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

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Meat

HER MAJESTY.

BALMORAL, Sept. 3.

The Queen went out yesterday, accompanied by
Princess Christian and Prince Leopold, and attended
by Lady Churchill.
Lord Stanley had the honour of dining with the
Queen and royal family.
Major-Gen. the Hon. A. N. Hood has succeeded
Lord Charles Fitzroy as Equerry in Waiting.

RAILROADS IN AMERICA.

Au important pamphlet, written by Messrs.
Bellot des Minicires Brothers, of Gresham-house,
London, the eminent public works contractors, has
just made its appearance on the subject of Railways
in America, containing general observations, by
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 most
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 Great
Western is generally known. It was certainly not
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
localltraffic, pays 14 per cent., and:l4 other first class
railroads pay dividends ranging from 42 to 20 per cent.
Tho completion of the American Central Railway will
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 chiefly
along the road, will be the natural consequence.
We have, in all the States of the Union, particu-
larly in those surrounding the Central Railroad,
especially that of Illinois, such examples of the
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 not
even have found a buyer at a few cents per acre .
Since the construction of the Illinois Central Rail-
road it has been transformed into one of the most
productive and populous States of the Union.
Actually the State of New York alone surpasses
Illinois in some points : few ; but the speed at
which progress of every kind in this last State goes
on will vie with New York ; and Illinois, with a
population of above three millions, will rapidly
become the first State of the Union in every
respect. The Illinois Central Railroad is obliged,
by its charter, to pay to the State 7 per cent. of its
gross receipts—equivalent to 16 per cent. of its
net revenue. The American Central Railway, how"
ever, isnot bound to pay one single penny to the State.
In consequence of the cutting down of the American
forests, and the absence of the coal mines in most
of the other States of the Union, the American
Central Railway, which traverses through inoc"
haustible, beds of coal, in Illinois and lowa, is able
to make terms which enable a more economical traffic
to be obtained than by other American railroads,
placed in an inferior position, in this respect, to
the American Central Railwa y. This will be readily
understood when it is known that coal costs froul
$lO to $lB per ton, and often more, on railroads which
are not situated in a mining ',district, and some cost
still more, on account of the expense and carriage of
this article. The American Central Railway, which
passes through rich coal mining districts, can get
the coal required for its traffic at the simple cost of
working it ; that is to say, as low as two dollars per
ton, including a small sum for " royalty," and at
the same rate, comparatively, for wood, on such
portion of the line where it will be preferable
to employ that article for fuel, as in Indians,
for example, where the road traverses
mense forests. It will also form one of the
principal articles of the traffic of the line'
By the Union Pacific Railroad and the America°,
Central Railway, Japan, with its 50,000,000 of
people, is 6,000 miles nearer to England and cell;
tinental Europe ; China, with its 400,000,000 e'
people ; Shanghai, which is the great future co-
porium of that country, are 3,000 miles nearer to
continental Europe and England. Comparative
economy is obtained as regards Australia, Oceanice,
part of India, the Amoor, and the States on the
Pacific Ocean, &c. The mails will reach California
in 16 days, instead of nearly 40 ; Australia in 36
days, instead of 55 days, via Panama ; or 85 days
via Overland, Mediterranean, Point de Galle, a
nd
Ceylon. The junction of the waters of the Atlantic
Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, by a railwaY
across the United States, is, in fact, in
itself, a commercial revolution, which is
not known and appreciated as it should be.
The American Central Railway, besides the trafae
between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, will cora'
wand the immense central freight of the United
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-411,
aggregate trade reckoned by hundreds of millions c'
tons annually. The discovery of the gold and silver
mines, in the Territories of Colorado, Nevadef
Idaho, Washington, Montana, Dacotah, and tl'e
State of Oregon, has attracted a great influx of ire;
migrants into the Far West, and created a copal:no)
and development for which history has no parsilet.
Nevada alone, six years ago an uninhabited deser
has added many a million dollars to the treasure e
the world. The other territories give analogous 01
sults, and are rapidly populated. Although Euror
has paid no attention to it, and the fact is gene;
rally unknown, except from some Europe3f
savants and bullion dealers, the discovery
.°
the mineral deposits in the W cstern Territories
of the United States is a fact of a gresteof
economical importance than the discovery
cia,
the Californian and Australian gold flelia,
The yield of the Comstock lode alone in Nevs'of
according to official returns, is in excess j,
£3,000,000 per annum. In the four years preeeB3
ing April 1, 1866, it has produced 51,3801%1,
dollars. When the Sutro Tunnel, in conten3l3.o
tion, is constructed, the Comstock lode will Ylaa,
annually over £10,000,000. The La Croix frra,
chises, in Colorado, surpass in richness the Ce.eo,
stock lode. They are gold and silver properti
es
and consist of twenty-four tunnel franelll,,iso
of three tunnels each. From one franc.'itis
or group of three tunnels, the deliveries of ore, Witt
twenty-five veins opened on each, could be, with or
difficulty, carried up to 1,000 tons a day,
ty,
300,000 tons per annum. From the twee 0,1
four franchises, alike moderately developed dal,
energetically worked, 24,000 tons a 100.
or 7,200,000 tons a year might be ta",,to-
By the extension already given to the mining of
rest iu the Territories, in the absence of Ines°
be
transportation, and when the 0r
obliged to pay 25 cents per pound, or $l,OOOO vO..
ton, for the hauling of their machinery and Prdor
miners , having 19
alone, have, notwithstanding their labouring untie
so many disadvantages, realised such results 5.5,,,rge
ones of which we give some examples, created
v‘,030,
and magnificent cities like Virginia, Carson' lieu
vera, &c., one may judge what they will do
the completion of the Union Pacific Ralirollet to
the American Central Railway will enable thlio
give full scope to the development of the bow'
resources of the country.