The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1849-11-15
REMARKS

tfOyS hR. =. ~. subway, :,
Rad .Meeii.g held at Ne Court House " f,ar
| er>,ys, on Monday erseng, asA Oesoesf.
M. CuAmaAs:-O sllthe revolutions which
s,sSn, is working upon The commerce and CIVIL
lixa,ion Of the world, that which is being wroogh
by its conn, xion with Railways Is not the ieas
renarka able. Tac settlements which have beer
made, and ara still making, upon our nas'gae''
water courses OH LAX es, and the trade resulting
were aud are predica:ed upon the Assumption
that some form Of transportation, besides wagon
lin9,G 10 the srea, markets, can be obta'ned.-
Steam Boats track up the settlements. The.
follow up the trade which is provided tor them
4 but never move in anticipation OF i. Inc re-
verse Of this may be true Of Railways Aitho
in the beginning they were buiis with reference
to trade already existing, yet experience mas de-
monstrated tho accuracy Of the position, that
| thew need be on no established ,horoughfares Of
trade and travel 10 become profitable invests
men,s, or 10 obtain large and substantial tom.
merce. The impression, once universal, that
large Cities are Indispensable rs tsrmsm tor III
Roads has proven to be fallacy. Tae reverse
istrue. In this age Of progress, Rail koGds are
indispessable 10 Cities. Without them cities will
become isolated towns and towns will become
dilspidated villages. The time is near At hand
when our navigable rivers will be comparatively
deserted BY travel, and when even trade, "
on all our natural thoroughfares, will be Obliged
to move Under the sharp competition Of the iron
highways that IRE destined to track our great
country in alnos, every direction. 4
i, is this new ligh, in regard to the overshaG-
owing influence Of R1il Roads, which accounts
for the gigantic exeHions now being made by
our Atlantic cities TO connec, themselves by
Railway with the vast resources OF the NJ ssissir-
pi Valley. Rail Roads are becoming indlspensa-
BILE TO cities; but neither cities nor established
commerce are necessary to Rll R,ads. They
are the creators Of their own trade--the founders
!, and builders of their own cities. Tney are oc-
hind the age who contend that new and sparsely
settled countries, no matter how richly they may
he endowed by nature, are no, Justified in the
construction OF such costly enterprises.
When the Little Mani R,il Road was pro-
iected it was laughed at by intelligent business
men Of Cincinnati as visionary scheme, certain
| IL fifty years in advance OF either the wants or
the capacity Of The country. 8, much was i,
embarrassed by this want OF confidence IN the
community that should have t,stered il, that
the Company was, at one time. obliged to make
an assignment OF their effects 10 ward of the ar
noyance of petty suits before magistrates. NJ
ny who conceded that the Road might have some
trade, allotted to il only what il could draw from
the Mani Clnal. Tie revenues of the Canal
have been rcgullrly increasing While at the same
time the business Of the Road has been paying IL
FER cent dividends and the stock has become 50
valuable as TO be Withdrawn from the market.
The Mad River and Lake Eric Rail R,ad be-
tween Springfield and Sandusky Ciiy--a distance
OF 1879 miles through comparatively ,hinly por-
ulated portion Of Ohio, and which, when located.
passed through 40 miles of wilderness, declared
dividend Of II per cent for the frs; ten months
Of lite operations. Tsos,hrds Of the whole pre-
ceeds we're for pay trade and fravc!, -;he way
freight alone being Sil1,e0e,s8 and The way
travel about as much more.
The NJ ,dison and Indianapolis Rail Roaa, IS
miles long, runs ut nearly right angles with the
great lines Of travel cast and wes',-.oca,ed
through sparsely peopled country, with towns
as ,ermini Of bu, or 5000 people, is paying IA
per cent dividends. On the very day Of the COM
pletion Of this Road to Indianapolis wheat advan-
vanced 10 cents per bushel III the face OF fall
ing market every where else.
The Mansfield and Slndusky r rad sc miles
long relying exclusively upon agricultural sup
port, it is said, was able to divide 20 per cent
profits upon IFS last years operations.
Here are four Roads dependant either entirely
or mainly upon the transportation Of land pre-
duc,s, which make larger dividends than any
Roads terminating at the large cities of the sea-
board. To the list may appropriately be added,
the short piece of Road at Chicago, which it is
said, is already paying profits equal 10 from Is to
% per cent upon its cost. These facts are n-
portant TO the proper consideration Of the proba-
BILE profits of the Rock Island and In Sale r il
Road. In connexion with proper appreciation
of the natural resources Of the country between
Rock Island and Peru, and its ability to supper.
very heavy population, these instances 60 to
prove that al the elements are there, and wait
merely the stimulus of the Road to be developed,
To what pecullarites is the great influence Of
Rail Roads to be attrbutedl Obviously their
capacity for cheap transporta,ion--the rapidly
oftranst upon them, OF both freight and passen-
gers-and their carrying into fertile regions, 9th
erwise destitute Of commercial facilities. all The
security Of canal transportation with Gar more
than the rapidity Of the best river or ocean, nav
igaton They practically, almost annihaate
time and space. They place the remote interior
in close neighborhood with the great markets OF
the seaboard, and through them an cutie. 10 all
the world.
Tne daily development Of these characters
tics, in forms more striking and papabe, is grad
ually arraying against Rail Roads the interests
and prcjudices Of the farmers east of the noun
tans. Along the lines OF the several Railways
now ascending the Alleghanies, the eastern Az
rlculturists hear already the sturdy tramp of the
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