The Somerset herald and farmers' and mechanics' register. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 183?-1852, 1846-03-17

that place and none in Johnstown.-
While the turnpike from here to Cumber-
land is cut up by wagons, that leading to
Johnstown is for the greatest part grown
up with grass and thistles. And this is
the case no doubt with all the places along
our works between Harrisburg and Pitts
burgh. Instead of being channel for
our produce eastward, or af1ording in its
towns or cities ready market for it, it is
actually hauled almost from their banks
and taken out of the state to find a mar
ket, which, through the short sighted
ness Of our capitalists, in vain it seeks
nearer home. 1t is CAPITAL that has
built up cities and towns along the i'm
provements of our neighboring states
it is capital that creates and stimulates
trade and traffic, and this trade finds its
way TO their seaports by these canals and
rail roads, and thus increases their income,
while the capitalists, the towns and cit
les, and the state arc benefited by the op-
Grafton.
As observed above. our improvements
were constructed mainly to preserve to
Philadelphia the great western trade
But the people of that city seem to say
to the country-"if you bring or send
your produce to US, we will buy, but will
not go an inch to get it," Now had they
OF New York thought or done so, would
they have their Utica, Rome, Syracuse,
Rochester, Buffalo, &C., with their 5000,
5000, 10000, $4,000 population! Would
Cumberland have, already, her 1000, if
the Baltimorians had been brought up in
in SLEEPY Hollow. Never! Ii is there
fore absurd to talk about the resources of
the state, unless capital and enterprise
are employed to deyelope them.
If have shown, as think | have, that
for want of energy and enterprise and
the employment of capital by the citizens
of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, our inn
provements, made chiefly for their benefit,
have turned out failure, and now rest
as monstrous incubus upon our. state,
| would ask what is the duty of those
citizens under the circumstances? They
seem to be fully conscious of that lailure:but
what remedy do they propose! They OF
Philadelphia answer, continuous rail
road. Now let me tell them, that they may
make one or eadozen 0raili roads between
their city and the west, and it will be
with no better success than the canal has
had, unless capital and enterprise are en-
ployed not only in this, but also in the
western states, to throw trade and busi-
ness upon them. Reason and common
sense, as well as the experience Of New
York and Maryland, demonstrate this
Yet they want continuous rail road from
Harrisburg to Pittsburg, thro' the cold,
hilly and mountainous parts of the state,
TO keep the business of their city from
dying of atrophy, while they oppose and
violently denounce the only scheme that
is practicable at all seasons, and which
would benefit both cities without iniuring
the ST tie improvements mean the right
of way TO the Baltimore and Ohio rail
road company, with the privilege TO inter-
sect. Such is their policy: let them carry
it out, and drive that company to Wheel
ing or some other point on the Ohio, and
all the rail roads the Philadelphians can
make, will not secure the western trade
or save Pi;tsburg from ruin-and 7 would
not give dime for thousand dollars of
the stock in their road: it could not but
prove twin 10 our state Improvements.
What the best policy would be and
what the citizens of Philadelphia and
Pittsburg should do under the circum-
stances is already indicated, bat l will
recapitulate.-I them abandon the idea
of continuous rail road; apply the capi-
tai it would require along our state i'm
provements and in the west as they do
in New York built up towns, .cities,
factories, &C., with it-creatc a ready
market for all our surplus produced, and
pass ii on those works-give the Mary
land company the right of way, and make
Pittsburg the, focus of the great western
,rade,-and mys.word for it, in less than
ten years we can dispense with state tax
es and be able to commences sinking fund
for the extinguishment of our enormous
state debt
| desire to be understood, that my re-
marks in relation to rail roads are not in
tended to apply to the citizens of Pits
burg, a majority Of whom think have
correct views of that subject.
SENEX.
Somerset, March 1916.