The Shasta courier., 1858-11-20
A Railroad to Shasta.

We have from time to time touched upon this
subject, and endeavored to attract attention to,
and elicit the active interest of our citizens in
behalf of the project of connecting Shasta, by
railroad, with the tide-water cities of the State.
We are glad to perceive that the Sacramento
onion and San Francisco National have evinced
a disposition to assist US in this work We trust
that the other papers of those cities and Of
Marysyille will lend US their friendly and essen
tial aid
The matter of first Importance, of course, in
treating this subject is the discussion of the Vi
tai question-Will such Railroad pay2 We
have endeavored to obtain the data upon which
to make an affirmative response to this question
but as yet have been only partially successful
sufficiently so, however, we think, to commend
the project to the favorable consideration OF
capitalists.
Two weeks since we quoted from the Red
Bluff Beacon that, during the week previous, one
million pounds of goods were freighted at that
place, for the country north and east of it, at a
cost upwards of $40. 600 freightage.
To-day, we are authorized to state that since
the Est of January of the present year, the firm
of j. & D. Cailaghan have shipped to their house
in this place the enormous amount of THO MI
lion Pounds of freight, for which they paid up
wards of $4,000 freightage. This is the busi-
ness of but one business house in Shasta for a
period of ten and half months, as shown by
their hootc Tba "a f-a;obto on &c II AZ ,
merchants of Tehama, Shasta, Siskiyou ard
Trinity, the reader will readily conceive, would
amount to stupendous figure.
We think it reasonable to estimate the freight
age of Shasta county for the whole year at
lo,oOo,ooo pounds Trinity, goods not purchas-
ed in Shasta,) 100000 pounds Siskiyou,
goods not purchased in Shasta,) 10000, 900
pounds total for the three counties, 25 200, 900
pounds. The freightage upon this amount from
San Francisco to as far North as Shasta, at the
ruling rates, would amount to $500, ,50O-or,
from Red Bluffs to Shasta, at II cents per pound,
to 1915 ,OOO
The travel per California Stage Company's
stages, will average-both ways-twcnty-
passengers per day the rear round, or 9,49O per
year-paying at the present rates, the enormous
amount of Sls9,8OO 1t is reasonable to est-
mate that at SO passage from Shasta to Sacra-
mento on railroad, the amount of money re-
ceived for carrying passengers would reach over
100000 per year, by of An increase OF
travel created by the road itself-giving us the
sum of S7O2, 800 for freight and passage for a
year.
This does not include the sum received from
contract for carrying the mail, which of course
such road would obtain nor a grant of land
from the General Government, which such a
road will receive; nor the enormous amount OF
freight that is now brought by stage nor the
immense amount of way-freight and way travel
which a railroad running through one of the
most productive and wealthy portions of the
State would necessarily secure.
Isit not, now, fair for US to say that railroad
to Shasta will pay?
We will persue this subject next week, when
we expect to be able to give, in round numbers
from an authoritative source, the entire amour,
of tonnage of this portion of the State for the
past twelve months