The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1853-01-16
THE UNION WASHINGTON SUNDAY MORNING. JANUARY 49, 1888

b
During The whole OF the past summer this company car
RED The United States mail grade OF $50 feet TO the
ne without the aid of assistant power aud every har OF
iron which was laid upon the track, between the King
wood tunnel and falrmont, passed our the same
| summit"
Sand now. (said Mr., Swami. he addressed the i'm
mense multitude who listened TO him at Wheeling y
he occasion IS one IN which feel a pride. When
look back upon the snpendous line OF road which
we have passed-a line three hundred and eighty miles
N exten-blnding together the OF the Ono and
Chesapeake; when reflect that il has involved an out
lay OF more than seventeen millions of capital; when |
contemplate The difficulties with which il has had
tend al almost every stage OF It's progr~ss work
passed IN ts engineering features. and the bodness OF ills
original conception. by any similar work in this coun.
proud satisfaction with which stand before you as the
representative OF that public spirited State by the zeal
and energy OF whose ctxens we have been enabled TO
accomplish these mighty results. lAppause"l
This noble work Is worthy OF the enterprise OF The
Monumental City. II opens new source OF prosperity
10 The city OF Baltimore, and gives a momentum
The progress OF the age But my snecdote goes step
further back than the statement OF Mr. Swami. Permit
me TO tell u, and then 10 apply il to illustrate the
| ishing march OF our country
In the summer OF 1927 visited with part OF my fam
| ,ly, New York ana New England When we reached
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. for the first time saw George Ban.
croft at the Round Hill Academy--we were overak en-
by Governor Kent, OF Maryland, with his suite
loss know the object of his visit until on my ar
rival at Boston, in September, put up with him the
Coffee House, Chen the best hotel in Boson,) where the
mystery explained TO me. Though we differed in
politics. soon formed friendly acquaintance found
him to be liberal in his views as he was Intelligent
The next morning he invited me and OF the ladies
with me TO join his excursion into the country. We
accompanied by Mr. Josiah Quincy, hen The mayor
of the city, Mr.. T. Perkins. and other gentlemen, and
for the first lime witnessed what often heard of the
refined hospitality of the citizens Of Boston. Al.
then found that the governor of Maryland had visited
Boston for the purpose of seeing the Quincy railroad 1t
had been constructed with the design of Transporting the
granite from Mr.. Perkins's quarry build up the
market the Medical Hospital, and other noble structures
of the cty-about two or three miles long For the
first time railroad but the moved by
little pony, and | astonished TO the immense
blocks Of granite which he enabled move on the
iron rails The iron horse with the flames issuing from
his nostr, then used Steam had not yet been
applied to the remember the pleasure which Gov
ernor Kent testified the occasion. He had visited
Boston TO the Quincy railroad in anticipation of
the great road which Baltimore about 10 construct
the Ohio.
| Mark, this short road, and the Mauch Chunk. not a
mile long, Intended convey coal from the mines to the
point OF embarkaon, then the only rail-
roads in in the United States. This was in 1927
only twenty five years ago-and now what says the
| American Railway Times of the 9th Instant
| 1.-THE whole number of miles now in operation is
3s47 costing about SaQs at an average cost Of
about $29,500 per mile There is of cons,ruc.
lion l04ls miles. and in all probability the whole of this
will be finished during the five years large
Der of projects daily maturing, and preliminary
surveys are now bel made Tor many thousands OF miles
Some OF these lines will be built and some will not We
calculate with great degree OF certainty upon The
construction of five thousand additional miles
1 by January /, 1860 Taking this extremely moderate
estimate, and railway system in 1890 will stand as
| follows: a.~
Miles in operation January |. 1853 1887
Miles in construction JauuBry l, 1858 l0,iiS
Miles 10 be constructed by January ], 1860 600
Total miles January |, 1860 y, 265
The new railway projects to be finished during The
coming egh, years (ss the Journa) we have stated in
round numbers III 500 miles. This estimate 10 an ex.
uemely moderate one, will be when state that
the opened during the past year has been 2S2
miles II take that average tor the next eight years,
it would show three thousand miles than our
estimate The possibility OF commercial revolution, or
other adverse elements, influences our estimate, and JUS
tiies moderation II we take the above estimate of 20
265 miles, and aEe the average cost per mile, equipped
and running, show the enormous aggregate oil $685.
337 $40 invested in the railways of the United Slaes
These cars, too, not moved by ponies, but by the
Gigantic arm OF steam" They not confined 10 levels
but ascend great heights and Of them penetrate
mountains through tunnels Is there any single phenom-
enon in our whole growth which more strongly illustrates
The astonishing Improvement OF our glorious country
What can arrest it's progressl Who can measure its
greatnessi Who cay, Thus far shalt thou go.
and no furtherr A VIRGlNIAN.