The independent. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Kan.) 1860-1874, 1860-10-03

instead Of along the Kaw river. as is
proposed by some ; the distance will be
shortsped Is miles. Now the addition.
al cost Of iron and work on this 10
miles extra. will pay for all the extra
grading that will be required on a
straight line. In other words the cost
Of the crooked or long road will be
equal to he straight and short one.-
Then what? For all time to come there
is a POSITIVE LOSS of Is miles ,cear and
tear and travel. Admitting that the
roads when built would BE- only equally
liable to accidents, which We have al
ready shown. and experience has prov
cd the fact, is not the case } and we have
l6 miles loss Of time every day eacl,
way. for passengers and freight. every
day forever! And then We have the
additional expense of keeping up l6
miles of useless road forever
And besides these things. il is we'll
known that roads with curves are
harder on machinery and wear out 1.-THE
rails sooner than straight ones; and
here is added another bill of expense
for all future time Let it be borne in
mind that We are not building road
for day. nor for one generation. but
for the future all along down the annals
of time. and for our children's children,
throughout all generations: Surely,
then. We ought tc act with wisdom, and
NOT be swayed by the small side-issues
Of an apparently temporary advantage.
Where there are no special advan-
tages of situation for manufacturing
purposes, there is no policy (a' least in
new country in mdkiag points on IA
road. For example, it would be folly
for the builders of road to run ten or
fifteen, or even tro miles out of the
way to reach Oskaloosa and what is
true Of us is equally true Of any torn
in kaasas at this time. Between the
two given points, run TIE road strnight,
and trade will come to it. Running
after trade. is also running aroy from ii
Railroads are equalizers. and the
equalizers should not themselves be
unequal. Produce and custom comes
to the road Il should not be diverted
from great point 10 hunt the other.
We have enough facts before US for
one article; and they are of the utmost
importance = are vital and underlie for
all countries and a!l time.
Twenty years ago. when the Little
Miami Railroad was built. connecting
Cincinnati and Springfield, Ohio. ii
was thought that roads must follow
streams and it was built on that prin-
cipie. That mistake costs the road
thousands and thousands Of dollars ev-
cry year. and will continue to do so on
TO the end. Ills probable tha; the ad-
ditional expense has already cost as
much as to build road, and it is yet
perpetual source Of added expense
Aud after all the want OF a straight
track is felt every day. especially for
fast trains; for cars canno, be run a>
swiftly on curved as on straight roads !;
and the distance being some 10 miles
greater. there is nearly an hour lost
every "Trip and with four trains each
way per day. there is dead loss OF
lime Of (speed aud distance counted
full! eight hours each day on passenger
trains alone. This multiplied by 3l3.
the number Of working days in the
year gives the large sum Of 25O4 hours
or OVER ONE HUNDRED DAYS LOSS TINE
EVERY YEAR. on passenger trains alone.
Count Up the cost Of fuel. of hands.
of watchmen. Of wear r-all expenses,
and the sum for single year is START
linz. Multiply this by thousands. and
the sum will presently amount to en-
ough 10 build al the railroads the couu.
try needs.
What is true in one case is true in
others. The one leading idea for cou-
structing trunk railroads, is BEE LINE:
aud a departure from this policy will
always prove suicidal in the Q d.
Railroad men of Kansas, make a noe
Of this. aud act wisely. w
More anon. 80.
Governor Seward at Lawrence.