The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1853-04-12
The m next esTTiiquiry5is sTi what wvouldbs the cost


The next enguiry5is what wouldbe, the cost
of building this road.
! Here we have facts again,t o guide our ;judg
ment. The!Fayeitevi!e and Western Road,
as far as laid down, including the expense of
crossing creek with bridge, and tie build.
ing the necessary toll.houscs, cost Sl465. per
mile, according to the Report Of, the President
made in April last. But we donot regard this
as a safe fact for MS to rely OH, because we find
labor and material to be cheaper in North Ca
rolina than with us for instance, that conpa
ny obtained their plank at sixty seven cents
per hundred feet, and the. stringers, Tor timber
ON which the plank lays at thirty.one cents
per hundred feet, delivered along the line Of
road We know that the plank and stringers
will cost more in South Carolina. and therefore
we make our calculations upon the prices in
South Carolina of such lumber, and of labor; |;
and upon such data, we calculate that the cost
of the road will he about nineteen hundred dol
lars per mile, which, at sixty-iiye miles,, will
make the whole cost, including dollhouse and
all fixtures, to be one hundred and twenty
three thousand FIVE hundred dollars, Say sl24,.
600. We do not believe that under any pro.
per management, the. road cam cost $4,000 per
mile. 81
The cost Of grading, judging again from
+ North Carolina experience, will amount to
$l50 per mile-eqnal to Sc, $50, say $4,000.
We may fairly calculate that the owners ofthe
lands through which the road runs, will be
willing to grade the road and take the value
in stock, which would leave only $4,000 in
money to be raised and that l00men in Ker.
shaw, 100 men'in Lancaster, so men in Union,
aud 20 men in Lower sMecklenbufg, at 460
each, can readily accomplish. -.
The next enquiry will be, independent Of,
and in addition to, the, general benefit to, the
country by building this road, will it support
itself and pay fair dividend9
TO solve this question, it is necessary to
know the present trade from the country
through which the road will run, to Camden:
To get at these facts, one of this Committee
has personally applied to every merchant in
precise number of'wagons which brought loads
to this place for trade-from 1st September
ls49, to 3lst August 1850, one year. From
this investigation, the following facts are. de.
rived. The country above Camden Sent to
that place. ip one year up to 3lst August 1850,
20,700 bales Of cotton, lknown now to have
been a. short crop in $3.50 wagons at e-bales
to wagon, and other produce generally ini I50
wagons. ,;s -. =.
Taking these. data, wesmake the following
calculations:
INCOME.
0700 bales cotton at bales instead of six to load
gives l725 cotton wagons.
725 cotton wagons the wholeway IS miles
and return, at cents per mile, is ... S2,827.5O
1000 cotton wagons, half distance and re- !,
turn, at same, = g. $4,000
return at cents, :. 14s5.oo
miles and return, s75.oo
Stage, 10000
Pleasure carriages 100, average So, 10000
Wood wagons from Camden 1000 at 25cts, 250.00
$ll,Ol7.50
ANNUAL EXPENSES
President, $1,000
| Treasurer 500
Three Gate keepers at $3.50, 450 49,
Interest at 6 per cent. on cost (Sl24,-
600, 7,440--8,3 800
For repairs and accumulation Sl,6275o