Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1820-01-27
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INTERNAL IMPROVEMENT.

.
Notwithstanding l have said thus much on
the subject OF the coal trade from "A desire
that II might he well understood; vet must
request the indulgence of the Board TO make
short quotation, trom an important document
corroboratiYe OF my views on tue subject
The document alluded To, is "a letter from
Joshua Gl'pin. dated Philadelphia JANUARY
the lth, 1905, or behalf of a committee of the
Chesapeake and Delaware canal company, 10
Albert Gailatin, Secretary of the Treasury of
the United States, IN answer to certain une-
Ilcs, put by the latter, relative 10 that canal.
My colleague is Well acquainted with the
writer, he Knows hin To be "a man of talents,
ana tins letter proves him to be man of in-
formation. Speaking OIL the articles OF traffic
that would probably pass the canal when
made. lie thus notices the article of coal:
F" L he only place where this production tx
now found, SO near the Atlantic waters as TO
be capable OF Immediate transport, is on James
river. The quality is excellent for all manu-
Featuring purposes; and, if properly selected,
equal to any foreign coal, for domestic uses
The Increasing price of fuel in all the mari
n IL for both purposes; and il is daily so much
Increasing in use, that it must command an
immense carriage, iii which minute saving of
expense will DE of the utmost consequence
81 shall indulge ejaculation on this article
winch may serve for many others: There is
now brOus hit TO The city of Philadelphia near
iy 500,OnO bushels per aunum, great part of
which is from Europe. This CITY is ascertain
OF wood per annum; equal, AT 20 bushels OF
Goals per cord, To 1000 0eO bushels, which al
3Oper ton, ,the weight of the best English
coais,) is 1873 ,333 tons. This would require
2G67 carsOcs OF so Ions each hence the rev.
enne OF Tie canal for this article only, at so
cents per ton, would be to 6G6 doll vs."
The coal ct James river was regularly
supplied AT Philadelphia before the present
advance OF labor, arising from the war in Eu-
rope, III large quantities, by vessels regularly
employed ia the trade, at21 cents per bushel
al which price the Carriers made a decent
freight: Goals cost i'll England, including all
charges on ship board, nearly 20 cents per
hushei, and pay duty OF five cents, SO that
rl." WV " 'O-O ''N''~' 'e"'' p'' O"S'''
Ii will he seen that this was written twelve
years ago. since when believe there has been
an additional duty laid on III England and al
80 an import duty ia this country. / shall
make no further comment Oh this letter, than
Just TO observe, that il proves the estimation
i'll which good Virginia coal is held in phiIa-
delphIa; tiai they look towards il for a sup
ply ut fuel and also the quantity that il will
require IN supply the demand, wien coal he
comes cheaper than wood which time has We.
r. nearly, 1t not quite arrived, at this mo-
niEni.
W. will now return 10 the subject of rails
ing funds, for defiayimg the expense of max.
rug another section OF canal, (say) to the Ri
wanna river. This section, according 10 ihs
estimates will cost 5 III 1911 a balance of
fO,oUU, IL Is shppOSeu, Noulu DE OH udHd oil the
completion of the first section; and tolls to
the amount OF 80, 900 dollars, pledged for the
payment OF the interest tue capital then OBJ
tanned.
From what has been said, il would appear,
that very large quantity of coal ght be
expected TO pass down the canal the first
scar but will not rely entirely on my own
Judgment, for Information relative TO this
point. An intelligent and highly respectable
collier, who is perhaps more largely engaged
in the business than any other person, has
been Consulted on the occasion, who gives il
as his opinIon, that il will be qnite safe TO cal
cUlate or $500 900 bushels being transported
by water, tue first year after the navigation
shall be so far completed as TO admit of The
passage OF boats carryin. one thousand BUSH
els 10 Rockets, and being there uhloaded
without detention and that, if the business
can be prosecuted successfully, 900 $40 psr
anrum may confidently be calculated ol
We will, however, for the first
year, make our estimate on y 900 600.
The tolls on this quantity, at2i cents
per bushel, is S5OOGy
Bot as the tolls which are already
appropriated includes The toll on
that quantity OF coal which nOw goes
down by water, this amount must be
deducted from His sum. That
quantity is certainly under 100000
bushels but we vii suppose il be
that quantity. which at lths of