Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1854-11-10

this work. but counties Hnd sections OF the State itself
will be pushing III their tributaries to teach one Of
which will create its own quota OF wealth to be added
to the taxable property o the State.
The Erie railroad has been completed not more
than 3 wears, vet, there are already, IL learn from
official sources, the process Of constructions ur sur
yry n Thousand miles of lutcfal ruals within the
State They will br feeders I" il. aud wall cost il il
estimated not less than forty millions of dollars, Now
before the Erie road was built there was nothing in
the part of the State travcrsed by it, worth sending
railway car for. Moreover, the Erie h;s beer, built at
the cost of thirty-ive millions of dollars, and il hls
created value by the way--ide, il We're, worth the
investment of the forty millions iur the advantages uf
getting into country which, before il felt the nagic
touch Of this Erie road. was not worth penetrating.
How much value then have these seventy-iivr mil
nns Of railway investments given, not ~ the whole
Satr--lnr they have benefited the whnlebut 10 this
part oft
For every dollar spent upon the Ohio railway, -
have been added To :hu wealth Of the Statesmen is
the estimate. According tn this rule this Erie road,
with ils influences will whcn lis aleras compile
ted have added no less than three hundred millions OF
dollars to the value of the taxable property Of New
York.
Trade, like gravtation, obcys the same laws every
where. The influences al these laws Is whole
some. and will bs as beneficial Tor Virginia lnd ~
sure of results, they are for New York and Ohio.
Now, let catch spirit from the "Arabim
Nights" and invoke from Fairy Lani the presence nf
some grca, magician, who, with sing lr touch Of his
wand, cnn add three hundred millions OF dcllu-s 10
the wealth. i'll the 'g -recnc, "t the pcop!" OF N!r-
gnia,tnr yuu must rccullcct TINT The wealth of tlc
people is the wealth Of the State.
We will have no take-in about this magician. He
shall be a real good ma. ican not such Il
about the streets CRYING New lamps for DID," but
Que who comes with the credentials of magician,
and with prnnl al his power, and who to satisfy the
people of Virginia that he can, by the touch ni his
wand enrich Stale III the manner proposed, refers
them TO the internal improvements OF New York,
PENNSYLVANIA Maryland, and other States, i'll proof of
the tnc.
The people being convinced of his power, finding
thut every State that he has ever touched with his
wand has grown wealthy aud great, decide to treat
with him. nnd when they inquire for terms, are told
that he SETS the price Of that single magic touch upon
the value of bid from the Legislature How much,
do YOU suppose, would be fair offer. the terms being
one half cash, aud the other moicty i'll seventeen cqual
annual nstalmcns
am not enough Of fnancicr to tell you what
would bc considered fair offer By business men in
such case, but believe that most Nirginans
very gIud 10 borrow money at six per cent, and
eighteen millions year is six per cent. upon three
hundred millions.
Now, this double track railway is just such wand,
aud al its touch Virginia will he worth than
three hundred million, over and above what she is
now: and Il touch from this wand can be- had by the
bid Oi very small figure from the Legislature, and
the State would do well 10 get it, rs | hope 10 show
You before have done.
These railways &C. urc the wand with which New
enabled her merchant. put ielcrs and To stretch
their mercantile rntnclcs away out into the MIssIssp
p Valley. to lay hold "l aud draw in amount of
business which, besides the wealth impaired To The
waysidc have greatly added to the RESOURCES and the
prosperity Of her sca-pnr, towns. her inland cities,
and her merchant princes.
From Cnvingtnn 10 the Ohio the distance IL hb"ut
I'd miles. to not know what double track road
bed md suprrstrucurr only would cost; Tor ihat with
the watering stnUlIs il all propose to have done at
the cxprnsc of the State. The dcpots and work
shops, the wnody yards, &c., III" waysidc with the
rolling stock and its management, propose 10 leave
to private enterprise nnd {" open cn'nrtit'"' ana Il"
have ia" transportation ,nnc nS II is done upon our
turupikes. canalr, aud rivers, vZ:-hy the parties
that will do u the cheapest.
Col Garnctt the engineer "f the Virginia and Ten
neSscc road, which also crosses the Allcghnnics, has
carried thar work from Lynchburg beyond the
mountains, a an average Gust, he informs me- nt rnRd
bed, supcrstriclurc, hcavy rails Ruling stock and u
Included, Of S25''Ou mile. a double tract costs
about ouc-third more than n single tract. Major
Gywnn, while President "f the James River and IA.
nawha Company estimated III" cost of II double
track with machine shops. dcpots and rnng stock
from Covington to the Ohio, at $iO,DtD mile. Let
lis assume il at that rate without machine shops, de-
pots, rolling stock and the like.
