Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1858-06-03

scattered over ltS Wn0e extent"
The Importance of this improvement does
not end with the increased valuation of prop
erty along the line Of the road itself, or in
proximity to it nor will its beneficial nau-
enceS be circumscribed by the boundary
lines of the several counties through which il
passes. It's branches will extend to the north
and the south penetrating the rich coal fields
and iron ore beds of all that portion Of the
State by lateral roads, some of which are al
ready constructed while one of its arms will
reach down the valley of the Allegheny river
and reaching Pittsburg, the Iron City of the
west by equated distance, by shorter and
better route than by the Pennsylvania Central
Road from the Metropolis of your State. Thus
will the Iron HORSE, willie gathering the local
trade of the country, reach the commerce Of the
great Southwest, and make it pay tribute to
northern interest and northern enterprise and
from natural advantages the position of the
road is unrvaied In the west it forms d
rect link in the chain of roads which traverses
the whole width of the States Of Ohio, Michi-
gan, Indiana and lllinios to St. Louis AMI
forms continuous route, giving US in the fu-
ture the control of the trade and travel over an
unbroken gauge on a line twelve hundred miles
in length. In the cas-: besides the connection
with Philadelphia by the way of Cattawssa
and Readng, it forms a connection with the
Northern Central Road to Baltimore and also
two other routes to Philadelphia by way of
the Pennsylvania Central and the Lebanon
Valley road, and with New York city by the
Lehigh Valley and New Jersey Central Road
Besides all these valuable connections, in its
westward march this Road has not reached the
great point of accumulating wealth, the Lakes
The commerce of the Lakes will be tapped
by this road at the harbor of Erie, and is very
important matter of consideration in cOnnec-
ton with this subject. The history Of its
rapid growth is one OF the most astounding
events in the history of the commercial world.
Writers disagree as to the amount this trade :;
but all agree as to its rapid increase. \ writer
il Hunts Magazine gives the whole amount
for the year 1871 at 500, ,825 ,O00 and for
the year 1856, the same writer puts it at 81 23,
$4,000. De Bow in his work on the stats
ties of the United States gives it for the year
1881 at $283, lS7, 600. Andrews in his report
for the same year published by authority Of the
L. S. Senate gives it at 1926, ,593, 900 Hunts
Magazine for January 1851 states that during
the last ID years it has increased from siXty-iye
millions to $608, ,000,0
This vast amount of commerce upon our
lakes, as exhibited en- the best authority, is
greater than all our commerce on the Atlantic
Ocean, and with the rapid growth and settle
meut of the rich and fertile west, this com
merce, vast as it now is, must continue to in
crease greatly for years to come Much the
largest portion of this trade is seeking an out
let on the Atlantic sea-board, and greatly to
the injury of our own Commonwealth it finds
its way to market over the railways and Ca
nails passing through other States in conSe-
uuence of the illiberal and restrictive policy of
our own. 1t should be our pride as
it is our interest to draw as much of this trade
as possible within and through our own bor-
ders We have the best natural harbOr on the
lakes, with a line thercfrom shorter and more
favorabIy located than any railroad in any
other State to the Atlantic seaboard. For
these reasons | was in favor of selling the Ca
nails to the Sunbury & Erie Railroad Compa-
ny Others | would introduce were it not for
extending this communication to an unreason-
able length.
Having concluSvely established the import
ance to the State Of completing the Sunbury &
Erie Road as well as its solvency, | propose
to examine the value of the Canals sold. TAX
ing the staten ent of partizan officials biased
and unfair as many of them are since the Ca
nails sold have been in operation their average
yearly income has been 1928, 924 90. In this
calculation many important items for many years
are entirely excluded among which are the eX-
penses Of the Canal Commissioners, lock keep
ers, weighmasters, claims paid and damages
sustained by tranSporterS, printing patent-right
and other inuumcrahlc Incidental expenditures.
Claims seldom if ever find their way into the
Canal reports, as they are mostly paid by laws
making specific appropriations for their pay
ment 1t would be low estimate to put
them down at $25, 900, per annum, deducting
this amount from the above figure and it viii
bring the revenue of your Canals at less than
100000 annually. 1t may be said that they
have been paying better for the last few years
if this be true, what guarantee have we that
they will continue to do SO ; rival works are
growing mp around all of them. The Delaware
Division cannot be sold to-day for as much
by one million OF dollars as it could three years
since The Lower North Branch has COM
competing railroad running along by its side,
with level or descending grade with favorable
curyeS to a connection with the CatawiSSa
& Williamsport road at Rupert, and will be
completed to Northumberland at no distant
day, making connection with the Sunbury Il
Erie, aud the Northern Central which will he
completed to Sunbury by the first of July next,
forming continuous ral-rood to the cities of
Philadelphia and Baltimore, coming in direct
conflict and competition with the entire length
of your finished Canals from Pittston south
ward The West Branch Canal has long been
acknowledged TO be worthless, AMI it also has a
competing railroad for the trade of that valley.
1t will be seen that the State has no guarantee
whatever that they will pay any better in the
future than they have in the past. have not
a doubt that the people will realize more for
| them under the law of last session authorizing
the sale than they would at any future day had
/ the sale been postponed until a later period