1S38] 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



247 



prophecy, a lull proof is 71010 (tlianU Heaven !) lo 

 be had as to Atlantic steamer navigation; and, per- 

 haps:, ere these lines can appear in print, the re- 

 turn ol' the Sirius and (ireal Western will give 

 the coiip-(le-<j;r(ice to all this sort ol" valiciiiation. 

 The pious, the philanthroiihic, the philosophic, 

 the poluical, the mercantile and the mechanical 

 classes will all join, and join most heartily, in 

 prayer lor their success. 



However, 1 would add, that an experience of 

 more than hall' a century has thoroughly and 

 conscientiously answered me, that in an active ami 

 enterprising community, (and some acquaintance 

 with such a society as that of the United States 

 has more impressively implanted it on my mind,) 

 there is not the slightest doubt, that, like the 

 J3ridgewater canal and the Liverpool and Man- 

 chester railroad, evrrij road projected in Virginia, 

 will not only directly pay the proprietors a large 

 interest, but indirectly, to the mass ol" society, a 

 most enormous profit. " The value of every 

 farm, consequently the wealth, and perhaps the 

 strength of a country, greatly depend on an easy 

 and uninterrupted communication by good roads." 

 (Rees' Cy.) Of course there is no individual in Vir- 

 ginia, who is not concerned in opening roads either 

 in his own or any other sections; and Avhether 

 the road be from Abingdon to Winchester, or 

 to Lynchburg, from the Roanoke to the Ohio, or the 

 Kanawha to the James or the Appomatox, from 

 Raleigh, from Wilmington, or from Fayetteville — 

 every one of them will lend to augment her trade, 

 ibster her agriculture, and increase the general in- 

 come of the state — ol'course, the real value of her 

 landed property — and perhaps be the means, in 

 1850, of rescuing her Irom the condition, as to repre- 

 sentation in Congress, in which the census of 1840 

 viust leave her. Nor has a?)?/ section of the country 

 any thing whatever to fear from roads coming liom 

 north or south. The wheels of commerce should 

 revolve with rapidity. Unlike that of fortune, 

 they confer benefit at every turn. This we are 

 all taught by the experience of the last century. 

 Louis XIV. and George H. set a glorious ex- 

 ample in France and Great Britain. They were 

 great road-makers 



In a country like that of the United States, 

 there is not, nor will there ever be, one highway 

 " of preference," that will " beggar" the other: 

 a sentiment, I regret to see promulgated, and 

 especially from such a state as Maryland; es- 

 pecially as there will be one and one great use for 

 the Eastern Shore railroad. It will form a link 

 in a great chain. It is necessary for the con- 

 veyance of the mail directly i'mm New York, &c. to 

 the south and south-west. As soon as it is com- 

 pleted, letters will rapidly proceed thither, passing 

 through Raleigh, Columbia, and Augusta, as well 

 as at Wilmington and Charleston. Express 

 mails will be put down; and as soon as others, 

 equally interested, choose to act, no more horses 

 will be killed in carrying presidential messages at 

 extra sessions. Here will be a difficulty, and in- 

 deed a difficulty. However, it will be removed 

 when responsible engineers shall attend to their 

 own business, and do not permit their journey- 

 men, and perhaps journeymen looking forward to 

 an interest in the contract to be made on the 

 ground they pointed out, to run roads through 

 morasses; iind at an expense ;9er m/Ze, equal al- 

 together to the fee simple value ol the farms 



through which they pass; roads which, if laid 

 out in a circuitous way, would not only, 1st. 

 have been belter sited ; 2d. would have in- 

 creased the value of land that letiuired it; 3. 

 would have not only furnished a market (or wood, 

 hut wood lor a market, where in winter it is sold 

 li)r liom $4: 50 to i<.7 00 |)er cord ; 4. would, 

 perhaps, have partially rendered the road useful 

 and usable lo two, instead of one section of coun- 

 try ; for, as you observe, " to adopt the route 

 which will command the most transportation, and 

 yield the most |)rolilable dividends, is a considera- 

 tion of still more importance than choosing the 

 best (shortest) and most practicable route for a 

 railway;" 5. would not have cost a dollar more 

 — [lerhaps not as much. Dr. Howard pointed 

 out one of 156 miles for the Charleston and Ham- 

 burg railroad. The company, under would-be- 

 wiser advice, ran a straight line of 136. It spent 

 double the money that was necessary, and has 

 now to pay lor embankment, as much or more 

 than the whole of his route would have original- 

 ly cost. 



As to any partiality you are charged to have 

 shown to the Petersburg road, you may refer 

 lor your exculpation to '-Smeaton," at page 622 

 of Vol. II, of the Register, where the conduct of 

 the Richmond and Petersburg delegations in the 

 house of delegates was discussed, and their oppo- 

 sition to the Portsmouth and Roanoke road con- 

 demned. Have not boih succeeded, admirably suc- 

 ceeded? The animadversion on their "poiuer/i/Z 

 scrutiny — their searcliing sagacity'^ — was intend- 

 ed to be severe. But, I Ibar, '-my lords of Norlblk" 

 do not superabound with that liberality of cour- 

 teousness they expect to receive, and indeed do 

 receive li:om others. G. L. C. 



Note A. — By what route? Why cannot the East- 

 ern Shore railroad be so run as to serve Philadelphia 

 and Tangier ? The maps do not show on which side 

 the Breakwater is constructing, and I forget the po- 

 sition. 



Note B. — The fact is, that Richmond, Washington, 

 and Baltimore are avoided as much as possible on ac- 

 count of their expense. Philadelphia is not a cheap, 

 but it is a comfortable place. There are two cheap 

 villages in its vicinity. The great object is to roach 

 Philadelphia, &,c., &.c. There they can seethe world, 

 and thence they take their departure; " to various 

 ways they run, &c." The same reasons take so ma- 

 ny passengers direct from Charleston to New York. 

 But a railroad into the mountains of Virginia would 

 produce the same effect. Well would it be, if that 

 and more were attempted. New York borrowed 

 $7,000,000 for her canal. In 20 years her productive 

 public property was increased from .^2.193,617 to 

 $22,157,142. the revenue from $419,907 to $1,413,- 

 846. On public buildings $500,000 were expended. 

 The school and literature funds were doubled. The 

 state tax discontinued; the people relieved from taxa- 

 tion. How terrible then are the efi'ects of the nation- 

 al debt ? 



SUBTERUANEAN TRAVELLING. 



The fine of railway between Lj'ons and St. 

 Etienne, the largest manufacturing town and the 

 richest coal district in France, is only 34 miles in 

 length ; yet, such is the unevenness of the country, 

 and so great has been the anxiety of the engineers 



