Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1855-08-30
Internal Transportation.

the trouble to examine the statistics,
and to submit the subject to the scru-
tiny Of figures, have a correct appre.
ciation of the magnitude Of the int
rest engaged in conducting the inter-
nal trade and travel of this wide
spread nation. We have heard much
talk Of the cotton interest, the sugar
interest the manufacturing interest,
and various ether interests, but they
are all small compared with this vast
and rapidly augmenting Transports
ton interest. is the growth of COM
paratiyely few years, but it has at
tanned Herculean proportions. If we
begin the comparison by ascertaining
the investment of capital, we find in
ternal transportation about, if not at,
the head of the list. 1t is estimated
that the capital invested in this depart
ment of industry amounts to one thou
sand millions of dollars. 1t is divided
thus
Railroads and their machinery. $500, 100000
Oahais -...-... ...'...... IOo,tOO,OVO
Otsamooats ........ ,.......-. fo,oVpUOo
Vessels in the eoasting trade. 100000
Turnpikes, stages, Wagons and
canal boats and appendages. 100000
Total. .................$l,O O0,0O0,OO0
The value of all the improved
farms in the co5ton-growing States Of
Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas, Mississip-
pi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina,
Florida aud Tennessee, in the year
1850, amounted to about S512,OO0,-
600. The capital invested in grow
ing cotton, mot taking the slaves into
the account) is therefore much less
than that invested in internal trans
portation. By similar course Of cal
culation, it may be shown that the
capital invested in the agents of trans
portation, exceeds that of any one in
terest Of production taken separately.
The fact is, that it is nearly one-third
the whole value Of all the farms in the
United States.
The gross annual product Of all the
agencies for internal transportation is
estimated at s120,000,O0o, which ex-
ceeds the whole cotton crop of last
year by about twenty millions of dol
lars. Il is more than double the val
ue of all cur agricultural exports.for
the last year, and ten times the amount
Of exports of manufactured articles.
One of the great advantages con-
ferred on the country by this vast in
terest is the employment it affords
to productive industry in the con-
slant and increasing demand created
for machinery Of transport. Thus, on
the fifteen miles of rail road now in
operation, there are in use six thou
sand locomotives, and fifteen hundred
steam engines are in use on boats.
The engines on boats cost. :. .e12, ooo, 600
The locomotives cost. 100000
1t will require for renewals each
year:
Locomotives .................... 600
do for increase Of business -. 60
Total locomotives to be built per year. :. 500
These locomotives viii cost So, 940,-
600. It will require l55 new engines
every year for steamboats,, which viii
cost S1,320,00O, making together
81 100000 as the amount of the an
nual demand for steamboats, and loco
motives.
There are on the $4,000 miles of
railroad about one million seven hun
1
dred and twenty-five thousand tons of
non rails; etc. 1t is estimated that
these rails must be renewed every
fifteen years. There will be required,
then, $4,000 tons of railroad iron
each year for renewals, which, at $50
pee ton, makes SO, 100000.
Il is also estimated that there win,
Tor the next twenty years, be l,200l'
miles Of railroad constructed each (
year; thatwin require annually ], 3S0,-l
900 tons Of iron rails, costing SIS, $780, {
poo, and 400 locomotives that viii
'ost s., 600,00 Ehess sums makelr
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