The Literary echo, and Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1854, 1853-04-21
Railroad Statistics.

| OF the steam horse. rom the time
when the venerable pilgrim fathers land
ed on
A" New England's stern and rock. bound
coast"
To this year of grace, 1853, have her
sons, and daughters too, been distinguish
ed for their indomitable spirit of energy
and perseverance which indeed was
somewhat matter of necessity, on ac-
count Of the ruggedness and natural
sterility of the soil As the number of
inhabitants increased and the produc-
tions of the soil became inadequate to
the support of the population, of course
it became necessary for the denizens to
turn their attention to some other and
more prolific source of industry than that
of cultivating the earth, for the produc-
tion of some commodity to offer in ex-
change for the necessaries and even lux
uries of life, to those who should inhabit
more highly favored regions. The
bounding streams and the rushing cat
aracts suggested to the shrewd Yankee
that he should be the manufacturer Of
the raw material raised by his brethren
in more fertile sections of the country.
In process of time-a very short time
the streams of New England are bound
to the wheel of the manufacturer, her
villages are teeming with busy popula-
ton, while her hills re-echo the hum of
the spindle and the clatter of the
shuttle.
The natural sequence of this was a
demand for some rapid, safe and cheap
communication between the manufac-
turer and the consumer, as well as the
producer of the raw material. Immedi-
ately the rivers are spanned, the noun
tains tunnelled, the valleys raised, the
crooked places made straight, and the
snort of the iron horse is heard as he
rushes along accompanied by the thun-
der of the well-ladcn train, bearing the
products of enterprise and genius tc
other parts of the land.
The oldest railroad in the New Eng
land States is the Boston and Lowell
which was commenced in 1881. The
longest, is the Western, being 80 miles
lin length which was also the most ex.
pensive, having been built at the cost Of
some So, ,953,7 the shortest, which
was also the most costly in proportion tc
its length, is the Old Town Extension
being only one half a mile in length and
having cost $2S, ,735 in its construction
The only railroad in this State is the
Providence and Stonington, which is SO
miles long, was commenced in 1888,
and cost $2,6OO,O00. Massachusetts,
has |, ,l34 miles of railroad, at a cost Of
S5l, 1919 ,s14; Connecticut, 5l3 miles
at a cost of $l6,642 ,03l ; Vermont
412 miles, at cost of $16,967,900
t New Hampshire, 4s2 miles, at a cost o
, S14, ,736 ,339 Maine, 322 miles, at ;
cost of So, ,554. Making granc
total of completed railroads in the New
England States of 2 ,9l3 miles, at cos
of Sll1,4 ,469,33s.
S In the whole country there is 1929,
d miles of completed railroad, IL, ,9S2 mile
r of railroad in various stages of progress
t and about 1000 miles in the hands o
engineers, which will probably be com
pleted within the next three or fou
years-making a total of 3,l55 mile
: of railroad which will soon traverse tn
u country, which, at an average cost o
}, $50, ,000-(a well-ascertained average
S for each mile of road, including equip
n ments, &C., will have consumed capi
y tai amounting to 1894, 900; or, i
u round nlmbers-$l 100000, ,OOO-on
It billion of dollars a sum which, at 6 pc
d cent, would yield $50, 900, 900 annual
e ly, or more than sufficient to cover a
L. the expenses of the United States Gov
ernment and of the Government c
d every State composing the Union
G administered with republican simplicit,