The Sun.
London, England, 1866-03-17 00:00:00

RAILWAYS.

Another way at which I want you to look at the
resources of America is in connection with the
wonderful development of her railway system. I
need hardly say that in a country so vast as the one
about which lam speaking cheap and speedy tran-
sit is essential to its progress, and when I call your
attention to the fact that in the ten years ending in
1860 the people of the United States constructed
over 11,000 miles of railway, and that the receipts
for traffic on their different railways increases at
the rate of over $5,000,000, or say £1,000,000
sterling, every year, you will have some idea of the
growth and probable future of America. In 1860
the receipts on all the railways in the United States
was 31,250,000 dollars ; in 1862 it had risen to
nearly 45,000,000 dollars ; and I think it is probable
that 1863 will show that the receipts have exceeded
60,000,000 dollars, or over £10,000,000 sterling. It
is estimated in America that railway accommodation
adds to the wealth of the country at least five times
the amount received for traffic ; and if this estimate
is correct, and I have no reason to doubt it, then
the wealth of America must be increasing by means
of railways alone some £5,000,000 or £6,000,000
sterling every year.
The importance of railway communication to the
progress of the country will be further seen when I
tell you that the great food-producing States of the
Union lie in the centre of the Northern States, and
away from the seaboard of the two oceans that
wash the shores of that continent on the east and
west. There are eight great corn and meat pro-
ducing States namely, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois,
Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, lowa, and Mis-
souri. This vast area, with a climate and a soil
suitable for the production of food for man or beast,
contains an area of nearly 450,000 square miles, or
about 300 millions of acres of as rich land as is to
be found in any part of the world, much of it prairie
land, only waiting for the industrious hand of man
to cultivate it, and render it productive for the
supply of human wants. Now, before the adoption
of railways, this vast area was sealed and compara-
tively unproductive. It is now, however, being fast
unlocked by railways, and, as a result, we find that
in the ten years ending in 1860 the population of
these eight states to which I have referred has in-
creased from 51 millions to 9 millions, or an increase
of 31 millions in 10 years. I think it probable that
the population of those eight States is now about
11 millions, and that by 1870 it will be 15 millions.
As a result of this increase of population we find
that in the ten years already referred to, from 1850
to 1860, some 25 million acres of land have been
brought under cultivation, making about 52 million
acres under cultivation in 1860 ; but still leaving
some 248 millions of acres to be laid under tribute
for the supply of human wants. The cereal crops
of these States increased during the same period
from about 300 million bushels to 560 million
bushels ; and what is yery important for the states-
man and economists of Europe to look at in connec-
tion with the productive power of the central and
western districts of America is that this food can,
by a good system of railway communication and
ocean transit, be brought in one month from this
granary of nature into the mouths of the people of
Europe. I believe it will shortly be possible to
take corn and other grains from the most remote
portions of this district, and place it in our
stores for about 50 cents, or half a dollar, a bushel
—say 2s. a bushel corn can be grown in
America for about 2s. or 2s. 6d. a bushel.