Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1865-11-10

The aggregate number of passengers
conveyed on the seven railroads which
divergc from Boston amounts to twenty
five times the population Of the city, and
the total travel on the railroads in Massa-
chusetts to ten times the population Of the
State. I have before me the annual report
Of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company
for the year 1858. I was engaged in the
location and construction of the eastern
division of that road from 1928 to 1882,
and at that time a daily stage between
Philadelphia and Pittsburg, with seats for
ten passengers, and q tri-weekly stage,
with seats for six, between Philadelphia
and bennington "a distance of 80 miles),
were the only public conveyances.
The following extract from the report Of
the President of the company, Mr.. J. f.
Thompson, gives a concise exhibit OF the
business done on the road in 1858:
"Our trains have been run with great
regularity, and remarkable freedom from
accident. We have carried, during the
year, l,0l2.S03 first class, and 1882 emf
grant passengers, without the loss Of q
single life but n accident having &C.
Cured to our trains from which injury
resulted to passengers. In this case three
persons were slightly injured, whose
claims for damages were promptly adjust
ed for the sum of $l,2l7. In moving
l,l37, lS9 tons of freight, during the year,
the total claims incurred for goods lost,
damaged, or delayed, has been but
$S,054."
Many Of the passengers travel but short
distances, and the larger portion of in
come of almost every railroad is derived
from local travel and freight.
As relates to the Pennsylvania Railroad,
this will be exhibited by another extract
from the report already referred to:
ut will be seen from the report of the
proper department, in relation to the traffic
on the Pennsylvania Railroad during the
past year, that the equivalent number Of
through passengers were as follows: On
the Philadelphia division philadelphia to
Columbia), l69,379; on the Harrisburg
and Lancaster Railroad, l09,4Sl; on the
Columbia branch, 27,749; and upon the
Pennsylvania Railroad (between Harris
burg and Pittsburg), ll9,36S. In addition
to the foregoing, were 1926 emigrant
passengers transported from Philadelphia
to Pittsburg. The total number Of per-
sons who passed upon the road during
the year was l,0l2,S03 first class passen-
gers, and 1882 emigrants."
On the Sacramento Valley Railroad,
during the month of April, 1860, 6,456
persons travelled over the road, of whom
2,426 held stage tickets. Of the stage
tickets, 1924 belonged to the Placerville
and Folsom line.
1t thus appears that nearly two-thirds
of all the travel is derived from Folsom
and other points contiguous to the road,
and but a little more than one-third from
connecting stage lines. 1t will also be
seen that the Placerville stages carried
more passengers than all the other lines
together.
In a statement published (ls64) by ]. P.
Robinson, Esq, late Superintendent of
the Sacramento Valley Railroad, he says:
by its facility it has, since January l,
1856, caused a movement of 1856, 900 people
over it. Of this number, $40, 900 persons
have been a local movement between Sac
ramento and Folsom, and the remainder,
or l26, 900 persons, have been a movement
arriving or departing on stages to and
from points beyond this road; showing a
large expenditure in this city and county,
which, without this road, would not have
been made, which can not be estimated at
less than 81 a person, or S240,0o0."
We may observe that the town of Fol-
som, which owes its existence solely to
the railroad, contributes largely to it's
support.
An English writer graphically illustrates
the benefcent influence Of railroads upon
both states and individuals:
Railways have. when properly select
ed, been invariably attended with the fol-
towing results increased Government
revenue; increased value of all property /;
increased cultivation and produce, and
extension of manufactures increased ac-
commodation to all classes for Intercom-
munication /; diminished cost of all de-
scriptions Of goods TO consumers, and
increased consumption by accession of
numbers; a measure Of universal benefit,
without a drawback or objection, if select
ed and carried out under due provisions,
with judgment and discretion"
An able correspondent of the We't-
minister RsvietO, says:-E
Wherever railways are constructed
whether they cross the American CONT
nent, and link the Atlantic and Pacific
oceans, or line the banks of the Thames,
the Rhine, the Danube and the Euphrates;
traverse the burning plains Of Hindostan,
or the SHOWS Of Siberia-the maxim enun-
ciated by Mr. Pease, of Darlington, when
railways were only experiments, on the
success of which he had risked his fortune,
will equally hold good, and remain u n
questionable evidence Of his lsrgeness of
view and soundness Of judgment : Let
the country but make the railroads, and
the railroads will make the country"
H-