The New era. [volume] ([Portsmouth, Va.]) 1845-1847, 1846-09-03
TO THE CITIZENS OF PORTSMOUTH.
II fen Plain Matter of Fact Words

TO THE CITIZENS OF PORTSMOUTH.
II tew PLAIN Matter of Fact Words.
1t is known to you all that the Rail Road is to
be sold, or offered for sale, To Morrow, 4th inst.
You are more deeply interested in it than anv
other community. or body of individuals. You
stand indebted now, for the construction of il
somewhere near $500. 900, for which YOU are pav-
ing an annual interest of S12.C coo. IF the Road
should fall into the hands of any person or per-
sons, whose interest it would be To let il oo
down entirely, the property in the town would
sink in value to a ruinous extent. vet the sauna
yearly tax would have to be paid out of the re.
dnced property. We are told that if the Road
goes down it will place US back in the position
we were forty years ago. This is true to some
extent-but it will leave US in a much worse
condition. So far as facilities for trade and
communication with the interior of the country
is concerned it is true-but those forty years have
made great additions to our population, who will
have to leave us if the town is put back in cir
cnmstances to that period. During that period
a very heavy business was carried on in our Ma.
Wy Yard, such as we never can expect apain.-
Dry Docks and Navy Yards are multiplying all
along our extensive Atlantic Coast. and before
long we may expect to have one in California
and another in Oregon, on the Pacific these will.
OF course, divide the naval business, which will
not increase IN the same proportion-thus, then.
we see that we are, or will be, in a decidedly
worse position than we were forty wears aoo
Ifa foreign company of individuals purchase
the Road for the purpose of running it, we shall
be incidentally slightly benefited, as this gre,,
.-1 ,-1ortoa 1hann- c
kept open but those persons who SO purchase.
will, of course. turn every thing TO the best adj
vantage for themselves, Nothing will stop hero
and our citizens will have but little opportnni.
ty to take advantage Of The extensive conn,rv
trade that will pass through. The company's
boats and vessels will be employed in CARRYING to
and tro the goods going to and coming from the
Interor-this they will have a right To do. and no.
body ought to complain, if the Road passes out of
our hands.
"There is a tide in the affairs of men.
Which taken at the food leads on to fortune"
we look upon the present as the very crisis of
our fate. If taken advantage of, commercial pros-
perity and wealth will be ours, but if permitted
to pass, we will suffer more than the imari,,,ion
can at present conceive. We urge, therefore.
WIZ Ritdb toIHSoNiCoo,U W OWN CllIZpOS In mr.
chase the Road, and bring all their eneruies ,o
bear TO put it in successful operation. We have
repeatedly shown that it will yield an interest On
the necessary capital Of from 10 to Is per cent:
at least. The income of the Road, even while
rusning under a severe competition with the up
per route has yielded an aggregate annual receipt
OF upwards Of SIC, 900, and we all know that
travel and transportation Of produce is increasing
and not diminishing-it has been demonstrated
too, that the Road can be kept in repair and run
at an expense, every Thing included, not exceed
ing $4,000. This is what The Road did do
years ago, before the great chain of Southern trsv.
ell was complete. What it can now do unde, IN
dicious management, as the more distant lioLs aro
connected, as will very shortly be the c,se ,nd
the connection between the CASTOR and R.IoinL
Road is made to Weldon, no one can pretend -
estimate, with accuracy-but that it will be in
creased very materially no one will be found TO
deny. This Road can be purchased too, and pm,
in perfect order without laying out a dollar of pri-
vsts sinds, if the proper steps are tssen, and thus