Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1831-07-07
RArL Ro.aps Az cANaLs, M. Y

pc'tkc anu OHi0 LANAI, anu WHO nave tcdu
and carefully reflected upsn that Of Mr..
Knight, can want, it is thought, but little
additional preof, that as far as the present
state of facts goes, Rail Roads OF equal ca
pacity, are more expensive, than Canals.
Canal every way adequate to the commerce
of the Valley of Virginia, can be made along
the banks OF the Shenandoah, lorSl0,Oo0 per
mile. The President of the Chesapeake and
Ohio Canal gave this as the highest allow
! ance, being an estimate based on the cast Of
wark and the prices of labor, &c. for which
work is now doing on the Canal, This opin-
ion OF that gentleman was given in a letter
addressed TO Col. Hite of Frederick county,
last winter, in reply to one written TO him,
b. the Col for the purpose of obtaining in
formation relative to a Canal Improvement
along the Shenandoah; feasible scheme,
now laid by, for the toild project Of a Raj
| Road. The large and extensive Canal in D.
| bio, which is well finished with costly via
| ducts and other appurtenances, has been
| made for about that sum. Some of the Ca
nails of Pennsylvania have cost more, be
| cause they run in many cases, along rapid
Rivers descending frem Mountains with very
| narrow level grounds on their banks, and
| therefore the entertainments have been exten
| sive and costly This would net be the case
| on the Shenandoah, as there is all along this
River, sufficient bottom or level land on its
| banks to render it unnecessary to carry the
| Canal into the bed of the River. Now, is
| most clear lrsm all the most correct and
clearly ascertained facts, that durable two
| tract Rail Road could not be made for less
| than $50 600 per mile. Such Road alone
| would be adequate to the quantity of pro
duce of the Valley. A single tract Road
| would be entirely inadequate to the com
merce-It would be troublesome and tedi
| Gus mode Of travel or transportation in con-
| sequence oil the necessary interference of The
cars, if ascendingand descending one should
| be used; and this inconvenience would not
be remedied, if only descending cars were
used, that is if produce, at Port Republic
| weuld have to wait until the return of the
Cars, which had previously gone down, a
certain number only being in use, 1t must
be remembered, that single tract Rail Road
is equal only TO the aGgYO,cest Canal that is
ever cut; Canal which would admit bit enc
| boat to pass Hence it may be remarked, that
| to compare the Baltimore Rail Road to the
| Chesapeake and Ohio Canal is unfair. mas
| much, as the latter is of the very largest size
| of which such work is susceptible, to equal
which, comparatively if we may so use the
word, Rail Road of foeT tracts should be
| required-A Rail Roal of fur tracts would
! have cost the Balimoreans at least Sl5f 900
per mile from Baltimore to Ellicotts Mills
and on an average 10 llarpers Ferry and to
| Cumberland, not less than $50 600 per mile,
whereas the cost of the Canal for the first q
miles overcoming stupendous obstacles, such
as 1t will ne where again meet with, has cost
on an average $50, coo only, and which from
! Harpers Ferry TO Cumberland cannot cost
at the rate the work is now actually doing,
mere than 80 900 per mile. We conclude
| therefore, that Canal adequate to the wants
Of the Valley, can be effected Nth gpeat eff
feet, by the resources of its Inhabitants, but
that such sized Rail Road as il requires is
utterly beyond its resources Where and how
let us seriously ask, could they raise three
millions and half Of money! Our Staunton
. friends contemplate Singte tract Rail Road,
and even for this they say themselves, they
! shall want one million and a half | think,
| little reflection will convince them, that their
| utmost efforts will scarcely raise this last
sum, unquestionably less by half than even
their project will require. They say already
that they shall have TO lock abroad, for as
sistance In getting million and half of
cotdios d oubi icoo ny ndl, we repeat, IMAM
they will really require
| It's idle for our Staunten and Winchester
| friends to look to Baltimore 70. pecuniaiy as
| sistance The Baltimoreans are making,
besides the great Ohio Rail Read, Rail
Road from their City to Columbia In Penn
| syvania, and one, (or they talk Of it) thro'
! Mary land towards Emmttsburg The Com
pany constructing the Ohio Road, are max
| ing collateral road to Fredericktow and
talk of one to lead up Pipe Greek. The
| Batimsreans. therefore, have their hands
| full and win not be able to take stock in Vir
| ginia. There is little reason to expect. that
money can be procured in Philadelphia or
| New York, The capitalists of those Cities,
1t Is well known, will net invest their monies
IN remote schemes, especially south of the
Susquehannah.
IL IS still more certain, that the Capitalists
OF England and Holland will not loan to pri-
rate foreign CompaDies.-It is true, Mr.. Rush
obtained for the Cities Washington. Alex
andria and Georgetown a million and half
at per cent in Holland, but it is known.
| that the money holders there, loaned to the
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Company. or
more properly speaking, to the Corporations
| of the above-named cities because The Go
vernnent of the United States, had taken n
large part Of the Stoek. They considered this
circumstance as giving character of Ger
tainty and as affording conclusive evidence
If Al. IL - AZ.