When have authority for my figures shall say
80, but when | suhm; them estimates ri my
you will understand that they not "igid!y exact
for writing loosely To y"u, have not the n"ans ot
making them 50, nor is II necessary. Nevertheless,
like the queer figures draw in recrng YOUR gc
omctry lessons and call them circles anl squares
Though they be neither perfect circles nor cxac;
squarel Vet like my estimates they near enough
the perfect figure enable you 10 make your llts
trations, demonstrate your PROPOSITION, and write g.
L. ID. to Your teAt.
According to this estimate, the first ani principal
payment for tie touch OF our wand would bc nInr
millions only for ;lnt would hc the cost Ot l2.I miles
of roud at $iO,DOO. For the convenience Of round
figures, lei lis assume i; mt ,ODOUU0.
The interest OIL SlDlhI0,DDO Is S6OO,ODO
We have estimated thnt this road with it, niu
wn the Of ten Years, increase tho value
ut the taxable property West OF Covngtun above
siOOOOOOOO. The OF taxation in Virginia is -
500 worth of property, real nnd personal. Thus We
have from the taxes these three hundred millions
SiO0ODo which is the inrcres: on the ten millions that
the rund is to cost.
If we could only hu assured that these estimates
would hold Tor Virginia, then ii would follow, day
the night, that she could build this road without
cent of additional taxation upon the property OF her
citizens.
Such figures hold good for New York, they hold
good for Pennsylvania, aud they not beyond
bounds Tor Maryuud-wIy should they not hold good
for Virginia alsol Her r"ad Ii to be shorter aud
cheaper, and frelghts upon il much lower than upon
Ihs, they Ia be regulated By open competltl1
and not by the cClicts "f close onoolies ana why,
therefore, should hot business from the west 10
her roads ~ well us to theirs
And when it gets on their improvements 1t finds it
self contendug with many disadvantages with which
on the Virginia route II will have nothing TO do The
New York works parnlyzei by the frost for five
months every year, those Of Pennsylvania nearly NJ
long, and then both she AMI Maryland have the
draughts of summer tn Withdraw from them the full
advantages of their connection with TINT cheap tho.
roughfnrc, the navignbe channel of the Ohn river.
Last yenr the largest boats cOul get up To the icrmi
nus of the Baltimore anl Ohio Railway only for
three MONTHS and thnt work brought over from
the Ohio To Baltimore, only ~ ,NOO tons oi produce
ut lcast so SAYS McAlpin-aid the Penns yvania ill
proveneuts brought from the Ohio III amount only
two per cent of the produce that shppc,l th.
western terminus Of the Erie canal. Between the
terminus OF the Maryland rOni on the Ohr and that
Of the Virginia there III 100 shoais which
render yation up To the Pennsylvania and Mary
land improvements impassnbc when it is good
high up Nirginn.
But let us SEE what these three States to lie north
Of us have pail nn some of their works only 10 g:t
into the Mississippi valley and lake country.
The Baltimore and Ohio Rail Road has cost twenty
five millions. 1t had scarcely touched that river br-
fore il found incapable OF doing the business, an
there WAS call for we millions for double truck.
Then the Chesapeake and Ohio canal has cost some
twelve millions more: Total for Maryland Ia get
west, say forty millions.
Pennsylvania has three or fonr lines OF improve
mcni there, which, guess, did not cost her ciizcns
legs than fifty or sixty millions
New York is cnar,ing her Eric Canal which,
when finished will, with i:s equipments, have cost,
from first TO last, forty -ix monsthc Erie road rost
thirty y-fvc-toal for the two works aonc eightv-omc
llilOn5-DCslucS SOHlc Ken UT u uoZtH OlDcT InHut
and canals all of hch are oursin for all of them
are shooting ont their branches, and with their ten
drills seizns hold OF The commercial treasures ui the
great West. In the aggregate the earnings, net J.
per cent upon the capital
Virginia. therefore think, might we'll afford to 20
some ten or fifteen millions 10 get in that
try, if by So doing she could bear OIL the palm,
cover a fair share of what she has lost by going
there before.
By having double track road-a trnck to go and
track to come-sJ that all the the pair of
rails shall always be moving the same way, il would
be an easy matter regulate the police of the road
as t. avoid collisions, at least tp havc more n-
blity of collision between tho trims than there IL be-
tween ships ut sea boats On our rivers.
Let me illustrate The law, we will suppose would
allow but classes Of trains upon the ronl, "z:
freight and passenger Trains the speed ofthc latter be-
ing regulated by law Mt thirty miles per lnu:; oi the
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