Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1854-02-08

on the road as per detailed estimate, amounts to
$4,5O0,000.
The estimates for the Oakland and Ottawa
Railroad were based on the present high prices
Of labor and materials, and may be considered
quite ample.
That part of the Road, ifty-three miles, un-
der contract, was taken at the estimates, and re-
sponsible contractors are ready to take the re-
mainder of the work at the estimates
The average local or domestic receipts on the
Michigan Central Railroad for the last five years
have equalled $86 as per square mile-$3 028
for each inhabitant tributary to that road. The
same rate of population per square mile on the
Oakland and Ottawa Railroad, and the same
amount Of business per each inhabitant would
give $S67,8S5 per annum for local business
alone. Deducting fifty per cent, of the gross
receipts for operating the road, and we have,
without reference to through business $433,942
net profits, equal to eight and two-fths per cent
on the cost of the line.
These facts show conclusively that the local
business of the Oakland and Ottawa Railroad
cannot be other than remunerative, but we have
in addition to the ordinary or local business,
three sources of business not common to the
Michigan Central Railroad-coal, plaster, and
lumber.
The plaster beds at Grand Rapids are the on
" ones now known where this useful article is
found Northwest of Lake Erie. The quarries
are extensively worked and the amount that is
now produced from these beds is estimated at
1000 tons annually. With the facility of Rail-
road transportation, States bordering on Lake
Michigan will be supplied with that useful arti-
Gle from this source cheaper than from any 9TH
er With the present expensive transportation,
llO7 tons were shipped from Grand Haven the
past season.
If the coal at Corunna is found to be equal to
what it has been represented, in quantity and
quality, it will furnish business to the road at a
season when other freights are dull; and could
be done at low rate, as the rolling stock of the
road would not require to be increased for that
purpose.
The pine lumber from the Maple, Rouge, and
Flat rivers and their tributaries will furnish for
years to come, and until the country is cleared
up, when its place will be supplied by other pro-
ducts from the same soil, large amount of bu-
siness. The lumber made on these streams the
past season amounted to-:
From Rouge river district, 80. 100000 #.
Maple 4" ..... 100000 "
Total, 45,OOO,OOO 4"
Besides the above, there is manufactured
large amount of lumber in Ottawa, Kent, and
Newaygo, that finds an outlet thro' the Grand
river and is shipped from Grand Haven.
The lumber, when it reaches the line Of Rail-
road in the Grand river valley is worth ST per
1000; the past season the same character of um-
Der in Detroit has been about $12 per 1000, al
lowing ample margin for transportation so miles
to Detroit.
The through business of the road cannot be so
well estimated by fact as the local business may
be, but an approximate may be made by compar-
ing the road to others similarly situated. For
the business of Wisconsin, Minnesota, and the
North half of Iowa. and from the towns on the
East shore of Lake Michigan from Naples at the
mouth Of the Kalamazoo river to Grand Trav-
erse Bay, the Oakland and Ottawa road will fur
nish the shortest and quickest communication
to New YORK and Boston. Not only is this dis
lance less but the cost per mile is less, as 80
miles of that distance will be by steamboat for
which the Company have propositions from re-
sponsible and experienced parties to transport
the passengers for one dollar each in first class
steamboats,, that shall make the trip within five
hours.
The mass of travellers beyond Lake Michigan
who would form the through business are, as
class, business men, farmers, and people Of mod
crate means, who will consider the sum of s., &c
saved full compensation for five hours travel on
Lake Mchigan-besides crossing the Lake can
be made in the night, so that passengers, after
the fatigue ofriding $50 miles on Railroad, may
get nights rest in a comfortable berth on
steamboat.
Experience has shown that many of the pas
sengers that have made a long Railroad trip, on
arriving at Albany in the evening, prefer TO be
all night going to New York on steamboat,
than to continue on in the cars over the Hudson
River Railroad and arriving in the city in four
hours; and there is no lack of patronage to the
boats since the completion of the Railroad. We
find also, when good boat is running on Lake
Erie between Buffalo and Detroit, that many
travellers take this mode of transportation and
are from sixteen to twenty hours on the Lake,
in preference to the Railroad on the south shore
of Lake Erie.
The Michigan Central Railroad, when running
to New Buffalo in 1850, had no communications
west except by steamboat and stages; at that
time there were no Railroads west of Michigan,
except few miles out Of Chicago. The thro'
business at that time was 80 per cent. of the re-
cepts, and this was at time when the road was
competing with the Upper Lake boats, which
carried passengers from Detroit, to Chicago 100
miles for 81 so, and when the business of the
west followed the course of the rivers South
at present the Railroads have been extended
into the interior and drawn the travel from the
south to the east and north and the business and