Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1853-11-12

ence Of 35 miles. With these corrected dis.
,ances, and without taking into account the
superiority Of grade of the Sunbury and Etie,
which would, of course, greatly lessen ex-
pense of transportation, lie, us see how stands
the relative cost Of coal, from the two re.
gions, on lake Erie.
From shamokin to Erie, e6o miles ut n charge Of
est is 81 36l
Total cost 81 3ol
cost is So lGl
Cost OF coal at mines, say 90
Tonl cost at Buffalo from Wyoming 81 40l
Total cost at Erie from Shamoku 436
Difference in favor of shamokn 1Ol
Instead of the 10 cents per ton against the
region, while in actual distance there is s
miles in favor of the Sunbury and Ellie
rorie
This changes somewhat the complexion of
the wriers's fgures-snfTiciently so TO give
nice advantage to the middle Region
though it is far less that is claimed, with
great plausibiliiy, by those who are presum-
ed to be well versed in the various rontes
leading 10 the Lakes of the Northwest. Mr..
LoNGEYEcKER, President of the Philadelphia
and Snnbury road, in late report, not only
shows that the Sunbury and Erie route has
an advantage, in distance of 35 miles over
the route from Scranton TO Buffalo, over the
route from Scranton 10 Dunkirk. % miles
and over the route from Pits,on TO Dun
kirk, sc miles; bnt takes the position that
the Sudbury and Erie railway can deliver
coal at Erie at S4 per ton, with a profit Of
ST so; at which rates 10 per cent, on a
capital of SIS, 900 900, would be yielded the
Company for the transportation of one million
tons coal alone, This, it must be borne in
mind, is simply the revenue derivable from
back freight, the same cars bringing TO the
east the products of the Lake country, as
well as The productions of The belt of country
through which The road passes, some eighty
miles wide, and carrying 10 the West, in re-
turn, the coal of the Middle Region. Such.
Mr.. L. shows very plainly, cannot be the
and Erie road, portion of which railway i.
used by Wyoming region TO reach Buffalo -
He says:
"The Lackawana Coal region is not in
the line or in The course of the New York
and Erie from Dankirk 10 New York-but is
reached by The road of the Lackawana Rail-
road Company, 4S miles in length, and run
ming of ina westerly direction from New
York. The return cars Of the New York and
Erie road could not reach the Lackawana
coal fields without going and returning dis
tance Of As miles, equal 10 DETECTION of 96
miles. If, therefore The cars or boats carry.
ing coal from the Lackawana region 90 wes
loaded and return to their coal fields empty
the consequence is that the distances are
nearly doubled upon them, as compared will
cars carrying coal over the Sunbury and Erie
whieh go out loaded, and return not only aritl
cargoes paying expenses, but .freightcd riii
such goods as ,cill pay more profitable rsmu
neration than The coal carried lrestwdrd.
think it clear, therefore, that in reearIin!
your extraordinary advantages in distance
and carrying coal as back freight, that yen
road will oulrival all possible competition 70
carrying coal"
1t is proper 10 remark here that Mr. Longe
necker, in his estimate of distances from III,
Wyoming region, compared with the Shamo
kin region, adds the usual allowance 70
,ranshipment at different PAGES. This Mi
account for the discrepancy between his iis
ures and those upon which the p'eceiio- cal
cnla,ion is based. OF the Two, his is neaFes
The mark in The shipment Of coal, but ei,he
places The Sunbury and Erie far enough il
the foreground 10 be ou, Of the reach of III,
rou'e from the Wyoming. It will be seen, too
that MIR. L., whose close conneXion with III
Middle Region enables him TO speak advis
edly upon this point, gives il as his oplaio
that coal can be delivered al Erie, over tn
Suubury and Erie route, for 81 per ton
Now, even admitting that The assumption
with regard TO The Wyoming reg,on be cor
rect, the Shamokn region reaches the LAX
still at less cost.
paramount Importance to our Philadelphia
friends-lhe terminus Of The Sunbury an
Erie Railway, al Etie, is in the neighborhoo
Of one hundred mites farther west on the LAX
than Buffalo. This great advantage cannc
fail TO attract he bulk of travel from ou
cities of the Lake country. Il is feature i
the route unapproachable by any other line
whether leading through onr own stale {
New York.
But, IN the comparison of distance betwee
The two regions, il will be observed, no not
is made Of a difference in grades. The a,
tnai number Of miles is alone considered.
should not be understood from this that III
routes rom Shamokin to Erie, aud fror
Scranton TO Buffalo, are on like footing
this respect Such wonld be highly err
neous impression. The Iact OF The case
that the Sunbury and Erie route enjoys srea
er advantage over lis rival, in favorab
grades, than il does in distance. This w
be admltted when il is known that the a
J cending grades Of the route BY Scranton a
S somewhere about one-lhird more feet IN;
{ the Sunbury and Erie route. This superior
3 ~ places The Middle Region in a position
"A coIn ma n,i a laroa n rot ~.