Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1843-04-15


even now be read with profit, and among these
we might mention those relative 10 the compare
i've merits Of Railroads and Canals Although
for nearly one hundred and hity years tram roads
had been used for the transporton of the heavi-
es, articles such coal, ore, and stone, il was
suddenly discovered that railroads might indeed
be prof iab!y employed In transporting passengers
and light parcels but that beyond ,h.s they were
not able to do any thing. The arguments which
have since been urged With SO much force from
time TO time have not been without effect.
An idea OF the small amour, Of business con-
nected with railroads, at The Time Of the COM
me ment Of the Journal, may be formed from
the fact that throughou the first volume but three
advertisements Excepting notices TO contradictory
are 10 be found. The first Of these was by Mr.
II. Burden, Of Troy, another by Messrs. A. Il u
Raislon IL Philadelphia, and another by Town
send and Durfee, Palmyra, New foIk-,he frs.
two Of which, in some shape or other, have been
continued, and are yet TO be found upon our CO.
yer.
The editor alec thought necessary to refer to
several gentlemen Of this city guarantees for
the continuance Of the work. Before many mum
bers had been issued, Information from oil quar-
ters poured IN, and very lively interest was II
in the undertaking. The demand for railroads
throughout the country increased. and popular as
well as scientific information was 10 request.
Let us now compare the present state OF affairs
with this humble commencement. There are
now, between four and fire thousand miles OF
railroad in the United States, built by the
expenditure of nearly one hundred millions of
dollars. Eleven years ago there were but about
one hundred miles.
There are now probably more than fire hundred
locomotive engines 10 use, nearly all Of them
made IN this country. Eleven Years ago the fe ~
engines IN use were imported from England, and
we're Of The Oldest patterns. Since then fifty or
more American engines have been sent abroad.
some to Russia, some to Austria, and several TO
lad fact hppn tad N
the most indrec, manner, III the first number Of
the Railroad Journal, il would have sealed its
DOOM
Eleven years ago a dead level was by many
deemed necessary a road, (see p. 6S vol. l. }
and grades of 30 feet to the mile were hardly
thought admissible. Now. engines in daily
use which surmount grades of 60 and so feet TO
the mile.
Eleven years ago inclined planes with station.
airy power were considered the plus ultra Of
engineering science. Now they d. scarded as
expensive, inconvenient, and Incompatible with
the free Of RAILROAD.
Eleven years ago il was thought tina, railroads
could not compete with canals in carrying hea-
w freight and even much more recently state.
menis to this effect nave been put forth by au.
ihority Now know that the most profitable
Of the Eastern railroads derives one half its in
come from bulky freight, and that coal can be
carried more cheap'y upon railroad than in ca
nails.
not established, and, discouraged by the past
expenditure in several cases Of experiment IN
untred field, many predicted that they would
DO Improbable. Now it is already demonstrated,
by declared dividends, that well constructed rail
roads, when Invested Of extraneous encumbran-
ces, arc the most profitable inv iments in our
country. The New England railroads have paid
since their completion TO 8 per cent; several
other roads O per cent. The Hudson and Mo-
hawk, Of fifteen and half miles, costing about
one million one hundred housa nd dollars. paid in
1910 Seren per cent. on that enormous outlay
The Utica and Schenectady and Syracuse and
Utica pay 10 TO II per cent. The stock Of the
Utica and Schenectady Railroad has never been
down TO par since operations were commenced 10
1886, and has main,a med its stand without fuc-
tuaton at a higher rate than any other species Of
stock during all our commercial revolutions.
Eleven years ago there were but six miles Of
railroad in iD the vicinity of Boston Now
Boston has direct connection with n web Of rail-
way thousand f,ro hundred and three miles IN
length, all Of which except about 81 miles are ac-
,uaily in use, being greater length Of railroad
than there was in the whole world eleven years
ago--Rdilrodd Journal.
Type Composing Machise.--We have received
the twelfth number Of paper printed in London
the Family Herald, by "Young's patent type-eom
posing machine" description of which we Cub
lished some two months ago. Six eight thou
sand types up by this machine in a n hour,
and the whole cost of composition, including dis
,ribu,ion, is only two pence per thousand, and can
be managed by two young women. The Family
Herald is little smaller than this paper. and is
sold for one penny sierling-two cents. This
machine cannot be used in the publication of
daily paper, although we hear tina, the effor. is
being made in this CITY,. Y. Sun.
THE GRAVE RoBBERy New ORLEANs.--The
young man Conway, or Conner, whose theft of
jewels from a grave mentioned some time
since, pleaded guilty TO the charge on the 9Th.
But difficult question has arisen concerning the
measure Of punishment, or, indeed, wbe Their the
la " has provided any punishment, at all for the Of
fence. ltappears that the heir of Madame Ter
nau. with whose corpse the jewels buried,
sold the land in which the tomb was constructed
some years ago, and that the person to whor.. he
sold II is dead. Now the question is, who has
been wronged by the robbery Of the jewels, Not