Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1831-04-14
From The LsssJurg Genius Qf Liserty.


bests
Fer the solution Of these TIVE plain uues-
uons few plain facts will suffice. Ii is a
principle pretty well established. by experi.
ments made in Europe and America, that
the same animal power, applied TO the Caual
VIII transport three times as much as when
applied to the Rail Road; that is. where the
ran Road, with one horse, will transport
lVo barrels Of -four, the Canal, with the same
horse, will transport 500. Shall it be asked
how is this possible, seeing that the Bail Road
company made greatdpplay the other day,
and are spreading the news Of it far & wide,
OF one horse carrying 900 barrels of flsurp-
Inns IS considered wonderful, passing strange;
and the newspapers are flying about to tell
1t to the citizens all alive with interest In the
mean time, net man in Loudoun takes TIE
slightest notice of the Canal or its perform
ance A fact or two may not be arsiss A
citizen met boat on the Canalthe other day,
afdeo" by taite poRey, quite at its case, CEN
tanning 255 barrels Of flour, and another
dFawn by an ordinary horse, with like case,
containing $50 barrels These poor boats.
with the poneys glide an 10 their destination,
silent end unobserved; when rail road car.
with every possible advantage, drawn by a
me horse, and carrying 900 barrels offlour,
IS followed by gaping ultituGes-enters
bait'unore amidst songs Of triumph, and tho
people, good souls, on the line of the Canal
ca'cb the lever * echo the note Of the song.
oneh IS man. Nothing at home, nothing bis
own. nothing natural, nothing easy, nothing
obviously useful will coEtent him. He sighs
Tor change; he stands on tip-toe and tries TO
see aiar; he yearns after the new, and tue
marvellous. How true ii is eve arc wonder
folly made!" Not doubt can be entertain
ed but that either OF the horses which rclev-
eel each other IN the transportation of the
Hour, thirteen miles on the Rail Road would
draw 400 barrels along the Canal for thirty
miles. II is stated in the memorial presented
to The last Congress, by the President s. D-
rcctors Of the Canal Company, that Baron
Hugging the Dutch Minister, informed them
he had seen one stout horse drawing a ship Of
several hundred tons burden, along the Ca
nal from the iielder TO Amsterdam. What
can men wante What will satisfy them? A
Doney carrying whole crop to market, with
us much ease as he would take grist TO mill,
will not do for them. We surely want ma
chinery TO carry or farms about the country.
and to transport the earth, at odd times, Oh
visits to the MOON IT is clear, then. the Ca
nal is the easier and cheaper fsode OF trans
pottation.
Let IL, see which suits the farming interest
best. 1t is an adase as cid rs commerce it
self, that competition is the lie Of trade Yet,
whoever uses the Rail Road will observe there
is on it Gni one carrier and that is The Comps
ny. The British East India Company is not
q greater monopoly. The Rail Road Com
pany has no mere competition on the Rail
Road than death has in doing bis work. The
farmers repair to the depot with their pro-
ducs, and the agent of the company receives
it for transportation. with no limit upon his
supidity, except the maximum of the legal
tariff, or his own generosity. Imagine but
sBc nail or store ia the county Of Loudoon,
how would its customers fare? Not 80 with
the canal: every man that chooses may knock
up a cheap boat OF his own; or several neigh
bors may join in one; and, moving gently &
socially down the broad and tranquil surface
Of The water, sell their produce and market
ing, whether flour, pork, corn hay, vsge-
tables, fruit, butter, fowls, eggs, or any
thing else; buy plaster, fi,h, groceries, sc.
&c. for themselves, or neis hbours, and como
quietly home.
Those who do not choose TO SO themselves,
to take an interest in beats, can avail them
selves of any public boat they may prefer; of
these there will be dozens. Here is the life
Of trade; the very genius Of accommodation;
the guarantee Of cheapness; the comfort of
business. This will be our resource, and
reliance, when fanatasy and whim shall have
passed away; and sober reason resumed the
empire OF our minds.
do not mean 10 underrate Rail Roads;
but 10 invite ply fellow citizens TO set just
and discriminating value upon those great ma
tural channels of trade from wbichthey seem
so understandable distracted Hail Roads in
their piaces-Along the margins OF noble ri
vers. and for agricultural purposes, they arc
inferior 10 Canals.-Again, they are expen-
sive; and require heavy capital. 1t is COM
puted that toleiably good single tread iron
railway. from the Ashby's Turnpike TO the
Point Of Rocks, would cost half million of
dollarsf-To my mind it is quite clear that
net more than from so 10 90 square miles OF
territory would embark in building the road;
say S5. This is equal TO $4,000 acres Five
hundred thousand dollars to be raised upon
50 700 acres would be tax of 50 80 per a.
ere. Are these farmers prepared TO pay a
dollar an acre?-Why, then, IN the place of
rational attainable objects, pursue such shad-
owss This canal, which promises much 10
the hitherto neglected and fine country, bor-
| dering or the Potomac, has been long sus-
pended by the pertinacious refusal Of the
! Chancellor Of Mary land to decide the inJunc-
ton which at the instance oil tse hail Road
Company, he has imposed onthe Canal Com
pany. The injunction power is a great pre-
rogative, promptly lent to the citizen, in ev
L.. hits painr ri RIGHT. hut