The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1849-04-06

AT the present Time lhe traVel on tnese
routes that would be diverted to onr Rail
road, were it in operation, could not be
less than $40 900, leaving freight or trans
portation entirely out of the estimate.
Besides these facts, this road will pos
sess advantages equal to any Railroad ev.
er contemplated. 1t is the most direct
route 10 one of the best, If not the best,
harbors on the Lake (Sandusky,) with a
privilege of diverging at or about Mans
field To Cleveland if the traveller choos-
es. 1t passes through country all of
which is highly improved and improving
1t also passes through and to six large and
towns, all of whi ch are capitals
of their several counties. which is prob
ably unparalleled in Railroad history,
taking into consideration the length
of the road.
This road must also eventually connect
with the great Central Railroad and the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad should they
ever cross the State of Ohio. The first
ofthese, your committee understand, will
be finished within five years, from Phil
adelphia to Pittsburgh, thence crossing
this road at some point, on TO Columbus
or Cincinnati, and in all probability fol.
lowing the Scioto and Hooking Valley
Railroad to Portsmouth. Whether the
Baltimore and Ohio road will ever ex.
tend farther west than the Monongahela
river, is a matter of some doubt, at least
within the present generation. Virginia
will not give to foreign corporations the
right of way TO strike the Ohio river
through her territory lower down than
Wheeling, and we fear she will not con.
tnue the road herself
There is another road much talked Of
in contemplation, aud part of it made in
Virginia, namely, the Richmond and
Ohio Railroad. This, if it ever reach
the Ohio river, must be directly connec-
ted with the Stioto and Hooking Valley
Railroad, and be of great advantage ia
it. This road commences at Richmond,
on the waters of the Chesapeake bay
thence through a very populous part of
Virginia to the Ohio river at the mouth
of Guyandotte river, fifty miles above
Portsmouth. By report just published
it appears that part of this road is now
finished, say from Richmond to Wood
Vile, 1O5 miles. The charter is one ot
the most liberal in the United States, Civ.
ing the company great power and advan
tages which we hope will ere long, in
sure the completion of their road, since
it presents the shortest route from thi:
place to the Atlantic coast, at Norfolk ol
Baltimore.
In short, from the connection which
onr.road would have with several othel
important roads, and from the natural in
crease of business which The road itsel
would create, your committee feel conf
dent that the amount of revenue would
continue to augment for an indefinite pc
riod, and would probably reach a poin
beyond the most sanguine expectations
fany one at the present time. The eff
feet of the enhanced facilities for trave
and transportation of property afforded
by Railroads, has universally been to in
crease business. and your committee cal
see no reason why our road should prove
an exception to universal rIIe.
=. The dividends or profts on stack a
an investment of capi'al--As IS proftabl
investment for surplus capital, your com
miltee are of opinion, that the stock q
this Railroad company would be super
or to many and excelIed by few. Tha
Railroad stocks, any where in the Unite
States, are profitable, is evinced by tn
fac: that Eastern and European capita
seeks investment in them. Most of tn
Eastern Railroads are paying large ii,
idends. By table published from Off
cial sources IN Hunts Magazine, givn
the length, cost and revenues often Raj
roads in Massachusetts, we gather tn;
the aggre gate length of these roads is 55
miles, aggregate cost, $27 .037 ,243, an
average cost per mile, $4S,7l0, Zone {
them cost SIS. 500 per mile and paid 8 pc
cent in ls4S) The average dividend
on these ten roads is about 81 per cent
the highest being 10 and the lowest ~.
Your committee have no official dat
at hand from which to state the actu;
dividends of the leading Railroads in tn
West; but from statements publshe
Sem. officially in the newspapers of tn
day, we learn that the Little Miam Raj
road, from Cincinnati to Springfield, d
clared dividend of99 per cent. for 1874
besides laying down about 20 miles
heavy new Trail and having on han
surplus capital of between SIS an
$40, ,OO0.--The Madison and Indianop'
lis Railroad, (the country through whic
J it runs was ten years ago comparative
} willerness,) has made about ID p,
cent. from 1st February, 1S49, to l
January 1S49, eleven months.
The Mansfield & Sandusky Railroa
with which we must ultimately connec
paid last year about 10 per cent. aft
: paying considerable amount of damag
I and the reports all state that the busne
s is largely and rapidly increasing. Their
{ fore, as a mere investment of none
your committee cannot but believe ;h
: this road is worthy the attention of ca
! talists. If roads at the East, costiI
! from $4,000 to $4,000 per mile, p
y dividends of 8 10 10 per cent, surely
: road through the very heart of the richie
= portion of this greet state ofOhio, Il
d third if not already the second Of the u
$ ion.l not costing more than one third