Delaware State journal and statesman., 1865-12-29
Communicated.
OUR RAILROADS.

have attempted in former communica.
tions 10 give some idea OF the extent and
Importance of our Peninsular system of
Railroads, the financial success which has so
far attended its management, and its effects
in contributing to the prosperity of our State
and city. The subject is one, however, that
grows in importance the more ii is examined,
and have thrown together few figures
which will help your readers to realize the
magnitude Of the Railroad business which
is growing up in the Peninsula, and silently
eliecting the work of developing its latent
resources.
The whole length of the Delaware
Railroad and its connections,
now in operation is, III miles.
The following are now under CON
tract and will soon be finished.
Delaware Railroad extension, Sa-
lishury to Annamessex, so "
Maryland and Delaware Railroad,
Smyrna to Oxford, Md, "a "
Total, 1877 "
In addition to these there are the
following proposed Railroads in
tho Peninsula:
Bridgeville to Cambridge, Md, ss "
Middletown or Townsend To Ches.
tertOwn, Md, II "
Berlin, Md, to Salisbury, Nd, 81
Junction and Breakwater, 2S
Total length of proposed roads, 94
Adding these figures together, and We
have, as the sum total of the whole system,
when complete, 201 miles, the whole OF
which will probably be finished and in use
within ten years. On the whole of this sys.
TEN of say 300 miles in extent, not train
can move, southward or northward, that
does not go towards or from Wilmington, 80
completely does the whole with its ramifica.
tions, point TO this as its natural centre OF
focus Add to these three hundred miles o
Railroad, the one hundred miles of the Phila-
delphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad
and we have total of four hundred miles
the business of which will require not less
than one hundred and twenty-five locomo
tives to carry it on, requiring steady an
nual outlay of many thousands of dollars in
the construction and repair accounts, the
most of which must be concentrated here
Nor does the traffic which is thus brought
to our doors pass by them without leaving
share-a fair shdre-of its results with us
The annual reports of the Delaware Railroad
Company show that the number of passcn
gers carried over the Road to and from, vii
mngton, is more than one-half the numbe
carried to and from Philadelphia, notwith
standing the much greater disproportion o
population and business in the two cities ant
the proportion appears to be increasing. Thl
head OF moderate retail establishment OF
Market Street, who has used some exertiol
in attracting custom from the Peninsula, in
forms me that his trade has been more thar
doubled within short time, by what he oh
tains from thence. Other branches of trade
especially the lumber merchants, makers O
sash and doors, dealers in agricultural i'm
plements and fertilizers, iron mongers, hard
ware and paint dealers, have had larg
additions made to their business and profit
from this source.
In view of all these facts, and considering
especially how much has been done for u
by Nature, and how great have been tn
advantages derived to us from this magnif
cent system of Railroads, which has bee
and is being developed without our aid, an
| might almost say without our notice, Gel
tainly at no expense to our community
wish to ask, what is there that we can d
and ought to do TO complete the work that ha
been begun, TO render it still more efficient
and TO enable us to reap the full amount
may be made to contribute to our prosperity
; The answer is plaintiffs system of Raj
) roads, traversing a region of level land ey
clusiyely agricultural in its character abl
to become a large consumer of the product
? and manufactures of our upper country, an
: of the mountains of Pennsylvania, shoul
J be completed by being connected with tb
great Railroads of Pennsylvania, and Oh
4 West and North West. That this will /
7 effected at no distant day by one or anoth,
e route, there can be little doubt. 1t res
with us to say whether we shall reap IL
benefit of being Mt the point of Junction
What has been in the past will continue
be in the future, and the sooner we recogni1
the fact that the Coal Trade of Pennsylvi
p mia, which increases at the rate of 10 D,
cent. per annum, and the immense trait
a now pouring over her Railroads from Il
4 West and North West, must have addition
g outlets to tide-water at no distant day, an
that it is in our power to say whether wi