The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1854-01-19
THE DAILY DISP ATCH.
TAURsDAY MORNING, JANUARY 10. lssa.
Correspondence Of che Dispatch.
pEraoIr. Ian,y 10. lss4.

DETROIT, Jany 10, 1854
M Enron The victims of circumstances need
no apologies and indeed, cschcwing such matters
Of form aieass think you VIII altogether fail of
obtaining one for our hardness In the present IN
S,ance
We are Just now in or near n,ii-winter, phrase
which. with u.s. means something more than few
frosty nights and pleasant days, as with you. Have
a us1e of wenther" when the ground IL frozen
foot or mere deep, the thermometer Mt IL Ia deg
=, noon with cutting "Nor-Wester' blowing, and
The PRICES OF fuel and frs would rise in your est
nation a. once. But this is only comparative;
many i've i'm comfort between ms and the North Pole
yet. The Fab was very mild, and navigation unia
ferruptd until the last ten days, and still Is far
our port and river are concerned Still II would
not be safe or profitable aud our docks are lined
with the hundreds OF steam and sail craft bare of
canvass waiting or preparing for early start In
the Spring A list of disasters on the lakes in 1853
lust published gives e66 disasters involving the loss
of 81 lives and ssh li3 Of property less than 1852
by as Ewes and Slis,5l6, hut 81 moro aceiients.-
The loss by steam vessels was S46l, 500 by sail
craft S4l2,3i3 and the greatest amount ON Lake
Ontario Six steamers, two propellers and thirty
sail vessels have gone out OF existence. The bust
ness has been very profitable and the season long,
from March to the last of December. The waters
are now so bounded by railroads, that henceorward
frcights and eaigrants will employ the shipping
The Michigan Central Railroad Co. has just de
cared dividend of eight per cent on their capita
stock Of S4,s56.700 which leaves undivided over
$4,000 The receipts of the six months ending De-
previous
elk are not at hand The whole property of the
company including cash and bonds, is counted at
S9.3i32l2, and the length OF track 27s miles. con-
meeting at its West end with several great roads to
the Mississippi and Ohio rivers, which will be in full
operation in few months, and together with the
direct road TO New York Eastward, will greatly en-
nance the value of its stock, which for the last year
has sold for to 70 per cent premium in the New
York market.
The Michigan Southern Railroad Company has
Just declared semidaRaai dividend OF 10 per cent
which, with one of Z for six months previous and a
surplus Of per cent, makes profit for the year Of
. per cent greater, we think, than any road Ca
mali .he country has ever before done. The stock
is az premium of Is to 81 per cent The equip
ment s, however far inferior to the Central and
they are building an air line TO cut OFT most of their
present track, the company do not care to improve
it. thus turning all the receipts to dividends, and
forcing the stock up in the market above pern,;t-
nent value. The immense trade and travel of the
West however, with the facilities of a and level
country for building railroads, afford astonishing
suits and make it grand field for Eastern and
foreign capitalists. Such men, indeed, are crowding
this region seeking locations and laws favorable for
theit purposes We can well afford to let others
build roads for us, for the benefit and develop
men. ofthe country through which they pass. The
Oakland and Ottawa, to connect this city with Lake
Michigan at the mouth OF Grand River, opposite
Milwaukee, is constructing with great rapidly and
will be a very profitable line. Several other
schemes, some OF them rivals, demanding ge-
neral railroad law, under which alone companies
may hereafter be formed. BY our new constitution
we have only biennial sessions but numerous local
ana one State Massachusetts meeting have raised
hue and cry for special session TO railroad
law Their success is yet doubtful The people
have, for year, escaped the noise and disgrace
fui scenes OF an election, and desire to pass the
mainitr of the winter free from the vice and eorrup
ton OF legislative session
Tits is not very fattering, but less may not be
said Of any State where moneyed men and corpora
tons have interests to advance
Uae week viii place within day Of n. York,
via the Canada and New York Railroad. The for
NAL opening Of the Great Western Road will take
place the 18th inst, with grand dinner and
drinking ceremonies in this city. The time TO the
Falls for the present Will be ten hours but when the
track gets settled and all right, only eight This,
with { hours from the Falls, will make us only %
hours to New York city, less for those west than
by any other route From Niagara persons may
go via Buffalo, Canandaigua. or Albany, to the city
The opening of this road is vastly desirable just at
this time, opkaccount OF the 0giathemaRger policy
of Pennsylva and the warlike aspect it has assumed
AZ Erie The history of railroads is not yet written
but presume that among its volulninous and
strange details, no page will present parallel to
the performances during the month past In that lit
tie point of Quakerdom touching Lake Erie, too
email to be OF value TO the owner, and large enough
TO be in the way of its neghbors either side
Probably other generation will be permitted to
see gangs of 500 TO 1000 men and uonen gathered
by the toll OF bells and firing of cannons. and led
forth by Mayor and other legal officers to tear up
tracks burn bridges, and stone full of passen-
6Gte and buy peanuts at that antedeluvian Burgh
Lodging for passengers advanced there to S. per
night peanuts ri-, and did the people both east
and west Curses dire deep and numerous enough
TO sink It to "the abyss" if such agencies were
operative were and are daily heaped upon the de-
voted place. We get mall nrhen they choose, every
week or two, and goods not at oil. But hold, am
speaking against the Erieans course. This is not
proper for of this thriving city-inding that
death them is life u.s. and that their proceedings
will turn the vast east and west travel and trade this
way, enhancing beyond present computation
business, and the stocks OF our rOads-haye conclu
ded, while advantages continue to consider the
Erieans very much abused; that their acts and
course right, and in every way encourage them
persist and resist to the last SO do not express
our Indignation like others. Is not idea judi
cious and NATURAL The affair must make a great
change in the stock market and one knows
where it may end. Pennsylvania may force the
whole public to pay toll, and again may force them
all to seek some route entirely beyond its borders
II your Central was done, it would get its share
One thing is fully illustrated which is the evil policy
OF break OF gauge on continuous road. If the
gauge had been uniform at first, this fuss would not
have occurred.
Our great mining country Lake Superior is
exciting great interest at home and abroad The
richness and extent of the deposites. coupled with
the fact that we shall soon have free access to
them, have stimulated business and prices very
much of late
The reports, both from the copper, silver. and iron
companies are very hattering, aud sales of stocks
and lands are made at high and rapidly increasing
prices. So important is this region that railroad
Is contemplated from the Ohio line to the Straits of
Mackinaw, aud through the Upper Peninsula
The new Liquor Law went into operation Dec l.
1858. Nearly every shop and tavern closed and
me others were prosecuted. Some doubts of the
Nahdity oil the law on account of It's submission
TO the people, was pleaded by the defence and
cases were appealed to the Supreme Court, where
It's consntutionality is now being argued Mean
Wnile prosecutions have ceased, and LIQUOR reinns
again Inc people are anxiously praying night and
he
it be-" W
Oar winter course OF lectures promises to be very
interesting. Whipple of Boston, and Curtis of New
lork have ELECTED much applause by their efforts
One OF our papers has made list of the publications.
OF our young State, amounting to dailies, . tri-
weekles, semi week.-Mrs. o. weeklie 7hnonthlie.
and one quarterly. Our city census shows popu'
iation of 81 500 p'P0
hoI TINS Is iuil, and we must stop-omitting some
excellent remarks upon the observance of New
Tears by our bellies and beaux-and hoping This
may pass the break at Erie and reach YOU in dine