The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1839-11-14
S7,56O,OOO
The whole cast being
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3. as per plan No. 3, substituting light.
or iron rail requiring a continuous support,
or for railway similar or equal to those
in Georgia and other Southern States.
From Branchyille to Columbia, Sl40O,0O0
Thence to the North Carolina line, l,7s0,000
Thence to the Butt Mountain Gap, $4,000
Thence to the Tennessee line, l,0l5,000
Thence TO the City Of Knoxville, $4,000
Total cost by the Sd plan, $685. 000
The cost otthat portion in South Car.
DINA being 3lS0,000
The cost Of that portion in North Car
O!ina being 100000
The cost of that portion in Tcnnes-
see being $4,000
The average cost per mile would be, then, by
plan No. |, with double road bed,
and permanent rail s2l,767
By plan No ,, single road bed above
Columbia ana permanent rail, 2l,7S7
BY plan No. 3, single road bed aad
| fiat rail, I1,45O
or the average cost per mile, if even built
on the most expensive plan, (a3 regards
first outlay viii but little exceed what
was stated at the annual meeting to have
been the average cost Of Rail Roads in the
United States, (to Wit, $50, 600 per mile J
while from my own personal knowledge
do know that similarly constructed
works, the Rail Roads which radiate from
Boston and pcrforate the Bay State in al.
most ITS remoteSt corners. cost on an aver
4 age upwards of $4,000 per mile, fsome
Of them nearly $4,000 D which is in proof
of what was so much dwolt on at Asheyille,
that " in the South IRE hare advantages in
1 formation Of country, gro,cth Of materials,
&c. &c, By ,rhich ge should be enabled to
build Roads cheaper than at the North"
/ The offset to this is, that whenever me-
chanlcal skill is to be brought in requisi-
ton, they having more of it, because of
more constant demand for it, can more
i easily command it, and at cheaper rate.
( Nevertheless, under all the circumstances
4 if the means be afforded it seems that we
may even traverse the Allegheny noun
4 tains through the Carolinus, connect to-.
/ gether the South with the West, makes as
4 it were a central navigable streanl+hrough
South Carolina, afford an outlet from West
/ ern North Carolina, redeem the faith Of the
projectors of our great enterprise, at less
than il was deemed proper to expend-
calculating, as they (the Yankees) did, the
cOst-to promote the mere convenience of
the travelling public, and that communion
resulting simply from intercourse among
themselves. True, they have reaped a
golden harvest pecuniarllv. do not mean
to say that we shall and by no means that
We shall not. But they by no means
expect 50 adequate return Of their inyes.
ted capital. Trade and Travel have far
surpassed fas in all similar cases they haye)
their most sangulne expectations. And
why should there in our enterprise prove
an exception On this subject | will
merely add that those most expensive Rail
Roads $50 far as first cost may character
!ze them as SUCH have yielded, from their
first opening to the public, from to 9
per cent. and some Of them 10 per cent.
And recurring once more to the assertions
in the Convention at Ashcvilc, it shows
how talaclous would be the argument (if
such it could be termed) that g indsmuch
aS-sccordiag to Chez. de Gersiaer-ths
acreage cost of Rail Roads has been $50.
600 per mile, and the acreage income 5 per
cent; THEREFORE, trhereper the cost e.
ceed8 the acreage, the income must be pro.
portioadbly diminiShedt" As well Nigh.
1t be inferred, that because our most Ok.
pcnslye Rail Roads in first cost Weld
more than the average-nearly the double
( Of lt-thereforc, the more expensive their
construction the more overwhelmingly
The truth is this Rail Roads have
proved profitable from a cause iudispensa.
bic to the proftabeness Of all similar works,
to Wit: Their (iH the extended sense Of
the word, economical management, under
the admlnistrationof buta very limited nun.
I Der ofagents adequately rccompenscd, with
full authority under the Board Of Directors,
held to strict accountability, and Judged
W. H1gorkg. II is not a bad clterion,
ke, TO compare the outlay with
difference being the nett
azard the opinion that
Aucrally the result Of a
the Road, avoid
permit, the ne.
) and repairs
and an econ.
S amount
distances,