New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-06-14
PROGRESS IN THE BUCKEYE STATE.
Correspondence of The N. Y. Tribune.


COLUMBUS, o., Monday, Jane 9, 1856.
Twenty. four yesrs have wrought great changes
in this State In 1882 the National road was con.
pleed to JacktOwn, few miles west OF Z'nesvll'e.
The following Winter, the road from that p zee 70
Columbus in fact a. far west ~ it was graded,
was horrible. Neil, Moore Il Co.'S line Of stage
coaches left the road at Jackto~n, AMI passed.
III, ouch Newark and Grany lie q few miles e. tbs
north. During that Winter it WAS Mt an un're-
quent occurrence to see the stage passengers 10 o
common lumber wagon, dragged through tue mud
at the rats Of two or tire. miles an hour In some
cases they were compelled to swim the team across
the South Fork Of Licking, the RsccoOn Black
Lick, Big Walnut, and Alum Creeks, at no small
rsk of life. 1t was in one Of these peri Gus pas
sages over the Alum Creek, on the route from Coz
lumbus to Cleveland that Mr.. Theodore ID. Weld
came so near losing his life To travel from Cin-
cnnati to Wheeling, or from Columbus TO Cleye.
land or Sandusky City, during that Winter. which
WAS a very open one was most uncomfortable
undertaking. have myself been day riding
through such roads distance of twenty four miles.
During the Spring of the year wagons were only
used in cases of absolute necessity. The good man
going to church took his good wife behind him on
the same horse, and the SWANS had no more cosy
and frolic. Horses much ON the road would often
lose the hair from their legs from wadng in the
mud. At certain seasons of the year lOc0motOn,
even for short distances, was very uncomfortable
indeed Those who have tried it know the picture
is not Overdrawn.
But since the Little Miami Railroad was opened,
about the year le42, the aspect of travel in this
State has been changed That was miserable
strap.ron road, and every rod one travelled on ie
he risked implement. The continuation OF the
road through Springfield to Sandusky City was but
enlarging the field Of "snake heads" yet people
would rather run that gauntlet than wade the mud.
But the stap-irOn has disappeared and. this road
from the Queen City to the Lake is good and safe.
The great road is the continuation Of the Little
Miami through Xenia and Columbus to Cleveland.
Between the latter places the present excellent
route was surveyed under the direction Of Alfred
Kelley, esq, who has accurate knowledge OF
the topography of Ohio as any other man in 1t.
1t was laid with but little reference to villages and
towns. Thus side curve was run TO the town Of
Delaware, but the main trunk was kept in q
straight line in reference to the wants Of the pub
lie, requiring short distances and short time be-
tween large cities. At the present time it is ono
of the best roads in this country, in spite Of the
rather spOnpy soil on which it is laid. This has
been effected by gravel carried from the two ends
of the route at great expense.
From Cincinnati there are several roads branch
ing Off one to Indianapolis and thence to Chicsgo;
another has well nigh united the Ohio and Missis.
sippi; another leads off TO Hamilton and Dayton;
another through Hillsborough TO Circlevils, and
another to Marietta. These last two are designed
to be competitors for through Eastern travel.
From Crestline, some fifty miles north of Column
bus branches off the great Pennsylvania road, said
by some to be very expeditions and pleasant route
from the West to the East. From the Cleveland
and Columbus road branch off two other roads for
IL nT, nh &c npan IN ha nit
of that State Returning to Columbus, we find
the Central Ohio Railroad following the same gem
eral direction as the National road passing through
GAINESVILLE and Wheeling, aud making connection
with the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. From this
road, at Newark, 10 a road running north, crossing
the Cleveland and Columbus Railroad at Shelby,
passing through Mansfield to Sandusky City. At
Delaware, on the Cleveland and Columbus road,
we find another road going west through Urbans,
and designed to be continued northeast for Pitts
burgh. In 1872 think it was, l saw little,
dingy grasshOpper of locomotive, manufactures
by Mr.. Rogers at Paterson. 1t was on the Little
Miami Railroad and since that time the invest
nents in Ohio railroads have reached an immense
sum and one has not to go many miles in any de
rection without hearing the scream Of some loco
motive. / cannot express my wonder at tho
changes wrought in this respect within ten years.
Eleven years ago a fierce conflict was carried Oh
at the polls in delaware County on the question Of
the county lending its credit to the Cleveland and
Columbus road for 800, 600, the opponents TO tho
measure alleging that it was throwing the money
away. The county not long since sold the stock
for $3.50 a share or Whereabouts, realizing hams
some profit.
In looking over Cincinnati ia 1e4l" by CnalIes
Cieb, find that in the Spring ofthat year tne Lhn9
Miami Railroad had thirty-fve miles grsdeo, anu
the iron (the fiat BAR bought for eighteen mi,ys,
and locomotives to run on the road procured: lno
object of this road was to connect win oai,In
BY Wheeling. The event has proved alnerent nom
what was originally intended, for while by nlss.
Of the Ohio Central this road does connect C's
cinnat with Baltimore, its principal stream .t
travel eastward is over two lines not tnougnsSy
that time the one by the Cleveland and Lake oSuS
roads, the other By the Pennsy lyania road VIZ.
connects at Crestline with the Cleveland. Coui
bus and Cincinnati road. This small beginIn'of IT,
Ic4I, when Ne bars for Is miles were cousnss An.
hot laid in 1851 had increased to 63y niiee ..ds
ished road on seven different routes. I~eny Mir
were then constructing which would ceh'ei ,ssse
travel in the Queen City and seventeen y, n
twenty connected directly with Cincin"a .,scs
IeJ6 more than 1900 miles of railroad cou .ss;r
directly with this city, and 5000 miles pour
streams of travel into the same center. -
an amazing progress and the results are &C. "a.
a striking ADVANTAGE if we consider the plsce
pected by the iron rails which center ct tnis
You can 90 Lexington, KY, to lndiansPo'c;, 81
Chicago 70 ST Louis. to Milwaukee, 70 Iowa ~
Ia Sandnsky CITY to Cleveland, to Wheeh"sffhs,
all the cities at the East on the rawsy@ ia
stage. coaches have emigiated westward 70 rsar
and Kansas. This last is literally true. La hef
saw one colony of twenty Ohio coacne' I'll eu
way to Iowa. Whether all these roaa'
"a