The Portsmouth inquirer. [volume] (Portsmouth, O. [Ohio]) 1849-1855, 1850-07-08
To the People Of Jackson
County.


II is proper therefore, 10 call your atten-
tion to the subject, in order that your minds
may be clearly made up, as 10 the rightful
performance Of great duty, to yourselves
and posterity.
There is probably no county in the State,
so deeply interested in the question Of such
an Improvement, as the county Of Jackson.
Astounding in inexhaustable stores, OF the
materials Of wealth, but utterly destitute OF
the necessary faculties to make them either
available or valuable.
True. she may console herself that similar
districts in England, which lay for ages, neg
lected and waste, are now byfar, the most
populous and wealthy in the kingdom. But
It would seem but poor consolation for her
to oimagine that centuries hence, such might
possibly be her enviable position.
There is no satisfactory way OF making an
accurate comparison between the two Ell
fects of such an improvement, on the value
of property in such a district, and in mere
ly agricultural one-but they are immensely
greater in the first. But even in merely
Turning districts, they have always been al
most incredible; for instance, the President
of the "Madison and Indianapolis R. Co.,
in late letter to the Board Of Internal I'm
provement, in Fayette county, KY, after
speaking of the similar effects of railroads
generally, says: "Our own road has added
ot less than fifty per cent, to the value of
real estate, within ten miles on either SIDE"
And that same " Board" in their address to
the people of Kentucky, in reference to the
Louisville and Frankfort railroad, say:
along the whole line, SO far as completed
("about % miles) )landshave since risen over
fifty per cent" And the same results in a
greater or less degree, are UNIVERSAL.
Another interesting feature always at
tending the construction of Railroads, is the
great increase Of travel, and consequently
Of business, which they absolutely create.
AS examples in proof Of this assertion.
see the official reports, showing the number
of passengers carried, viz:
The Boston & Lowell Railroad, in l948,
averaged Sundays excepted) 1879 daily.
The Boston & Providence, same year,
averaged 1927 daily
The Boston & Worcester, do. 2,57S 9"
The Boston & Maine, do. 1878
Reports ofother roads are not al hand, but
there can be no doubt, that on all the roads,
from Baltimore to Boston, and many others,
the daily average is still greater.
Hundreds of your citizens can attest the
fact, that only few years since, on the
most public of these routes, some two or
three stage coaches daily, answered all need
full purposes.
These are some of the benefits, to be
reasonably expected, and the enquiry arises
what will they cost?
Perhaps as satisfactory, and as fair an an
swer, as any other may be found in the re-
ports Of the profits Of other roads.
The following are at hand; the Madi-
son & Indianapolis road, has usually made
yearly profit Of about IA per cent, but in
l849, having expended largely in substitut-
ing the heavy T. for her old flat rail, only
declared 81 per cent.
The Little Miami R., in l849, reserying
$l8,l76, declared 81 pr. Ct.
The Louisville and Frankfort R., unfn-
ished, making at the rate Of 8pr. ct.
The Montgomery and West Point, Ala,
also unfinished, last year 81 pr ct.
The Georgia, from Augusta to Atalanta
10pr ct.
The Georgia Central Railroad, 10 pr ct.
The Utica and Syracuse r., cost $44, 500
per mile, last year over 8 pr ct.
The Auburn & Rochester R., cost $4,000
per mile do, near IL pr ct.
The Utica & Buffalo E., cost $4,000 do
do. near l0pr ct.
The Utica & Schenectady R, cost over
$4,000 do. l0i pr ct.
The Tonawanda R., cost over $4,000 per
mile, last year 10 pr. Ct.
The yearly profits of these land they are
not selected for the purpose) are seen to av-
erage 81 per cent. Now according TO the
opinion Of the experienced and able Engi-
neer, who run our line, there is nothing
iazarded in saying, that the average cost,
per mile, of those sleven roads, are more than
double, of what our contemplated road will
cost.
A business, therefore, by our road, equal
to the average of these, would give a yearly
profit of l9S per cent.
But let us not deceive ourselves. Il we
err, let it be on the safe side. If then, 4
averages ono third Of the above estimate, Il
will just about pay the interest on the cos,