Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1843-12-09


a. lNronraNcE OF EXTENDING THE pu,,.
DELPHI. Ann PorrsvtLLE Ran Roam ro rur
"rs"uEHASSA, Ar suSpuRr.-The necessity of
The completion OF this great improvement, struck ia
most forcibly while on a visit 10 Phil,Jelpbo ,,o
'egnning oflast month. The sudden COLL wo,.
ther which then lasted about week. had nearlv
suspended canal navigation, and bu, few bo,,s
were willing 10 leave home on a voyage Of two n,
three weeks, at the risk Of being frozen up ON tho
way. number Of Merchants were then On ,ho,
way to the city to make purchases, bu, how 10 get
their merchand re home if the cold weather shoull
continue. was IA matter Of doubt We then learn,
ed that the Reading Rail Road Company was car.
Tying merchandise from PhiIadelphis TO pottsyillc.
at $3.50 per ton, aud number of merchants ON
we "usquehanna' were sending their goods that
route, To he hauled by wagons over the mountains.
Now, the distance from Sunlr,ty 70 possvale bv
the contemplated rail road is fory.fve niles. or
just half the distance from Ponsvihc to Phil,1eI
rlna Al the same rate Of freight, merchandise
could he delivered at Sunhury from Phisdcl,b;.
at s5,2j per ton. The lowest prices hv the TiJo
Water Canal, has en- from 81 to $3.50 per ten.
But what is of much greater advantage is the great
despatch with which merchandise can he forwarded
or the rail road And this a, the close Of the sra>
son, ia ofen of the utmost Importance. By the
Tide Water Canal, trip with n boat from this
place. canno, lie made in less than fifteen diys,
which detcrs n, eas, scver-cigh,hs Of the boa,men
nom vcnturing on trip, after the first of Novcm
her. From Snnhury TO phil,dclpha, by the pro.
posed tail road the same boat load of produce could
ho placed on the cas-, taken to Philadelphia. sold,
aud return cargo brought hack in three davs.
! As Sunhury is situated Immediately below hs
/ junction of the North and Wes, branches of tho
SuSquchanna. more desirable point 10 divert the
r'et trade of these branches, well as tha, Of the
canal', could not be found. Boatmcn would be
willing To come TO this point at the latest period
of the season, Thus, it will lie secn ,ha, the whole
or very nearly all the immense trade of the val.
lcys of the North and West Branches of the Sus.
quehanna, would find its wav to the scahoorl
through this channel, to Philadelphia. The bcnc-
| fit Philadelphia would derive from this immense
trade, may I've readily conceived Ivy those who
have any knowledge Of the vast trade of the Sus.
( quehnnna. The great importance OF the carly
completion Of this road to the Reading Rail Roal, ,
should not he overlooked 10y ,ha, company The
travel alone, which would lie attracted by this
route, the Reading road, would he an item
itself of cons derdhlc importance. When once
known that passengers could travel from this place
10 Philadelphia in nine hours, many Of the we +
ern travellers would take this route OH this way to
the city ot New York, in preference q travelling
that state Heretofore the great difficulty hst
prevented the completion ef this road was the
number Of inclined planes on the old route. 1t is
now pretty well understood that these planes can
oil he avoided, by constructing 4 road on new
route, the length of which will not exceed twenty
five miles. and the highest grade not to exceed
eighty feet. The grade is easily overcome on
the Wcstrn Rail Road between Albany and Boss
ton. We intend, h rcai-cr, TO point gu, some of
the other numerous advantages tha, would accrue
in the early completion Of this road,