The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1848-03-17
be obtained on other articles sent to |

|
wing to this county, on the single article
of wheat, had we been onnected by rail.
road with New York city, during the
past winter!
Let US answer this question for our
own county. 1t is estimated from relia
ble facts that Fairfield county raises an.
nually surplus wheat-;hat is wheat not
needed for home consumplion-toNhe a
mount of$500 900 bushels. The saving
of 20 cents per bushel on that amount is
gross saving Of 100000; showing that
the saving ofone year on one simple arli-
Gle Of export would pay the whole sub.
scription asked for fromthe county! Aud
when after this result is shown, il is seen
that it is only the interest of this sum,
$1,000 per annum, for two or three years,
which is required as above ofthe county,
the utility and proprie,y of making the
subscription are undeniable.
But lest these calculations be said to be
too old, let us take the present prices at
the east and here. Flour is now worth in
New York S6,25, and here it sells for
$4,O0. Now deducting as before 81 1,25
for carriage and profit, leaves still 81 90
per barre Tor 20cents per rbushel of wheai)
loss to the Fairfield county farmerthrough
the want Of Railroad.
Take another article extensively raised
in this county. The annual surplus of
corn is not less than 100000 bushels.
Suppose that the average saving on tie
transportation of corn would be cents
per bushel (and we believe this to be a
small estimate the gain to the farmers on
this article would be S24 600 a year, or
more than sufficient to pay the interes,
on the loan for three years. We know
that the price of corn will not always Jus
tify transportation TO New York, but then
it is fed to hogs and cattle which find a
market there and the same reasoning will
apply to them.
Again our county grows considerable
tobacco which must find market in the
east. In 1910 this county raised PAS, $40
pounds or about 3lO0 hogsheads; the a.
mount now raised is probably less, but
still sufficient to make its price matter
Ofimportance. That large gain would
accrue to tobacco growers by the cheap
ening of Transportation, which would re-
suit from a communication by railroad
with the east, can readily be perceived by
examining the effect on other articles of
much less value in the same bulk and
weight. There can be no doubt but to-
bacco growers would, in one year, be
benefited more than the whole amount
of,ax lhOy would have to pay during the
time the tax would continue.
But railroad transportation is not con-
fined to wheat, corn, tobacco, and such ar
tcles but is also used for the conveyance
OF live stock. Horses, cattle, hogs and
sheep are now common and every day
freight on our eastern railroads. This
mode is adopted for their conveyance on
account of the time saved and more par.
ticalarly on account Of the great loss of
weight which is attendant on driving
them. The American Railroad Journal
contains the following article, showing
the great advantage which the English
drover and farmer have derived from the
use ofrailroadsin Transporting live stock:
"The number oflal cattle annually sent
to the London market, is
go OOO;loss in w'iby driving, $500, 900 lbs.
Sheep. 1850 OOO 10000 600
SWINE, 5o0,OOO; $500 900 "
Total, NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 24,3OOO 900
"As the grazing DISTRICTS" says an
English paper "are mostly in the north
Of England and Scotland. the average dis
tance which these animals have been
driven to market, before the introduction
ofraiways, was something over 100 miles.
Long experience has demonstrated the
fact, that the loss in driving beasts was
equal to 40 pounds of beef per head; on
sheep, 8 pounds; and on swine, 10 pounds
per head. The time saved in sending
these fattened animals to London by rail
way, instead of at the snail.pace on foot,
is said 10 be more than an equivalent FIR
tie expense IF their freight; so that Me
community realty gains annually, t'0enty.
.tDur-mihiOnS three hundrcd thousand
pounds fgOod meat, FOR NOTHING, This
cannot be regarded in any other light
than as IA great public blessing"
And if such are the advantages of rail.
way conveyance Of live stock in England
where the average distance to market is
only 100 miles what would be the effect
here where our market for hogs, cattle
and sheep, is more than 400 miles Distant
1t is estimated by ono of the most pru-
dent and intelligent cattle dealers in CEN
tral Ohio that after the completion ofrail-
way communication with the east the
cost of conveying cattle to that market
by railway would not be greater than
that ofdriving them, and that they would
arrive there at least 90 per cent heavier
on the Railroad than if driven, which
would Of course, therefore be a clear
gain of that much. In cattle averaging
500 pounds this would be a gain of 100
pouudsa head, and in those averaging
1000 pounds, gain of 200 pounds or
in other words, at the ordinary price of
beef in the eastern market the gain on or.
dinary cattle would be from Sc to $l2
and SIS head. So of hogs and sheep.
Those who have driven either of these
kinds of stock over the mountains know
well the truth and force of these remarks.
They know that cattle which when driv-
On through our town are plump and round