The Portland daily press., 1867-05-21
Tuesday Morning, May 81, 1867.
British Colonial Matters.


opinion that it Is possible to construct a rail
way much cheaper than first-class RAILWAYS
have been constructed III this country, and at |
the same time secure a road capable of doing a |
larger traffic than can be hoped for from any |
inland district in Canada tof many years. Mir.
j :. e. Boyd, Z. f., who Is engineer for the Gov
OF New Brunswick, a gentleman who
had paid much attention TO the subject, has
detailed and carefully prepared re-
ply to the questions submitted by your COM
mittee for the consideration OF engineers and
Others some weeks since. Mr.. Boyd estimates
that cheap railway OF ) feet inches gauge
with rails weighing 50 or so lbs. per ward. en-.
gnes weighing from 13 to 10 tons can be built
and equipped 1or $l2,500 per mile. Mr. Boyd
corroborates the calculations and explanations
by making comparisons with the cheap rail-
ways of Norway, Sweden, India, and Queens
land. The success of these latter RAILWAYS is
attested upon such authority as that OF Sir
Charles Fox & Sons, the well-known English
engineers, and OF Mr.. Phil, the Norwegian en-
gineer. The practical test of working the cheap
lines must be to nOn-prOiessional minds at least
ten-foid better evidence than all the theories
pro or con which all the engineers in the world
could set up. Besides the estimates of Mr.
Boyd your committee has other estimates for
a railway OF about the same character as that
contemplated by Mr. Boyd's estimate, which
substantially cOrroborates his figures and agree
i'll putting the cost of building and equipping
such a road at less than $4,000 per mlie.
Ii further evidence were wanted We might
quote the letter OF Mr.. Francis Shanly who
maintains that a light railway may be built
from Guelph northward even upon q broad
gauge and cost but $l4 900 per miie or of Mr.
Cumberland, OF the Northern Railway, who
purposes to build a first class broad gauge rail-
way, minus the equipment, for $50 900 per mile
Ii these gentiemen are not very lar astray in
their calculations, then the estimates OF Mr.
Boyd and other engineers who have commune
Gated with us relative to the cheap marrow
flxsrnx
and most ample Tor the work contemplated
We are certainly safe in assuming $1,000 per
mile as an ample prlce Tor a thoroughly etilci-
ent narrow gauge railway built upon economi-
cal principles, with rails 40 lbs per yd and to
be worked by engines weighing IA or 10 tons.
Usually large amounts are wasted i'll building
railways by letting contracts OF such magnl-
tude as to preclude competition, allowing the
large contractors TO make fortunes out of the
difference between their prices and the prices
paid to the small contractors who actually
build the railways. 1t is believed that much
can be saved by having the railway companies
deal directly with the smaller class OF respon-
sible contractors.
THE LIBERATED TRAITOR IN CANADIAN EYES
Mr. jefferson Davis has gone to Canada
where he will doubtless receive oya-
tions from class of the inhabitants
who sympathized in the Rebellion and from
the large number of former residents of the
South who have been led by the force of cir
cumstances to take up their abode in that coun-
try. These two classes as their wont is, viii be
apt to make good deal OF noise, but their
yaporing is not TO be taken as an expression Of
the general sentiment of the Canadian people
toward the arch-traitor. A better glimpse of
the real estimate put upon Davis and his posi-
iS in no foil Io mi,
from the Toronto Globe, After u merited
sarcasm on the fiunkeyism of the New York
Jenkinses who described the look of his eye,
the color of his hair, the cut of his coat, and
the peculiarities of his gait, with more than
the artistic precision OF the blawsted coekney
reporters whom they are so fond of ridiculing, -
the Globe says: se
This is, no doubt, very entertaining ana eu-
flying; but We would feel slightly more in
terested il some one could lift the vail from
Davis heart and mind, and tell us how he felt
as he once more drove through the streets OF
Richmond ana once more re-entered those
apartments in the Spottswood Hotel which he
occupied during the palmy days OF his bad EN-
inence"-and how lie fell as he saw in the
quOandom slave nigger the entranchised freed
man whose favor even the naughty chivalry now
court, and as he reflected that, by MS violent
arrogance, those whom he wished to conSigI
to perpetual bondage now stood on a bettel
| polltcal footing than he and his active coadju
tors III the rebellion?
| THE TRUE BOND OF CONFEDERATION.
