The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1850-07-05
RAnRoADs- TIE Benefts.- Whsih.

IF extreme doubt. When a person has
made up his mind not to do anything or
not to believe anything, it is a very diff.
icult matter 10 convince him Of the truth
'f theory or the necessity of action.
However, if we ever expect to accom-.
plish anything in these railroad times, we
must labnr aud toll. with head aud hand,
to do it,
Just to hand, exactly suiting our pres
ent puI pose, we find an article upnh this
question of railroad transportation. which
is strong in itself and relates to very i'm.
portant item ofthe products of the farm.
The Kentucky SidteSman says:-
I'VE earn from n gentleman residing near the
line pt Fayetic and Bourbon counties, who is a
large dealer in hogs. that lie drove 500 hogs tn
Ille Cincinnati markets during the past season He
says that he ascsrlnined by actual experience
,ha, the average loss OF weigh, on each hog. re-
sntingf from tie fatgues ofdriving WIS 90 pounds
In order 10 illustrate the subject iutegbly. we
have supposed that the hogs would average 200
pounds. " hIch is generally very reasonable esti
mate. Assuming the datn, let us see how much
loss was sustained by the owner of these 45OO
hogs and how much Of this loss might have been
saved by Tilrond transportation. II is pro er to
prem'Se that the purclaserS insisted upon making
II deduction OF one.lourth Of one cent y ID, in
consequence OF the deterioration OF the quality OF
the pork, resulting from driving. as compared
with railroad transportation. I his we believe is
new feature IN the market. but one which pur
chnsers iisist upon making.
Loss Of weight In driving 500 hugs
averaging 2OO fbs., 29 ibs, euch. l30-
| 500 lbs. at cents. @3,9l5 90
Loss IN quality, cent W ib.. on a..
500 hogs. averaging 200 lbs. total
weight 900 900 lbs ............. $3.50 90
Expenses Of feeding and driving to mur
ket 20 cts. " head; Oh $500 hogs. $3.50 90
Total loss and expense by driving. -. .$9,3l5 90
Deduct cost Of transportation by rail-
road, at so cents W head, liberal
price, on 4,jO0 hogs. $3.50 00
Nett loss by driving as compared with
hallroad transportation. 1850. $500. S7,065 on
This hog dealer is a strong advocate OF
a RAILROAD now In contemplation in his
State. 1t will not only benefit him and
save him considerable labor, but it will
benefit tho farmer by raising the price
both Of Hogs and Coru.
And what ia true of the Pork trade. is
also tue in regald to all othet items of
the farmers surplus, which have to seek
another market.
This question Of railroads. and indeed
Of all facilities for easy. cheap and speedy
transportation, resolves itself into ques.
ton ofoss aud gain, and nothing else.
Ii is easily siated-easiIy understood.
From this county in its corporate capac-
ity. 500, 900 is required for The construc.
tion of railroad To some convenient
point. We will admit almost everything
for the sake Of convenience in the argu
meut-adm that the investment will not
produce dollar in the way ofncome ,ad
mi; that this $lOO 900 agift by the coun-
ty to the road, admit that tax of 81. 900
viii have to be levied for many years to
come to pay the interest. We don't belieoe
this, but zoe wN admit ii. The county
at this time has $7,000.000 of taxable
property and 10 meet the interest, a tax
Of one mill per annum must be levied up
on each dollar Of this property. The
farmer who is worth $4,000, will have
tax to pay each year of .JfCe dollars for
the road. He will have each year. ten
hogs to sell, averaging 200 pounds each,
and upon each one Of these hogs, accord.
ing to the above calculation. he will re.
cieve 81 so additional. Make it bat one.
,hird that sum, and the additional price
which he receives for his hogs. only G1y
cents head, pays the tax upon his prop
ery for this railruad subscription.
This is the pork item alone. Then
comes The surplus wheat, the surplus corn
and dozen smaller items Of the farmers
surplus. the additional profits upon which
would justify the farmers of this county
in voting for county subscription five
times as large. admitting that the railroad
never yielded dollar Of income. Need
we accumulate the argument-speak Of
the increased business Of the town, the
increase Of population and the consequent
inoreas Of the home msrket7 All these
things have bearing upon the question,
but we need not here repeat the argu.
ments advanced in previous article.
We have, in this article. singled out q
single item aud made plain and simple
illustration. 1t is one that can be appre-
ciated by everybody made to conform
To a persons condition who has smaller
or larger means. with like result. A
man may have capital, skill and labor
He may toll or sweat from early morn lu
night, aud at last exclaim, that al his Ia.
bur is in vain. To ge, along well and
smoothly. he mus, cpnform to the spirit
ofthe age, aud make use of the improve.
menlS oi the day. An old illustration oI
the tendency to hold back has been made
to tho effect that our fathers used to ride
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