The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1849-03-23
RAILWAY ENTERPRISE IN THE UNI.
= SG TED STATES.

AZ 40 TED STATES.
' II is a mater Of legitimate pride an
, coDgrsiulatiea 10 The American people tina
their comparatively infant country shout
already he accommodated with large
, amount Of rn,iway communication thai
sny other country 10 the world. u is dif
hcvlt 10 believe that this can be the case :
that nation which was fighting for IL.
very birth only seventy yeais ago, shoult
already have ou,stripped the horny nations
OF the Old World ia the successful employ
ment OF these most important auyilisfie,
to civi'izatioD, Tefnemen Bbd social hap
piness.
On the FIRST Of January last, there were
SIX thousand four hundred and twenty one
(6,42l) mlIrs Of rail iaid in lhs United
States, and in operation.
In the United Kingdom OF Gfca, B,ilain
and Ireland there we're only fur thousand
four hundred and twenty less than 10 The
United States inst two thousand and one
miles. La Franco there we're one thou.
sand two hundred and fifty in Germany,
three hundred and sevenry aud in tie r, 81
Of Europe, only sixteen hundred aud ,hir.
ly.eighi mics.
IL Is worthy Of beirg borre in uind,
that none Of the railroads il the United
States have received auy AID from the
General Government, " hile there is scaree.
y one IN operation in Europe, which has
not been chiefly, if NJ; entirely tuili al The
public eapen.e. Many, Of rather some Of
our roads have received The aid Of the
Stale Governments, but probably the hole
amount Of public money Invested in this
kInd e property, does not exceed, if il
equals Two per cei.t upon the aggregate
amount Of RAILROAD capital in The Uu,ed
States.
In this connexion, i, may be Interesting
to compare Tbs cos, Of roads 10 Eng.aod !
with those in this country, 10 see whe,aor
'ae difference may not suggest some pro.
i,able differences The average Gus, Of
all the railroads in the United Shies has
been, say $50 eco per mile. 10 France,
say $4,000. In Eaglaud, say sI45 GOO
or nearly five times hs much as in the
United States. Doubtless. the work in
Eng and is IN the main much heller, in
many particulars, than the roads in This
They are probably more secure.
They are extensively orHaineuted; great
n attention has been paid ia some instan.
'es 10 The luxurious tastes OF large class
# passengers in England Who travel with.
'ut reference 10 expense, and who can ac.
ord my pricc almost, IN reason, for a sin.
,ie additional comfort.
To oblige this class. no doub, q vast
AMOUNT of mnney IL wasted m giving uune.
.eassry security 10 the works, machinery
ind management Of the road, 10 the con-
'enience, of passengers IN travelling upon
hem, &c, all which, however, is Just SO
much Of /. tax upon tie poorer classes, who
ro prepared TO submit. cheeriuly 10 the pri.
atoms and dscomfot,s with this extra
,ense 10 designed to remove, but towards
which they can Ill afford TO contribute.
b la this country, Nancy
lpon unnecessary securities, upon the idle
or uDacc8staned luxuries in our
,ars, depois or elsewhere (; VIZ simply con.
ave 10 set our cars IN motion, without
osng sight Of any important comfort. and
{ tie same time, with due regard to the {
interests Of that largest class IN the com.
nunity, 10 whom high fares are cquivaen,
o prohibition from travelling. Rail
Road ca: tie.