The Sun.
London, England, 1867-09-05 00:00:00

RAILROADS IN AjIIERICA.

An important pamphlet, written by Messrs'
Bellot des Mini6res Brothers, of Gresham-house,
London, the eminent public works contractors, I°
just made its appearance on the subject of Railway
in America, containing general observations, 14
which a due appreciation may be arrived at as to the
position and value of American railroads generally.
After a rapid perusal of the book, it appears most
remarkable that so little should be known in Eng-
land as to the actual value of railroad property In
the United States, and the writers very truly re"
mark that the only three American railroads gene-
rally known in Europe are the Illinois Central, the
Erie, and the Atlantic and Great Western,
which are far from being the best and West
remunerative, owing to the difficulties encoun-
tered at the commencement of their operations'
At the time of the construction of the first two, the
country was very thinly settled ; but the popula-
tion has rapidly increased, and, although the shares
came down to a very low price, they soon rose, and
have now assumed a very high position in the
market. The history of the Atlantic and Gres!
Western is generally known. It was certainly lacu'
wise to build a road starting from a place of twenty
inhabitants, and touching no town of over 8,000
inhabitants over the whole line, except at its ter-
minus, Dayton, a city of about 20,000 inhabitants'
However, all American railways pay, and cannot
do otherwise ; and, in support of this assertion, the
Joliette Cut-off, it may be stated, which neither
passes through nor goes to any town, yet, from the
locall,traffic, pays 14 per cent., and:l4 other first class
railroads pay dividends ran ging from 42 to 20 per Cent'
The completion of the American Central Railway %I'd
be attended with the most important results to the
vast countries through which it runs, viz., Indiana/
Ohio, Illinois, and lowa, as a large and rapid de"
velopment of the country, concentrated chieldi
along the road, will be the natural consequence'
We have, in all the States of the Union, partictv
larly in those surrounding the Central Railroad,
especially that of Illinois, such examples of
influence of a railway in promoting the development
of the resources of the country that the assertions
cannot, with any degree of justice, be contradicted'
The State of Illinois was almost a wilderness pre-
vious to the construction of the Illinois Central
Railroad. The lands of the State would 13°t
even have found a buyer at a few cents per acre.
Since the construction of the Illinois Central
Rill-
road it has been transformed into one of the ine°
productive and populous States of the Union,‘
Actually the State of New York alone surpass`i
Illinois in some points : few ; but the speed 5
which progress of every kind in this last State Ve''%,
on will vie with New York ; and Illinois, with,:
population of above three millions, will raPidu
become the first State of the Union in everi,
respect. The Illinois Central Railroad is oblige,t;
by its charter, to pay to the State 7 per cent. ofi
its
gross receipts—equivalent to 16 per cent. of 1
net revenue. The American Central Railway, hols,
:e
ever, is not bound to pay one single penny to the SO'
•
In consequence of the cutting down of the Anleric3
forests, and the absence of the coal mines in re°st
of the other States of the Union, the Aulertell„
Central Railway, which traverses through ine;"
haustible beds of coal, in Illinois and lowa, is ab„.°o
to make terms which enable a more economical trade
to be obtained than by other American railroads'
placed in an inferior position, in this respect, t°
the American Central Railway. This will be readdl
understood when it is known that coal costs frog 4
$lO to $l.B per ton, and often more, on railroads viblet
are not situated in a mining %district, and some cesf
still more, on account of the expense and carriage.%
this article. The American Central Railway, villi`",t
passes through rich coal mining districts, can g-1
the coal required for its traffic at the simple COs"t, 0+
Pet
working it ; that is to say, as low as two dollars Poat
ton, including a small sum for " royalty," aud,b
the same rate, comparatively, for wood, on stiio
portion of the line where it will be preferable
to employ that article for fuel, as in India? 3.
for example, where the road traverses °lbe
memo forests. It will also form one of
principal articles of the traffic of the lfro
By the Union Pacidc Railroad and the An2erlc3
Central Railway, Japan, with its 50,000,000 ef,
people, is 6,000 miles nearer to England and c°oof
tinental Europe ; China, with its 400,000,00111,
people ; Shanghai, which is the great future cto
porium of that country, are 3,000 miles neareroic
continental Europe and England. Comparn'.l,
economy is obtained as regards Australia, Oceanli:cl
part of India, the Amoor, and the States on
Pacific Ocean, &c. The mails will reach
Cin 16 days, instead of nearly 40; Australia in s
days, instead of 55 days, via Panama ; or 80 (1111Y0
via Overland, Mediterranean, Point de Galle, 11,:o
Ceylon. The junction of the waters of the At!an
Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, by a radw,i t'
iYO
across the United States, is, in fact, is
itself, a commercial revolution, which
not known and appreciated as it should Ide'
The American Central Railway, besides the alifornstaG
between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, will eerea'
'nand the immense central freight of the Unite
States, in all their length, and in a very consider:
able width; the one of the North West of the Union
and of the Upper and Lower Mississippi River---an
aggregate trade reckoned by hundreds of millions °f
tons annually. The discovery of the gold and silvi
er
mines, in the Territories of Colorado, Neva";
Idaho, Washington, Montana, Dacotah, and
.tb,
State of Oregon, has attracted a great influx a 11110
migrants into the Far West, and created a commerce
and development for which history has no pars
110rv,
Nevada alone, six years ago an uninhabited des of
has added many a million dollars to the treasure,
the world. The other territories give analogous ..e
sults, and are rapidly populated. Although Ellr,
has paid no attention to it, and the fact is gem 30
rally unknown, except from some Europe of
savants and bullion dealers, the discovery,o
the mineral deposits in the Western Territories
of the United States is a fact of a grey of
economical importance than the discoverY
the Californian and Australian gold
The yield of the Comstock lode alone in Nev of
according to official returns, is in excess 3.
£3,000,000 per annum. In the four years pr,c;6o
ing April 1, 1866, it has produced 51,38'0-
dollars. When the Sutro Tunnel, in cente°3cld
tion, is constructed, the Comstock lode Y
annually over £10,000,000. The La Crol%goi3
chises, in Colorado, surpass in richness the
rtio,
stock lode. They are gold and silver proPeilios
and consist of twenty-four tunnel franc bio
of three tunnels each. From one franc •til
or group of three tunnels, the deliveries of ore.lthoot
twenty-five veins opened on each, could be, wl or
difficulty, carried up to 1,000 tons a (I°lw
300,000 tons per annum. From the twc and
foar franchises, alike moderately developed
energetically worked, 21,000 tons 3 ken'
or 7,200,000 tons a year might be ?iota-
By the extension already given to the mining ng of
rest in the Territories, in the absence of nlea-b-eca
transportation, and when the miners, having° per
obliged to pay 25 cents per pound, or sl,o°_oo-
- for the hauling of their machinery and pLuder
sions, have, notwithstanding their labouring: tbe
so many disadvantages, realised such results
~lrge
ones of which we give some examples, crentedi,so-
and magnificent cities like Virginia, Carson, -1-',heo
vers, &c., one may judge what they Will d° d
the completion of the Union Pacific Railroad
the American Cenral Railway will enable
give full scope to the development of clic' ob
resources of the country,