Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1845-12-11

Having examined this question with q
good deal Of care, | am satisfied shst a
railway, all things considered, is to be
preferred; that il will cost the leas.--pay
the most in return-accommeda,e the best
have the mos: to gain tv the progress
of mechanical invention, and when COM
pleted. will best promote the general pur-
poses Of moral as well as physical inn
provement. These general points, en-
brscing substsp tislly oil that is wanted in
any plan Of Improvement, submit TO yous
judgment, in much condolences, that the
more they are examined the more they
will be verified. Without illustrating that
Of cost upon comparative data, IT is evi-
dent, in the first place. that. as railroad
can accommodate itself to the country
over which il is to be taken, in a way quite
impossible TO a canal, il has, in this cir
cumstance, a lar greater command than
the other over its cost Of construction. -
Besides This, it IS undeniable, that the cost
of an improvement, as financial ques.
ton, or question Of State economy, de-.
ponds more really and truly upon the ca
pacity OF that improvement to reimburse
the expenditure upon it than il does ufon
the amount Of the expenditure ITSELF
Judged, therefore, by this defni,ive test,
the true question oil cost, which is at is.
sue between these respective plans Of I'M
provement 10, which will afford the best
return upon its outlay. or which, 10 other
words, for it is the same thing, will best
meet and best answer the general wants
Of transportation? To this the reply is
obvious, that the improvement which is
intended to meet and answer these wants,
must be commensurate with them, and as
they extend 10 the transportation of per-
sons as well as Of property, II must be
suitable and sufficient for both. Ii it IS
not suitable for that Of persons, or so much
less SO than neighboring or rival improve
men.s, ns to be rejected for them, then it
is q: once deprived of its most essential
means OF usefulness ard support, for of
all commodities requiring transportation
none require It so much as persons, and
Of all others none pay to the carrier so
certain and so high profit upon so small
an amount of bulk, insurance and risk.
Any improvement which will lose these,
will lose the very best Gifts customers, and
will be liz constant danger, besides, oilosing
The power to maintain itself. Indeed the
uniform reliance Of most works intended
for public accommodation upon passen.
gers for their principal revenue, is such
and so well ascertained, that no costly
and extended one depending for the most
part upon the business created b. itself,
It may be confidently said, could be sup.
ported without them. In order, therefore
TO answer public wants, and TO sustain IL
self, the improvement which is to connec
the James with the Ohio river, must af.
ford to the travel between that river and
the Atlantic as desiaDle and decided ad.
vantages as any other improvement, or
this great and indemnifying source of prof.
!. must be chiefly ifno, entirely lost. Blu,
this not even the canal could afford, were
i. ever so perfectly executed, and were it
a, this hour actually open for use in con.
nection with steamboat navigation on the
Kanawha river. Were it so, it would re-
quire about five days to make the pas.
sage from that river TO Richmond, whilst
It would require about three or three and
a half days to make 1t by Wheeling
through Baltimore and Philadelphia to
New York, from the same poin. of depar-
ture. This, 10 most cases, would be de.
cisive with the traveller in turning hun
from ours 10 another route. If, however,
a railroad were made upon the unfnish-
ed line of the James River ard Kanawha
Company to Point Pleasant. or to Guyan.
dolte, it would afford the shortest connex.
ion in time by which 10 reach New York
through Richmond, and would no doubt
secure The travel and the profit upon it
which the canal would lose. But that is
not all; by securing travel. freight is also
secured. This is the peculiar and con-
trolling principle in railroad operations.
Having no superior for passenger trans.
The railway relies upon that for
lis expenses, and is thus enabled, where
the reliance IS a safe one, to relieve the
freight out of tho profits OF the travel, and
would it be enabled thus TO do
in the case Of State improvement. where
the charges will be restricted 20 mere re.
muueration and repair.
In addition 10 this it may be remarked
that il is the peculiar and happy faculty
OF this kind of road that it can be adapted
TO any rate OF movement, and any one of
burden, and with an apparent capacity
under the progress Of Mechanical invention
for an almost indefinite increase in the de-
gree Of both. Whilst the rate of passen-
ger speed is checked only by the fears Of
the passenger, the rate OF burden trans.
por,alion has been gradually raised from
some three or four times the weight of the
engine to some twenty :imes tina: weight,
and the engine increased from four or FIVE
tons to fifteen or more, thus showing q
progressive power Of accommodation for
all uses, at least as great as those uses
can ever require.
AT what point upon the line of the
James River and kanawha Company, the
railroad, if adopted, should begin, and by
what particular route i, should be conduct
ed, are controver,ed questions of exciting
local interests, which | commit to you, in