Cheraw gazette. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1835-1838, 1837-09-06

accumulated during many years OF llndustry,
and economy.
AS soon as. the produce received by the
merchant in exchange for gools can be con-
vcrtcd into cash, it becomes part of his
capital. and ought to bear interest: every
moment then of delay: which might be
avoided, in transporting produce to mar
ket, debars him the use Of his capital. 1t
NAV be said with confidence that the aver
age time which clapses between the purch.
ase of Cotton in the town of Cheraw. and
its transftrt to other hands, is a: least q
month, and the same average delay occurs
with regard to alltl,c Cotton produced in the
Peedce country. The interest Of the mon:
ev le;d out in Cotton during the season al
Chcraw exceeds $50, 900, the Cotton being
valued at y cents per pound. The loss
to the merchants of that town, inthe Cotton
annually bought by them, occasioned by
the unavoidable delay in getting it to mar
ket, is nearly $4,000. This alone may the
subjected TO the same dclay;apply tito seem
trihing, but extend the. estmateto all the
Mcrchandize which is dragging its pace
slowly up the river, or is detained IN
Georgetown, unable to get transport, SO
long that the merchants noes frequently
fall due before single dollar has been rea-
lized, and the result will be found that the
sum thus lost, approximates very near to the
annual legal interest of the estimated cost
of the Rail Road, which is to obvIa:e all de.
law. The price of insurance which will BE-
rendered unnecessary, and the entire ex-
emp,ion from the apprehension and risk
of loss from any ordinary casualty, would
furnish topics for further observation, but ii
is deemed needless to pursue the discussion.
The expediency of the project must be ap-
parent to every one. Its practicabi'ity IN
wolves the simple question, will the Stock
be a profitable inves'menl!-=for If ihIs be
established, there will be capital enough
anxious to engage in it. This is therefore
the important matter to determine; and your
Commissioners have to congratulate them
selves that the explicit and sa:isfac ory view
Of the subject, which Mr.. White has lncor-
poraed in his Repore, superscedes the ne.
ccssuy olauy detailed calcu'a ion from them.
His statement Of the profs accruing from
travel and freight; is a very fair and impair
tial estimate, and he has wisely avoided
hazarding any thing that might appear I'm.
probable Or excessive. 1t is statement OF
the smallest amo1nt ofprofit that would be-
gin to accure the instant tho road went into
operation, without any regard to the increase
both in travel and in freight whicI the inn
proved CONVENIENCE always induces. .for.
most of the luvures and many Of the mere
comforts life are so subject to decay and
injury in being conveyed from the place Of
production or manufacture, that they can
only be enjoyed bv those who have the op.
porunity of procuring them frequently and
speedily.
1t has been invariably found too, thatthe
quantity Of travel between any two points
increases in two fold proportion upon the
construction Of Rail Road. These items
arc not contingent, but certain and neccs-
ought, therefore, to be had in
mind in our estimates. 1t is not TO be un-
derstood that they refer TO the gradual
growth of Commerce, which consists in in
creased exports and imports, and renders.
of course, additional travel necessary.
This is the usual but not the necessary con.
sconence. What is alluded t6ls the multi
plying the wants Of people, which is
caused by the opportunity Of mduIgence,-
BY the introduction of new articles OF taste,
and the prurency TO 60 abroad, is excited
or aggravated by the facilities of'raveIIing
But let us confac ourselves to The es:''
mate. The gross receipts from passengers
freight and mail carriage is $l33,O5O. An
allowance of 100000 is made for current
expenses, which is more than two.thlrds OF
the whole income. We would remark IN
passing that we have before our eyes the
last Annual Report ofthe Petersburg Rail
Road Company, whose expenditure, tor an
Income Of SlO7,Ols e3, was but S45, $50
10, much less than half. The expenditure
consists mainly, icnot entirely, in the money
laid out in etfec,ing transportation, IN fuel,
labor, &c. and in repairing the wear and
tear. The sum must, therefore, bear near.
ly fixed proportion to the income !; for if
the expense of conveying a. large quantity
of transportation and repairing the conse.
quent wear of the Road and Engines, be
very considerable, the receipts must be of a
correspoa ling magnitude with this only
exception, that " a long Rail Road can be
worked with greater relative economy than
a shor, one" There is no reason, there.
fore, why our expenses on a road of eighty
miles should exceed two-thirds of the re-
cepts. while on the Petersburg Rail Road OF
go miles, it is less than half. We are con.
strained to think the allowance excessive,
for the probability derived from reason and