Staunton vindicator and general advertiser. (Staunton, Augusta County, Va.) 1858-1860, 1858-04-17

4Ou Will uUttCG CildU Vic diuOuIt Uu IdiIu
after deducting cost of operating is in each
case sufficient to pay per cent interest on
the cost and reserve enough for renewal.
Some little allowance must be made for 1856
being an unusually favorable year.
On many roads no dividends are made );
although the roads ere doing we'll, Gle con-
slant desire to do better, urges many On to
spend more money.
A road is most finished, and, ea it IS &C.
sirable to increase its receipts and also Sc
cure through travel. The money on hand
is spent On construction to finish it, or, if
the road is finished, to increase the stock
Of cars and Locomotives or build new Ware
houses and Depots. Many roads having in
creased their floating debt the financial
troubles of 1857 have caused temporary en-
barrassment. They have also been badly
managed, -too many trains, too fest run
ming. know Of some roads on tie same
receipts es last year being now operated for
much less, enc for Is per cent. 60 into
this minuti@ to show that tho present trou-
bles resulted from other causes than low
fares. After this they will Go better. But
l will make slight increase in my estimate
Of through freights. The Erie Rail Road
| estimate at % MILLS for through freight
its present price is about 201 mills, two
and half mills are added as the prices
differ with different years.
This road carries mestern freight as low
as any other road. It has for distance Of
pa miles, in succession, no grade over 6
feet per mile, except at one point where
for nine miles it has so feet grade, and
uses an auxiliary engine On other portions
Of the work. there are grades of so and 60
feet but they are distributed much better
than is generally supposed, on this account
I will make it as low as any competing
route. The Pennsylvania charging one
mill more, is estimated "a mills. The Bal
timore 4 Ohio having steep grades, end
sharp curves, Is mills Western Roads,
though costing less, not having the business
of the great East and West lines, estimate
their through freight, also, at IS mills.
The Covington & Ohio is estimated at %
mills, from its having az favorable position,
grades, and curves. as any other road. Its
maximum ascending East. is 20*seet per
mile, which is 50 conveniently distributed.
that it can be adrsntageously overcome by
assistant power The ruling grade, excep-
ting this 30 fees. is only 20 feet per mile,
average rise and fall IS feet. This is IN
usually favorable. Between the Falls o.
Kanawha and Co7ington, going East, there
is but one grade of 80 feot with this ex.
ception, 20 feet per mile is the maximum
To sum up the advantages Of the Covingtor
& Ohio Railroad, the load u Locomotive
can pull over the road, will be about 62(
tons cars, and freight, or 80 tons .
freight. BY using assistant power, at th'
30 feet grades, or $50 tons Of freight from
the Ohio to Covington, without assistan
power. Coal for fuel, can be delivered a
4 from 80 to 80 cents per ton.
The climate is favorable, being in lati
tude $50 North, Buffalo is 43o North. =
The improvements Of the Kanawha, to tls
Falls, is estimated by different engineers
at from $500, 900 to $500, 900. tits to b
hoped that Steamboat navigation, can b.
extended much farther. as Locks in degree
reduce the limit Of speed, and the capacity
of the Improvement If Greenbrier bridge
near Lewisbur-g, and the White Suphu
Springs can be reached, so much more il
favor Of she improvement Its ifrierdl
think it may be practicable, hut I can af
ford you no information. timetables of cost
distance, and time, occupy SO much space
that I will send them in another letter.
COFINGT0N.
April 5, 1853.