The Portsmouth inquirer. [volume] (Portsmouth, O. [Ohio]) 1849-1855, 1851-10-24

line Of road, oset the trade and travel Of this
portion Of the West. Being the most south
efn OF the East-aIad- West lines projected
through Ohio with no danger Of more
southern rival. it must intercept the entire
current Of business flowing from q south
westerly direction 10 the eastern cities; -
and whether this business be brought upon
our road west Of Chillicothe. las originally
conte mplated, in the offer of connection
with the Hillsboro' Company at Hillsboro') J
or secured to us By the completion OF the
Scioto & Hooking Valley line, il will prove
most important item in our accounts Of
profits. While the more northern lines Of
railway, in Ohio, must dipidc, among them
selves, the business of a parallel $50 miles
in width. south Of the Lake shore;--to this
Company belongs, exclusively, the field ss
far south as trade and travel can be attracted
to pass the mountains upon either the Balti-
more or Pennsylvania roads, Nature has
marked out and, in fact, will permit no COM
petitor, except the Ohio river; and that, for
most purposes, hereafter must take the place
Of an auxiliary rather than rival.
The distance from Cincinnati to Mariet-
to, by Railroad, will be 1888 miles; by The
channel OF the river, it is 300 miles;-.thus
making difference Of full 20 hours, in time,
oyer the best boats running the river. From
Portsmouth TO the same point, by water. is
200 miles;-by Railroad il twill be 100 miles.
Passengers leaving the river at Louisville,
and passing by way Of Lexington and Mays
vile, over this road. TO Philadelphia or Bal
timore, viii! reach Wheeling in l6 honrs =
instead Of so, by water.
The same advantages and rates of COM
parison will apply to the extension Of this
southern runk-line, fiom Maysville through
Lexington, Nashville, and Jackson, Miss. TO
New Orleans.
BY this route, which will be the most d.
rect of any from New Orleans TO New York,
(upon which roads are in progress Of con-
struction, for a considerab portion Of the
way,) the distance from New Orleans to
Wheeling will be about 1000 miles, and can
be run in forty. y.eight hours. By water, the
distance is 1000 miles, and the time by
steamboat, twelve days.
With its western connexions extended di.
rectty from Cincinnati to ST. Louis, BY the
Ohio and Mississippi read; and, by way Of
Dayton and indianapolis, 10 the centre Of
Indiana and Illinois; and by Maysville and
Lexington, 10 Louisville and Nashville, it
becomes the GREAT CENTRAL ROUTE
FOR THE VALLEY OF OHIO.
That portion of Ohio which must rely up
on this road, as their shortest and best route
to the sea-board markets; comprises an area
OF 10000 square miles, with a population
of GA to each square mile, and an annual
product of cereal grains OF 81 900 900 bush
els. The six New England States, with an
area OF $4,000 square miles, have an average
density OF population Of about 40 to the
square mile, and produce not more than
30, 900. 900 bushels Of grain. New England
sustains nearly 5000 miles Of railway; south.
ern Ohio has about 100 ip operation. If
railroads in the former, at an average cost
OF 5000 per mile, will pay a fair dividend
there can be no doubt that similar invest
men's in the latter, are safe, when built for
less than half the money.
Kentucky and Middle and West Tennes
see have no direct railroad route, to either
Baltimore, Philadelphia or New York.
Such route, however, is opened to them,
by the completion Of their own lines, to
Maysville and Portsmouth, thence, by the
Scioto and Hooking Valley route, 10 its in
tersection with this road. The topography
OF the country bordering the Ohio river, on
either side, between Portsmouth and Mare.-
ia, utterly forbids the idea of rival line.
The distance from Nashville To New
York, by way of Lexington, Gin
cinnati, Cleveland, and New
York and Erie road is ll39m's.
Nashville TO New York, via Mays
vile, Wheeling and Philadel-
pnia, 9S4
Difference, l55
A richer field for railroad enterprise is not
Offered in tn Uuiled States;-one which
practically gives to the Marietta and Gin.
cinnat Railroad and the eastern markets
connected with it the exclusive contro! oil
as much business as can be cldimed by any
two or three Of the more northern lines.
By order Of the Board of Directors,
w. P. CUTLER, President.
Chillicoihe, O., August 20, 1851.
The proceedings Of meeting in Phila-
delphia, relative to connecting that city
with the Cincinnati and Belpre mad we