Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1845-09-29
Rail Roads-1he Wonders Effected By them

The City Of Nep York nor and 20 years ago.
A newspaper is rarely adorned with an article
more interesting, more Instructive, and more sug-
gestive of thought upon man and his destinies
especially in this country, than the following arti.
Gle from the NJ Y. Express of Thursday:
"TnE FKcGKEs' OF rHE CITY UNDER TIE srINrLoEs OF
PUBLIC woKEs-THE ERIE RIL RoAD.-No person that
will cast glance back and view the progress things pr
or to the construction the great Enc Canal, fail
TO be as,onshed by the rapid strides this city and the
great West have taken since the completion OF that work
For many Yesrs prior is commencement was ridcu
led from 10 the other, as "Clinon's Folly,
and the liSoiiG that dreamed
of. The now living, who, in the Halls OF lAe L-s-
gislatue, stigmatized with the nick name Of Big Ditch
name which bore for many years. Indeed it
until Stephen Van Rensselaer,, Elisha Williams and
OF other forward and offered build
the whole line the Canal Buffalo Albany. that the
people the Legislature believed be feasible pro-
ject The Representatives from this city, for Of
years and indeed from the first agitation of the subject
It's final passage, opposed the project. IL until
1917 that the shovel OF earth thrown up and the
work was commenced This city then contained popu.
laton OF only hundred thousand inhabitants
Brooklyn less than ve thousand and the State but about
million. This only twenty eight year. ago. In s25,
Just twenty years ago. when the Canal complesd the
city contained only 1906, and the State only
Since that period, and noiwS landing the great
of banks 1886 and 81. the city has advanced with
stride ibsI is ,ltogethsr unparalleled. The city OF
Brooklyn numbers sixty thousand This city, including
Brooklyn Jersey Ciy end Wiam.burs winch belong TO
fact has population OF least foIr hundred thou
sand, il not considerably The CITY and suburbs
have increased twice large they were then. The
number OF and dwellings. the extension OF wharve
the increase Of boats and other facilities that might
be named, have all gone on in the same ratio.
The sub set of Railroad, has become almost a mo
nomeniac in England TINS amount Of money already
expended there, is almost incredible sud the disposition
invest 10 this description of security extending IL the
Continent OF Europe, aud immense lines OF roads are
threading various countries where years ago. ia
cities were never anticipated The fever seems to be
catching and has taken deep N England where
for several years past lines OF road Of surprising extent
have been constructed, and with hardly an exception
these Investments turned 10 be profitable Nor
the feeling in any way abaied bat the contrary there
appears be great desire Isl road stock
ever.
The railroad fever it may be so termed which rages in
Europe and New England has apparently jus, reached
this city. The filling up fthe stock of the Erie Railroad
Of which age doubts, will be the consummatoR
md only e determination TO build the Erie
Canal and shou!l thus road be completed within two or
three years. and goods may be transported 10
Lake Erie the short space OF hours and this
too, at almost any season OF the year. railroad will be
finished this fall from Cincinnati Sandusky: and when
road IL mede from that road TO the Ere
the passage from this city the Erie will be only two
days. few years, probably Ave, the outside will
bring ABOUT al these results II, them our city 10 two or
three times greater than It twenty years ago
when the canal completed, what will IT probably be
twenty ysnrs hence, after the Ere Railroad is finished
The receipts from the canal tolls 1880, five years after
its completion bot million Of dollars; they will now
amount about aud half millions Of jlars The
receipts have already paid the eOs lad the work is
eft to the State Of her richest egaces The grea
profit the State has realized large is forms but al item
lie value Many Of the rich and growing towns Of the
West bat Tor the csna would have been mere villages
Albany in 1885, contained IL ,OOO-now Al 900; Troy
s0O0-now ~ On0; Rochester 3,OOO-now Is OOO BuG,-
10 jOUO-now p 600; and args number Of new town.
not then n existence popuous.
A. the completion Of the Eue Cinn there was bu, one
steamboat Lake Ee, aud she proved to be unprofabe
Now the Of that Lake ou1ns oil calculations
Produce that could have found sy Iom The rich
nd fers lands OF the West. brought here At eompara-
lively small expense Snd with the greatest despatch This
haUng been dose By water and horsc power what NAV
expect is.r tho lire horse, when he starts from ii
Lake 10 tue Ocean, on ,ic Erie RaiIroad1"