The Quebec Chronicle has judicious arti
| Gle on the causes of the opposition to Confed
| Grafton exhibited in the maritime Provinces
| 1t believes that the advocates of that measur
have ignored the important tact that the onl
4 ~,
practical results can be expected in this direc
| ton is the commercial one. In this connection
| it says: '''
That the Provinces are members of the SAM
empire is not in itself a very effective tie, es
| pecially where so much anxiety Is shown a
| nome To loosen the cord. Massachusetts AM
| Maine belonged at one time TO the same empir
I as Nova Scotia and New Brunswick; and ii tn
| simple and antiquated sentiment ofthe old 10y
4 alists is TO be succeeded by no stronger ieeiln
than that which is supplied by treaty OF poll
| cal union, it is to be feared that these ProVil
| ces may grayitaJe towards aB alliance Wit
| their nearest neighbors rather THAI with Que
bee or Ontario. The apportionment OF som
! large expenditure for public works IN the La
| Ter Provinces might at any time lead TO dl
| rurtion. Hence it Is of the utmost lmportanc
| that = national spirit based on a strong conml
| nifty of material interest should be evolved Z
| soon as possible II this is not recognize'
| then there is really no whole, nothing but
bundle of communities, which for all practic'
| purposes, might as well be separate.
The construction of another Welland Can
| would do more to bind Nova Scotia perm:
| nently To the Confederation than any expend
ture incurred chiefly for the purpose OF graf
lying Bluenose contractors and voters. A cal
| al across the Isrhmus to the Bay of fund
would do more for the development of Ill
| Province OF Ontario than any amount q
money expended in that Province, merely /
| balance the advances to others.
The Petrolia Sentinel thinks that place ha
seen its darkest hour, and that all indications
now are of better times 1t says:
Hotels are filling up with business men and
| the streets begin to assume the appearance OF
| life. Oil is finding its way to the station by
| the thousand barrels Several new strikes
| have been made during the week. One near
the King well which was thought to be fair
rival to the great spouter. Several hundred
| barrels flowed and then followed few pulsa-
tions. The capacity of the well is not yet as
| certained, but there is no doubt but it will
prove to be paying affair, and will with many
others be lively rebuke ON those croakers
who are dishonest enough to report that oil is
playing out in the Petrolia region.
THE MADoc MINES.
An official report from the Inspector of the
Quinte Gold Mining District, dated 9th inst,
gives few interesting particulars. About 100
shafts have been sunk in Madoc and the adioin-
ing townships. Works are suspended howev.
er, for the present, the excavations being filled
with water. Between three and four thousand
strangers have visited Madoc within month
past. A large proportion OF them are still in
the neighborhood prospecting. Thirty mining
licenses have been issued. Messrs Gilbert
and Fairly are importing steam quartz crush
ing machine, which they expect to have in OPP
erationin fortnight.
The amount of white pine lumber manaiac-
tured during the past year upon the Ottawa
ond t.;h,tarv streams was 2,745,O00 feet, and
~ tha e. Lawrence, 100000 feet, making
toto, of 17.745OOO. With respect to red pine,
the grand total for both the Ottawa and the
g. lawrence is set down at 100000. This is an
;ncrease of million feet over the total of the
previous year.
THE JAFFA CoLoNY.-The Tribuae's Con-
stantinople correspondent gives some furthe
information about the Colony OF Elder
Adams in Jaffa, gathered from American resi-
dents in Syria, from which it would appear
that we have not yet reached the whole truth
in relation to this matter. The writer says:
"The Minister here, Mr.. Morris, has now or
dered Mr. johnson, our Consul at Beyroot to
On m Jaffa and look into the whole matter