The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1863-11-04
The Proposed Railroad

a.. .os, n,o6ts. and advantages o. a Railroad
from this city to Jackson. the whole subject
i. presented in clear and bs.iucsshkc manner,
and we wish every voter IN the eouaty could
read that statement
A savage, Who produces nothing, needs 10
road. A good footp4lh supplies all his necessi
ties But a. soon az the savage becomes
farmer AID dives a team, be must have road
both for travelling aud transportation. 10"
good road he can afford 10 build, depends Oh
the frequency OF his journeys and the smo.ut he
has to carry. A common road answers for
thin, sparse, poor population. Il serves t1ei'
purposes and while poor, they Cannot ahnd
70 build a very expensive road But az wealth
and population increase, it becomes a matter OF
econornv 70 make the roads better ard the |
..ne persons Who formerly carried to Hiaike',
on common road, one or two wagon loads o.
produce in year, may afterwards, viii t"'rty |
or fortv tim that amount, End il a saving Of |
money to e1pend $4,000 per mile on Rail
road.
But there are some skeptical people who refuse
70 believe any argument OF statement, however
reasonable, unless il has been proved by e1-
perience. They say: You make a very fine
story on paper about the rise in produce and
the Der centage saved in transportation BY Rail-
road but eau you substantiate your theories BY
actual faetsg Do that and we will believe
For the benefit Of such persons, We will state
some facts, which they can verify, by actual in
quiry, for themselves
Fortv.seveu miles vs.; O. Detroit, on the line
of the Central Railroad, there has been a Touring
mill during the last thirty years. Before the
Railroad Wa built, the -four made in that mill
was carried t. Detroit by teams at CO ? cents
Der barrel Since the Railroad was finished !,
has been carried on the road for 22 cents pes
barrel. making difference Of forty cents on
each barrel Of -four This gain in the cost of
transportation, enables the miller to pay nine
cents per bushe more for wheat than he could
before; and since the building Of the road
every acre Of wheat il that vicinity Is worth
from one 10 two dollars more than il was when
the -four va. carried away by teams. Again
Before the road was built, al the salt used 10
that vicinity was brought from Detroit by teams,
at 70 cents per barrel Nov. the Railroad will
set down at that mill any number of barrels o.
salt that may be ordered, whether it be one or
one thousand, at 80 cents each. Here IL
clear gain TO the farmer Of Is cents Oh each bar
rel OF salt, aud, OF course, on all other articles
the farmer imports there will be proporiionate
saving.
Before the road WAS built, when the mile
l.. 4.
riding in the stage, at SIX cents per MILE 10 get
TO Detroit, and another day in returning, at the
same rates, thus consuming three days time, and
expending 80 in money, to do business for one
day. To-day the miller, or any Of his thousand
neghbors, can take the morning train for De-
trOit return in the evening, and spend 10 hours
in the city in doing his business, ani his whole
expenses will be only So, being saving Of two
DAYS in time aud So in cash on every trip to
Detroit.
We have mentioned only one locality bur if
the inquirer will proceed to jackson, Kalamazoo,
or any other place on the Central Road, and ask
for the facts from those who lived on the route
Of the Railroad before it was built, aud who
still live there, they will tell him of a proper
tomato saving to the community in each OF
their respective localities.
But railroad will sometimes make that valua
bic which before was worth nothing Some
years since the people of Detroit concluded to
pave several streets The stones wanted fo'
this purpose are round, from four to eight inches
in diameter, and of little value for any other
use The contractor not being able TO get a
supply by teams in the neighborhocd of De
trois, sent out on the Central Road "a far west
as Sandstone, which is nearly one hundred miles
from Detroit, and gathered from the farms, for a
mile on each side of the road, all the suitable
stones that could be found The contractor
gathered and dug these in the fields, in vast
quantities, paving the owner in cash from six TO
twelve cents per wagon load. In this way, by
means Of the Railroad, the farmer rid OF a
troublesome incumbTance, receiving a donation
20 cash for the privilege of taking it away,
while the people OF Detroit had their streets
paved at less cost than they othereise could
have done.
We think the great advantages Of Railroad
as a means Of travelling fast, comfortably, and
cheap, are not sufficiently appreciated. The
usual fare on Railroads Is about three cents a
mile, which is about half the stage fare. The
difference between these two rates would soon
be enough, OF itself, TO build Railroads. Thus, !
If one OF our citizens with his wife desires, to
visit jackson and return, the stage fare will be
$40. With the contemplated Railroad already
built, be could make the journey OF Sc miles for
81 SO, making a saving Of IS 6s, which would
pay bis part OF the interest on the loan OF
$4,000 for a long tiwe. With money very
abundant, the amount Of travel viii be greater
than ever before, aud will better support
Railroad.
With reference to the time in which the con. /
tempIated road could be completed, We have |
been assured that it might be done in one year 4
as well as in two three or Eve years. This /
seemed 10 Us very short time; but upon ex-
aiming Mr.. Turner's estimate, We find the
whole cost Of the superstructure fenced aud |
ready for the rails, to be S. 900 per mile. Sup
posing each dollar to represent days work, 10
men BY working 500 DAYS 10 the wear, would
complete mile 10 one year: and 500 men would
complete the grading and feuciug Of the whole
road in that time. The laying of the iron, il it
cost but 800 per mile, need oscapy but a little
time.
The present is favorable time for building