The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1853-03-22
sM is CELL A N E O u S
From the Southern Is. CO. Agriculturist.
The Value of Railroads.

ment, which we write down as a cap
tion to this article. The water was
alive with river craft-the shores with
busy laborers. The broken bridge,
picturesque in its mistortuncs, stood
high in it's desolate usclessncss, while
the heavy laden trains, with Kissing
engines, were bearing rich freights to
anxious consignecs. Bales of cotton,
barrels and boxes Of produce and mer-
chandise, covered the sand strewn
shore, and the tributes Of river and
road here presented forcible illustra,
tion Of the extent of the products and
wants of those who dwell in the interior
ofthe State. Never again can we re-
turn to the old system of wagon trans
portasion; for Railroads have become
Fixed amongst the nccessaries of life
and fixed, too, by a sterner principle
than that usually accorded to mere con
venience. When profit attaches to
any mode of transportation, all who
can avail themselves Of that mode will
stick to il. The common roads are no
worse now than when the cntire mid
-dleand back country wagoncd their
produce to market; the liver is still op
EN- from Alston to Columbia: yet thou
sands of planters have waited to trans
port their cotton bales on the Railroad,
and their river boats discharge and
transfer their cargocs as soon as
they strike it. These facts prove the
yalS Of Railroads to the producers of
our staple crops-and We have no need
70. go farther than the past years expc-
rience, to show the truth of our a~scr-
tion; but when we add the public con-
yenience afforded to travel-thc rapid
transportation of the mails, and the
other benefits arising to a community
from the perfect system of accommo-
dations of this sort, the, fact is incon-
trfitsSssss.sssale.
u. il q /, :, .lf lt,zts
Journal, we find some capital remarks
on the subject, which we extract:
sit is well known" says the Railroad
journal, that upon the ordinary high
way, the economical limit to transpor-
sation is confined within compara-
lively few miles, depending Of course
upon the kind of freight and charac.
ter Of the roads. Upon the average of
ouch ways, cost of transportation is
not far from fifteen cents per ton
per milo, which may be considered as
sufficiently correct estimate for an
average of the country. Estimating at
TIE same time the value of wheat at
$3.50 per bushel, and corn at rs cen 5,
and that 3' bushels of each are equal
to ton, the value OF the former would
be equal to its cost Of Transportation for
$50 miles, and the latter 1868 miles. At
these respective distances from mark
ct, neither Of the above articles would
have any commercial value, with only
q acommon road as an avenue to mark.
OF.
"But We find that We can move prop
erty upon Railroads ut the rate of
one-fifth per ton per mile, or for one
tenth the cost upon the ordinary road.
These works, therefore, extend the
economic limit Of the cost of transpor-
.tntion Of the above articles to $500,
and 1850 miles respectively. At
the limit Of the economical move
ment of these articles upon the COM
mon highway, by the use of Railroads,
wheat would be worth S44,5O, and
corn S22,l7, which sum respectively
would represent the actual increase OF
value created by the intcrposition of
such work.
"It will be seen that the value
of lands are effected by Railroads in
she same ratio as their products. For
instance: land lying upon a navigabe
water course, or in the immediate vi
,cinity of a market, may be worth for
the culture Of wheat $40. Let the
average crop be estimated at twcn-
sy-two bushels to the acre, valued at
$33, and the cost Of cultivation at
.8l5, this would leave $lS per acre as
the net profit. This quantity Of wheat
ltwo-thirds Of a tony could bc trans
ported $50 miles at cost of one cent
per mile, or $3.50, which would leave
,8l4,7O as the net profit of land at
that distance from market, when
connected with it by q Railroad.
no Yalue OF the land, therefore, adj
mitting the quality to be the same
IN both cases, would bear the same ra
Ito to the assumed value of 500, as
tbs value of its products, $l4 70, does
toslS, or $S2 per acre, which is
an actual creation Of value to that
almrount, assuming the correctness of
the premises. The same calculation
may ofcourse be applied with equal
force !, 70 any kind and species Of prop
9'l 9elrty.p
y. t.ps bear no more opposition to
thslmPoitant Railroads projected to
benefit the people ufour State. Argu-
mentss like the above should convert
Erunbllng aud backward capitalists in
to earnest supporters and contributing
stnckholderss Ii the stock in. new