Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1847-10-09
TO THE PEOPLE OF MISSOURI.
( No s.

The reader will remember that in my last
number, pointed out the main leading routes,
which appear to me, will ever be demanded, and
that whatever more may, and no doubt will,
be required 10 facilitate to the greatest extent,
the transportation OF the surplus produce Of the
State, will be short connecting branches, so ss
10 connect with the main stems neighborhoods.
at first left too far therefrom, to give them all
The benefits OF "Rairoad transportation" and
thereby bring them, as near as may be, 10 every
mans door.
1t must not be expected that the writer intends
to advise the undertaking and attempting to CON-
plete all these roads al once. He points them
out noaO, with view Of designating those, which
in his opinion, ought and will be constructed,
as the main and leading arteries Of ransporta.
ton throughout the State, and hopes they will be
filed up, as the State arrives at greater maturity
Of age and means, which, however, he is not
inclined to put Off 10 very distant period, for
it his settled conviction that until these Tor such
as these) lines are made co nplete, the State will
not, nay cannot thrive, as her natural resources
the people Of the State have the ability 10 vgor-
ously begin, and soon complete, these more than
essential requisites to their prosperity.
These lines, as suggested on the South Of the
Missouri river will amount to about GOO, and
those on the North to 400 miles, and if the St.
JOSEPH and Hannibal road should be extended to
St. Louis the whole will make 100 miles.
The writer does not pretend to any knowledge
Of engineering, but having pretty accurate
knowledge Of the ground over which these roads
are recommended to pass, and also having 10
considerable extent informed himself by enquiry,
at the proper sources, Of The cost per mile, Of a
great number Of The Railroads OF the United
States, and having passed over most OF them in
the Union, and from what he deems fair com.
paratire estimate, he gives it as his opinion. that
for one track, these roads can be made and done
well, and Locomotives, cars, &C., be put on,
ready TO begin business, at II thousand dollars
per mile, thus requiring an expenditure of
Sl3,20O,000. Our country is so smooth and
level, as compared with the eastern, northern
and middle Saes where most Of the railroads
have been made, and so clear is the top Of the
ground from rock, that 10 see the places where
railroads have already been made, and where
propose to make them in our State, it could not
be question in any mind, but the grading and
bldging, &c., will not cost half so much The
routes have pointed out from Springfield to St.
Louis, along the divide between the waters OF
the Usage on the one side, and the White, Gas.
oonade and Alerrimac on the other, the writer
feels perfect confidence can be made and CON.
pleted at thousand dollars per mile. The
distance may be about 200 miles from St. Louis
TO where | propose TO strike our South west
corner Of the State.
One Of the main ingredients of cheapness, in
making the proposed roads, is not alone the lev.
elness OF the county, but the cheapness OF the
land through which they are made; and besides.
they would now pass more than ninetenths OF
their distance over public lands and there is no
fficulty in obtaining an act of Congress au.
!horizing their location through their lands with.
out cost.
In the U. S. the expenditure for land to make
wv iouuo uPo", hoS peSH 'Ciy CoHsiucIdUlt, ana
in England the average cost, per mile, has been
ascerained TO be 100000! In Europe and espe.
cialIy in England. the roads are generally mads
straight, through every object and their grades
are dead level; and hence, the expense is greatly
increased. In the United States it has been
found quite as satisfactory to turn aside and 90
round rather than through mountain; and at
the same time we have found, that our Locomo
tives can run over roads with all the required
speed, having an ascent Of one foot in hundred,
and in some cases one in seventy five.
In Europe, and 10 great extent in the U. S.,
timber has proved heavy article OF expense.
Ia all the routes, south OF the river, above pro.
posed, except the upper part Of the one nearest
The Missouri river, abound in timber OF the best
quality for railroad purposes. By commencing
these roads near the Gasconode and working each
way, the best quality of yellow pine can be had
on the head waters Of the Gasconade, Merrimac
and Current rivers, &C., which timber can be-
at small cost transported on the roads themselves
as they are constructed.
Am asked how these roads are to made?
How Is millions OF dollars are 10 be had TO
construct them? | answer, that my opinion is,
it can be raised by granting liberal, although by
no means exclusive (and as 10 this, more here.