Delaware Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1843-1874, 1866-01-15
For the Delaware Republican.
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Two points are OF vital Importance in discu.-
sing any question regarding the cou,truetio.
OF tnis or any other Railroad. First. Ia tbs
proposed line one that will probably pay an la.
terest on ite cost? Second, Are there other
reasons which should induce the people ,.si.
ding along its line, or at the terminstions. 10
promote it. as a means Of enhancing their ows
prosperity aOi
The former articles OF this ssrls, have bee,
written with view to answer the first of theso
questions (which must, indeed, be answered la
the afirmative with some degree of assurance
before the second can be earnestly taken up or
can be eaectually discussed. I take 1t for
granted that no community will Intentionally
at least, expsnd any very large amount of nc.
ney In such an improvement as Rail Road
I assured that the whole must be lost. Hence
the whole argument for the construction of this
or any other such enterprise must rest upoa
the assumption that it will pay some interest
upon the stock; and this point the preceding
articles have been directed to prove. In the
hope, therefore that shall not be thought to be
undertaking the hopeless task of persusding
the people of Wilmington to commence an en-
terprise in which all that is invested is to be
ultimately and entirely sunk, wish new to call
attention to some Of the reasons which make
| it desirable to us as Wilmingtonians, that such
road should be built, and that IL should ter
inmate in Wilmington Iu doing SO shall avail
myself OF the arguments furnished to my hand
ln letter received from the gentleman whom
have before quoted, and whose authority on
Rail Road matters stands high enough to war.
rant me in appealing to it with confidence:
Two elements are necessary to the growth
OF cities. First, a favorable location on tide,
whence an unlimited intercourse may be had
with the seaboard at large; and second, an on
larged inland communication from which to
derive the materials of commerce. II Nature,
in her muuifcenca has n dad fha frat
mercial and municipal prosperity will be mcs-
ssred by the enterprise of man in furnishin,y
the second.
glance at the map will show that Whining
ton, with er hadmitted tidal advantages IL ex-
ceedingly deficient In internal communications
and that she is mainly dependent on her powers
OF attraction from the ueifhboring cities along
the coastwise line, upon which she is 30 favor
ably located. To remedy this defect, and TO
restore to Wilmington those business advan.
tages which her geograp hical position so clearly
entities her to, is the chief object Of the im-
provement now under consideration and the
fact that she is not called on to enter single
handed upon the enterprise, but will be aided
by large manufacturing and agricultural inter-
ests along the route, seeking more direct COM
muncntion with the coast, is q favorable index
not only TO the enlargement of Wilmington
commerce, bnt also 10 the success OF the work
as Wilmington project. Pending the surveys
"hAeu arc uoW makinBi anu IN view OF Tue fact
that you have already a large aunt of infor.
nation based on former surveys, az to the pro-
bable cost OF the work, and the business which
II Will command, shall at present only invite
attention to few of its prominent features,
and their relations to internal traffic.
Anthracite coal is the great moving power Of
Eastern Pennsylvania and its vicinity, and man
flourish in proportion as they are
brought nearer to it. From Brdsboro' to Will
mington by way OF Philadelphia the distancs
is II miles by way of your proposed road, IL
Will be So miles, showing a saving of "a miles
in the transportation of this commodity; whilst
the gain in transportation to Coatesville, ap
Important manufacturing point,will be 35 miles.
The extensive limestoneideposits of Chester
valley will be l5 miles nearer the peninsula
than Norristown, the point from which that
region is now supplied, whilst the more linited
but in some respects the more valuable beds of
southe rn Chester county, are 10 miles nearer
to the points of shipment. Coatesviils will be
IL miles nearer to Wilmington than 1t is to
Philadelphia, and 3S miles nearer than by war
OF Philadelphia. II we now consider these
distances in connection with the Peninsuiar
Rail Road which 10 about being extended to
Fengier Sound, on the Chesapeake Bay, with u
view to making it link In the main line OF
Southern travel by steamboat lines thence to
Norfolk and Richmond. 1t will be seen that
travel West, by way of the Penna. r. R. will save
% hAheo oS bhAiHB your rOhu from w ilmlngt0ui
and by way OF the Reading R. R. north west
ward, "A miles will he aayed. Notwithatand-
ing these advantages which will secure to your
road fair amount of through business, an eI-
tended communication between WILMINGTON
and the peninsula and the Anthracite coal
helds as well as with the city OF Reading; -
tho local traffic will be of paramount Impor-
lance, an3 will furnish large interchangeable
trade with the ssvsrai .e,sait Roads intersectsd.
ron ore aooubds In the Northern pccriion OF =
me route, which Is seeking an outlet 10 tbs
'chuyikili valley. Centrally the rolling mills
want iron and coal lime wants an outlet. and
ther manufactures their supplies, whilst th,
gricnltural resources OF the country traversed
10 unsurpassed, end !. is thickly populated
people whose intelligence leads than into
nterprise beyond the limits of home, and who
u therefore secure your road largo amount
LEGAL travel" Wnx,sarnS
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