road
passes through Town or City on the true line
Of business, where it is easy of access to the
mills merchants and manufactures of the City
or Town, with central Depots, its effect is ire
sistible and everywhere obvious. But there
are few things so fatal to Town as the termi-
nation of Rail Road above or below it, or the
passage Of Rail Road few miles to the
right or left Of it, for in either event it never
fails to build up rival Depots and trading
points, which ultimately loom up into rival
towns, and stems or branches will not obyiate
the danger and difficulty. Take up your map
of the present day and compare it with your
maps Of ten twenty and thirty years ago and
behold the thousands Of instances In which
this has proved so fatally true. May the City
of Staunton not profit by these examples, and
would it not be well for her not only to know
how and where the Valley Rail Road is to en-
ter the City. but also how and where it is to
pass through aud leave the City, SO as to re-
move even the possibility OF building up rival
Depots outside of or beyond the City limits.


The Bridgewater route presents no difficulty
or dangers on this important point. 1t follows
the true and natural line. not only through the
county, but also through the City of Staun=
ton, and is at the same time the shortest and
the cheapest route and offers the largest SUBJ
scription to the capital stock Of the Road.
Locate your Road on this line and we will at
once subscribe the $50 600 you need to con-
struct the road from Harrisonburg to Staunton
and thus remove all obstacles in your way in
putting that part of the road under contract at
once. The grade on this line is as good as it is
the difference at these points is easily over
come with very little, if any additional expense.


The location OF the Road at Harrisonburg is
through German Street to the Gray House.
then it gradually deGends almost to the level of
Black Runs and passes down on the bottom
of this run to the drain west Of the toli=gate
at the foot OF the hill, and then commences RI
sing to the deep cut west of w hittakers house,
Ia 70 foot gradel. whereas the road should as
cend from point N Drh of the toll-gate, CON-
tinue round that hill and pass over fill or
bridge at the drain west OF the toll aud
thus rise high enough at once to pass in the
rear of Whittaker's barn instead of the front of
his house. which would nearly, if not wholly,
point, and the same thing can be done at Her
rings Hill West of Dayton and Herriug's Hill
North of Spring Hill. and it is said the same
can be done at Middle River The location
must commence rising before the obstacle it.
self is reached, and so sanguine are we of our
ability to overcome this alleged difference in
grade that we are willing to pay the expenses
of re-survey of the loeat on at the four points
referred to, and will also raise the additional
$50, 900 now so much needed to make the road
from Harrisonburg to Staunton, if located on
this line. It would be a gross wrong, an out
rage as we'll as foolish and unnecessary to locate
this Road on the lower line where for 10 or II
miles it and the Page Valley Road would run
within from one to three miles of each other,
giving two Roads TO the Eastern side of the
county and none to the Western side.


BRIDGEWATER.