The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1862-11-21
Startling Calculations as to the Pacific
Railroad,

AballrO6Os
In calculating the probable business of a
railroad to the Pacific it is impossible to
obtain data so particular and precise as
are usually afforded. Still the subject has
received the careful study of the most
thorough business men in the country for
many years. It has been discussed in and
out Of Congress, more completely and ably,
than any other similar project ever under
taken.
Perhaps the best resume the whole ques-
ton is contained in the able report made
in Congress by Senator McDougal, and the
statements therein contained have never
been assailed. These statements were also
embodied compactly in speech made by
him in the Senate, from which we make
the following extracts
The present cost and loss of the trans
pOrtation of men and merchandise between
Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Bal
timore on the one side, and San Francisco
on the other, from the best compiled sta
tistics, may be stated thus
Passenger transits both ways, includ-
ing overland transits, 100000, av-
eraging $3.50 per capita s15, OOO, 900
Time OF passenger transits, average
forty days, and counting them as
dead labor, while in transit and
otherwise, their average labor
worth two dollars per diem. 49,. 100000
treiShts both ways around the Horn,
215,OOO tons, at an average of $50
Value of frcights both ways, other
than gold and silver, $110 100000.
On this, by the reason Of twice
passing through the tropics there
is, from leakage sweating and 9TH
er causes, a loss of not less than
seven per cent. not covered by in
surance. ..................... 100000
Insurance, and gross losses uninsur-
ed; that is, where parties are their
own insurers, three per cent. -. $500, 900
| Interest on the capital which may be
considered dead while 1876 days in
transitu-say four per cent. ...... 4,400, 900
Government transportations as stated 1885,, 900
| lsthmlls transportation Cncluding
passengers) and insurance on the
same 800: .................... $3.50, 900
ploying 1000 teams 200 days each
year, ut cost of s25 per team :. . 10, 600, 900
| Passenger transits to and from Ne
vada. Observation-Disclosures. $500, 900
| Denver and Salt Lake, estimated
without data at. ...........1 10, 900, 600
$75,8O7, 900
The cost of the same business and SER
| vice by continuous line of railroad from
San Francisco to the point of delivery
East, and the reverse, may be stated thus:
Two hundred and fifteen thousand
| tons. at So. Sc, $50, 900
Interest on' $40, 900, 600 for ten days,
| One-third per cent. ............... 366, 600
One hundred thousand passenger
transit at $50 each. ........ 5000, 900
| Ten days each passenger i'll transit,
loss 81 per diem. .............. 1900, Geo
| One hundred tons gold and silver,
| 5000 per ton. Northumberland. $4,000
| Isthmus merchanse. ............... 1,250,000
| Nevana, Utah and Colorado passen-
gers and freights estimate. 800. $500, 900
| Damage and insurance. ....... 1000, 900
| Government freights and transpOrta-
ton computed as equal TO interest 3, 773, 500
| So, $40, 46G
To these figures some will make the
| same objections that were made to De
Witt Clinton's modest estimates of the
probable revenues of the Erie Canal, but
we believe that like those estimates, they
will seem ridiculously small to those who
shall live to witness ten years practical
working of this great road. There is q
business creating power in such a road
which always excells the most ardent ey-
pectations Of its projectors, and when we
reflect that on both sides of the Rocky
Mountain ranges there is an amount of &C
cessible mineral wealth sufficient for the
profitable employment of millions, when
ever the cost Of living shall be sufficiently
reduced by cheap transportation, we can
not reasonably doubt that business will
be created to an amount double or treble
Senator McDougal's estimates.
The East India trade, which has of it.
self, built up and in turn enriched the
great commercial States of the old world,
would be entirely diverted to this channel,
and pay Us tribute.
What this would be, we have not time
nor space now to discuss, but some little
conception of it may be gained from fact
stated in Congress, by Mr.. Phelps, one of
the most accurate statisticians in the
House. He stated that the saving to the
American consumers of tea, which would
follow the completion of the road, would
be 1884, 200 annually.
* * * And Schenck, one of the ablest men in
the nation, succeeds General Wool at Balt-
more.-P1ess.
If the Press means to have it under
stood that Gen. SCHENCK is one of the
ablest aailitu.y men of the nation, we have
only to say that rushing his command on
railroad train into the flaws of DEATH"
at Vienna, little more than a year ago,
was not then considered promising COM
mencement of military Life.
THE MoNIToR.-The Monitor, which has