Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1848-05-25
For the State Sentinel.
Lafayette and indianapolis Railroad.
No. Ii.

Indianapolis to Lafayette there are but four points of
considerable expense, and these not excessive. They
the descent into the Wabash valley, at Lafayette
the crossings of Sugar and Eagle creeks and of the
White river at indianapolis Their expense, taken |
as aggregate, and averaged on the entire route,
might be $1,000 mile. Aside from these localities,
the ground is generally Of the character,
rarely broken by a swell a moderate stream. In
brief, it may be laid down that by economical plan
of grading and superstructure embracing however,
the heaviest description of fiat bar, the whole may be
put in readiness receive the engines and transmit the
trains for $500 900 S425 000 If $500 900 of sub
stanal subscriptions were procured, 1t would not be
difficult contract for the whole with able and respon
sble companies for that amount money, and the bal
ance in stock or TO let the work in moderate and even
small sections, on equally favorable For it is
to be observed that, in either event. the mass of earth
work, and much work Of other descriptions, will be
executed by the aborers residing In about the
region; and larger contractors, IN sub-letung the
work, would bargain to transfer stock in part pay
ment, leaving, In the end only much IN their own
hands the profits of their work might be reasona
bly, expected to meet. There being already Sl5O0OOl
subscribed-from which will abate 100000 for
incidental failures-we have the balance OF 3OOOOO,
or $4,000 Of sound subscriptions to be aised, in
order to fnish throughout, both grading and snper
structure and TO do 1t in, say, two years. bet Us
now address ourselves to the inquiry tlis amount
be raised here, at home?
But, let first examine the quality of the article
| to be thrown into market An abundant per centage
will doubtless secure investments whenever the
of investment are at hand. 1t will be incumbent on
u.s. therefore, 10 inquire into this latter point well
as the one first suggested into the of invest
men no less than the profitable character of the
Now the Madison and Indianapolis road, at the close
of its first year of through transit suslains Its stock
at premium of from thirty TO thrty-six per cent,
and by the magnitude of Its dividend is attracting
the notice of the entire commercial public. Having
been obigingly supplied by the officers Of the COM
psny with the best opportunities Of analysing the
sources of their prosperity, find little besides the
transactions of the two cities at either extremity and
the local transit of an agricultural region about
twenty-five miles in width, each side Of the road
The advantage which they deservedly enjoy for seve
raj years, of occupying the State construction Of
twenty-sx miles, must not be omitted in considering
their per centage but has nothing TO do with the only
question of Importance here. That question is sim
ply this II eighty-six miles of road in the crcum
stances that obtain in the agricultural region from
indianapolis to Madison, will realize, IN this second
year of through transit. probably ninety thousand
dollars of profit, what may be expected of the sixty
four five miles from Indianapolis to Lafayette in
the corresponding year of that construction! Now
it appears upon investigation that the male popula-
ton over twentyone years of age IN the counties and
parts of counties whose surplus flows into the Madi-
and indianapolis road Is 700 and the same for
the Lafayette and Indianapolis road by the same au-
thortes, will be 13, 100, seven-tenths almost
actly while the engthof road is very closely three
fourths Combining these roItes and observing that
the character of population and of soil obtains,
shall have one-haf the net earnings say forty
seven thousand dollars, for the local business merely,
including that of the cities at the termini But TO
this must be added large amount from new source
which will be opened the moment construction is
finished between the Ohio and the canal-that is the
through travel derived from passengers not residents
of the region. Independent Of this, a satisfactory
dividend would be realized, at the period under
considerations; and, with it, larger than seyeml
excellent eastern roads divide in the eighth ninth
year of their operation. This, again, would rapidly
augment, until the opening of the channel through
Lake Michigan would yield more per centage than
any healthful appetite for gain crave.
This consideration, however, of the intrinsic vare
of the stock, although important to the agricuturis
is far inferior to others which respect the ready sale
and the price OF his surplus produce, the value of s
grounds and his position for taking advantage of the
market in its best condition. Transportation com
mon roads, even good ones, whateUer be ats nomine
ats temporary price, costs, in fact, either in cash
the labor and time that equipalent 10 cash.
less than three-fourths of cent hundred per mile
The corn or wheat that mtSt find, by ordinary wagon
ing, market thirty miles distant, is taxed realh
thirteen and half cents, or what is equivalent o
that sum, for every bushel. For the distance,
by railroad, the cost may be three and half cents tie
difference ten cents busbe being saved to the pro-
Queer and this aside from his opportunity for mprov-
ing occasions when prices are at the highest and
aside from the half mpracticable state of the
mon roads through much of the year.
When, therefore, by such commanding motives duly
represented and appreciated the energies of the whole
region traversed by the work engaged its be
half what the means of such agricultural com
munity as ours and to what extent they justified
in pledgng themselves by subscription the stock
OF the 13, 100 men over twenty-one years of age
in the immediate region of the railroad, we may pu
II 900 vigorous laborers. If one in ten were with
drawn from ordinary agriculture (Which would no
be felt in any embarrassing degree) that numbe
would, in eight months, at so per month. net gain
earn for themselves an aggregate of $4,000, and
is fact that much more than that amount will b.
work of the description which aborers of the region
probably perform. This thing alone, we'll consider
. ed, will make it appear, (not to enlarge othe
points equally evidently how easy it will be for tn
inhabitants between Lafayette and Indianapolis +
sustain themselves in subscription of 100000, t
put it no higher. And since there will be eightee
months, at least, over which the instamens vii
spread, and since, moreover, it may be shown that
single year of the road after execution will, beside
the intrinsic value of the stock, repay the $4,000
I in the prices of produce and of land. and muc
every year thereafter the present population
there can be no doubt when this shall have becom
the settled conviction of the people-as may soon
expected-that their readiness to subscribe the
100000, or more, will equal their abiliH. 1t wi
only remain, them for the three Cities Lafayette, Ir
, dianapolis and Madison, with the country south
Indianapolis, 10 add $4,000. and the means for grt
f ding and suPerstructure will be complete But til
interests of these citesespecially of Indianapolis
must be deferred to my next. A. c. T.
r SUICIDE AT LAUREL.-We learn that Mr. Cas-
n at LAUREL committed suicide on Sunday last by han.
ing himself. The rash deed was done between t.
and eleven O'Clock, we are informed, while his daug
for fha onlu ne of fha ms