The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1867-09-02

carving a ton OF broom corn to Chicago
When there, it is no nearer New York,
Philadelphia, or Boston than at Galva. On
arrival at Chicago it breakes bulk, has to be
stored, or at once transshipped, leach move
adding to the expense before it reaches the
consumer. Thus it is maintained that a
vast advantage will be secured by running
road direct through these rich and level
States, on an air line due east and west,
which is the natural course for American
traffic. So productive are these States-es-
peclally that of Illinois-that the lines hav-
ing their terminus at Chicago, though trust
ing wholly to local affairs turned in a wron z
direction, pay handsome dividends. This
being the case, it must follow that the local
traffic of line taking the course of the
American Central must be still more pro-
ductive. But this railway does not depend
upon local traffic for its returns. 1t will De
but main line of the worlds highway from
N. York to San Francisco-from Liverpool 10
Hong Kong. 1t is not easy to reailZe Tue
revolution that will be worked IN the tlde OF
travel when the road is finished across the
American continent. On the one mana lie
China and Japan, peopled with their AGO.
600. 900: on the other, the great empires of
Europe, and between these extremities a
trade has arisen which as yet is merely in
its infancy. Japan, North East China,
Australia, and New Zealand will be brought
much nearer to the centres of civilization,
and boon we cannot as yet estimate will
be conferred on the world That this rail
way, in common with the other links, will
reap rich harvest cannot be doubted and
we do not consider that the authors exag
gerate the advantages when they assert that
At. Al IL
any line, while the local traffic will be the
most profitable. Basing calculations on an
estimate so large, the way is formed loo
feet wide, with the intention of laying down
seven tracks if hereafter required. The i'm
preston left on the mind of the profits i!
such as to make greedy mans mouth wa
ter, and the authors fear to state them, ev
idntly dreading charge of exaggeration.-
But though they do not openly estimate
| they do not hesitate to state there are rail
| ways in America which pay to the origina
| stockholders over forty per cent, and ther,
is no railway in America that will pay a
| large as the American Central. The fact
in support of this startling assertion are We
| ry strong, consisting of an elaboration o
the points We have generalized. There are
| however, some special advantages on which
we have not touched arizing from the nature
of the States traversed by the line. Thu
second great advantage is the absence o
rivers, the Illinois being the only stream Q
| magnitude which intercepts the course
We do not include the Mississippi, whic
| there is no intention of bridging. 1t is as
serted-and this will, perhaps, convey t
| the English mind the best idea-that tn
construction of the whole line of 595 miles
fully equipped, viii not cost as much as
| single one of some of the London Railwa
Stations. We have, then, a grand result a
q comparatively small cost, mainly owing t
natural advantages, and in smaller degre
to the application of common sense to dear
ly-bought experience. The American sy!
tenn has run into the opposite extreme to tn
English system. 1t may be a nice point I
decide which error is the greater, as col
structing so frail a road that it cannot BET
the traffic offered. or building one with gran
stations and magnificent bridges which cal
not return a cent to the original proprietor
If line is tunnelled and bridged for on
track, and it is afterwards found that two, c
even three are required, great loss ensue
The happy medium was that dictated /
common sense, which in no way starves ii
road, but rejects all unnecessary or avoid
BILE outlay. That the American Centr
Railway is strongly opposed by those who:
interests are centred In Chicago, and otht
great lake ports, we have little doubt
Chicago can, however, afford to have pc
ton of its trade diverted for so fertile AT
immense is the district of which it hither
has been the main outlet, that more bus
ness has been thrown in its way than it ca
well carry through. However jealous son
: of the great carrying interests may be, the
is no reason for jealousy, as Chicago, f
instance, has, as we have remarked, mo
trade than she can possibly accommodate
from the closing of the lakes by ice S
'months in the year. No railway can {
more than supply the wants of a limited traC
along its course if it runs through ferti
country, and although nearly a third of Il
railways of the world are to be found in Il
United States, grain has been destroyed
thousands of bushels for want of carriag
and there have been hungry mouths in t
t Eastern cities and starving thousands
7 Europe, while vast fields of hay have rott
on the prairies that would have fatted lie
beasts if carriage only had been forthco
, ing.
: THE AMERICAN CENTRAL Rail