The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1852-05-13
From the Washington Republic.
INFLUENCE OF RAILROADS ON THE vALUl
or,

| OF LAND.
The experience Of Massachusetts, New
York. and Ohio, affords abundant ilustra-
tions OF the great addition impaired 10 the
value of lands and other real property by
the construction Of railroads. In Mass.
achusetts, for example, railroads have moro
than doubled the value Of property, a. ex-
hibtcd in the Auditors reports, and have
! reduced the average rate oftaxation ia the
! State more than one-half. The increase
Eof value Is not confined to the immediate
vicinity of lines, though Of course greasest
in those localities; in proof Of which we
may cite the fact that in l640 the value Of
| property in those counties Of Mass achu-
setts through which 20 railway passes, ex-
Ihibited an increase, compared with the
value in 1910, Of S156, ,000, COO, as the ef-
feet Of the indirect power ofsuch improve.
men,s. In Ohio, where the works are OF
moro recent growth, and where, as yet, no
Icompleie system is in operation, correspon-
iding results have been announced from
ltime TO time, less general, perhaps, in
their operations, but serving sufficiently 70
foreshadow the advantages soon TO be dit
fused over the State.
The current number Of De Bow's Re-
ciep contains a statement prepared by
the promoters Of the New Orleans and OPP
elousas railroad, which embodies facts OF q
similar nature, but less generally known,
with regard to Southern States. Georgia
LANDS, that were in the market IN !S46 at
from ten to fifty cents per acre, command
ed in lS46--when the Chattanooga rail-
road was in operation from ten to TWEEN
ty dollars. The same road, in IT'S cxten-
sion from Chattanooga TO Nashville, Ten.
Inessee. passed through the counties OF
Franklin, Bedford, Rutherford, and David
son; and the Auditors books for these
counties show an advance in the value OF
their property Of 1854 ,639 in one year.
So of the Mobile and Ohio railroad: lands
iha. had been in the market without pur-
chaser for thirty years, have since the lay.
ling out Of that road advanced to three, and
in many instances as high as eight dollars
per acrc. In South Carolina, again, Colo
mel GApsDEs, State Superintendent Of rail-
roads, affirms shat the immense increased
Evalne impaired 10 lands is from 500 TO
! 5 ,0G0 per cent"
i Facts Of this description might be multi
lplied 10 an almost indefinite extent; but
we have recapi,uia,ed sufficient to exhibit
The mportan, bearing which proper rail-
road projects have upon the material in
lteresis OF the country, and the gain which
The whole country may therefore expect to
derive from many Of the undertakings that
J now await the favorable action Of Cor
gress. Viewed in this light, the grants Of
Epnblic land that have called forth bitter
hostility in many quarters are IN reality
: based upon The soundest financial policy,
land, if honestly improved, will be the
means Of swelling the receipts OF the ma
tional treasury TO au extent Of which il is
difficul, to perceive the limit. The appeal
to Congress rests, not upon the coDjec-
lures of specuIators, but on the well-ascer-
Itained results Of railroad enterprise 10 the
older States; and judicious restrictions on
the grantees, coupled with business-like
management of the reserved sections, are
all that can be neededtc secure repay
ment Of both principal and interest. The
Government, as trustee Of the public do
main, is asked to do nothing moro than 10
done daily by private landed proprietors,
or private capitalists in every branch Of
trade. Outlays for purposes Of improve
ment, il managed with integrity, rarely
prove Improbable: and there is Lo reason
that we can perceive for imagining that
the outlay in the form Of land grants will
presen, an exception TO the rule. Iowa or
Arkansas may be the first to reap the ben
eft, but sooner or later a just proportion
will accrue to all the States, east and west.
| Virginia and Massachusetts will then dis
cover that great gifts and great Losses are
in this matter by no means identical.
One OF THE PRoMlslNG FEATURES OF
Iowa is, that her farmers and mechan-
les, depending on The soil exclusively for
living, arc availing themselves of all the
advantages Of il, and are rapidly develop
ing the riches Of their most noble State
We have repeatedly noticed the thrift Of
her farmers, and fact that came to our
knowledge, calls out these remarks. A tar-
mer, living on the Msquoketa, brought iu-
10 this city the other day, six hundred
pounds Of ruap!e SUGAR, made by his own
hands, from rock naples growing on tbs
banks of the river named. He sold il rap
idly, for ten cents the pound, where New
Orleans sugar equal saccharine proper
| ties would not have brought more than half
that SUN. There are several families Of
Germans living in Jackson county, we
might mention Ia this connection, who en-.
pioy their leisure hours, winter and sum
4 kunl ~ iii L.
Ike, willow, that fringes every branch
creek and river in that vicinity. They
make neat and strong article for market,
clothes and fancy buskei; and the indus-
lrious fellows may be seen almost every
Saturday, trudging into town under .
white stack Of their wares, where they dis
pose Of them readily, at good prices.
Cnccess IN fhe indusf riosya Drfr3t,cerS of