The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1859-06-29
BIooMsBURG COLUMBIA COUNTY, PA. WEDNESDAY. Jul


feet on every square mile OF their rich finn
Der lands. They had built lateral roads, and
saw mills and furnaces TO work up and pre-
pare for market their rich mineral and agri
cultural materials.
1t needed therefore, mo argument or dem
onstration to convince them of the impor
tance of better: and cheaper, and more
rapid means of tfansporatlons OF the man
ufaciured article to the most profitable
market.
More especially was this unnecessary in
view of the fact of the great progress tha
had been made by them in the construction
of the Tyrone and Lock Haven road 1t was
evident THAT the citizens Of the vicinity were
partially at least, convinced of the import
ance of gradually completing a railroad
communication with the great lines North
and South.
But there was one very important view o.
the case, TO which he would like earnestly
to call their attention, and that was the
great question of TiME 1t is wsll Known
principle of mechanics that what is gained
in time must be lost somewhere. And il
was generally true in great CONSTRUCTIONS
that 10 work against time implied create.
expenditure of energy or meaus than wouk
be required for more gradual operations.
1t might be SO in this instance but il was
possible that to press through the Lock
Haven road with vigor and dispatch, so az
TO complere the connection the ensuing au.
tumn, would prove on the whole, even the
most economical financial step they could
! take.
Iron was unprecedentediy low, and wa
ges and material were low. Let the wat
news fade away-or prove, as was likely,
the harbinger of great prosperity to our ag.
ricultural, and hence for all our interests
and wages and food and iron, and material
of all kinds would rebound to far higher
extent Than would be needed TO balance
any discount on the present negotiations ol
your bonds.
But whether in the immediate calcuiation
of profit and loss this were the case or not,il
was certain TO prove in the ultimate and
comprehensive estimate of the results the
soundest policy, aud the truest economy to
finish The road at once, at any reasonable cost
Why, one of the reports of your excel.
lent and faithful engineer, MIR. McMinn, 10
whom it is impossible 10 award too much
praise for his skill and devotion 10 the in.
terests of the Company, IN the location and
construction of the line-one of his early
reports states the facts, which believe to
be an under estimate, that there are one
hundred thousand million feet of lumber, al
a moderate calculation, within an area ct
fifteen miles square, in Centre county -
And that this lumber is worth in the stump
only 81 SO per 1000 feet, or Si,5oo,OoO
but that at the terminus Of your road at Ty.
rome or Lock Haven, it is worth manufac.
tured Si2, ,O0O, 900.
Now, this manufacture Involves no expen.
diture out Of the eounty-the cutting and saw.
ing are all paid for within its limits and
therefore the whole difference between the
present estimated value, and the realized
returns for the finished commodity is cleal
gain, 10 the county, of $40, 100000. And SC
long as this result is delayed it is conse.
quent clear loss 10 the county.
What might not be accomplished with
this ter million dollars in Centre county, il
realized within the next twenty years -
How your coal mines would be developed
How iron furnaces and rolling mills would
spring up all over the country! How busy
-four mills, and saw mills, and plank roads
and railroads, would be in producing and
I manufacturing and transporting your sgri
cultural and mineral wealth
Why, even this old rickety canal, which
now looks hardly worth the powder neces
sary to blow it up, might gather something
of The overAowtng treasure ; and lively
Imagination might picture steam naviga
tion on its waters. and twen:y-four self act
ing steam gates opening and shutting at the
bidding of this spirit of enterprise.
But look at the subject farther: every
years delay in the average realization oi
this $40, 10000 is a loss Of interest on this
sum TO the county. Let u estimate this al
six per cent, and there is dead loss, ire.
coverably sunk every year of 100000 to
the district. And this is on timber alone, on
fifteen miles square of land. Apply the
same test to the timber along your whole
road /; more than that, apply it to the hun.
dreds of millions of tons of coal and iron
ore in your region, and the imagination ia
startled at the figures which are brought
out.
~ Even the most economical and prudent
of your stockholders and citizens would
urge the work forward, and would say com.
plete the arch-whatever it may cost for the
Keystone matters little.
One remarkable advantage possessed by
a region pierced by q railroad Is this -
The distant markets for grain or produce
or coal or iron, or lumber are brought
TO your doors--and the iull prices at the
frontiers of the State are realized, less the
simple cost of railroad transportation to the
markets.
| You have but to pick up New York oil
Philadelphia paper and get the ruling val
ues Of grain, or lumber, or iron, or gas coal
and step to the railroad agen, In your towr
for the rates to that place, and you have the
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