The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1868-07-04
The R"ii,oa,is oJ' Mc Umi,ca S,atcs.

Mr. Henry '. Poor has compiled - very sAlua-
blc manual of the railroads ol the United States
aud in "a preliminary cssny gives a varirl, IL in
iercsiing Information upon the growth aud cV-
tent OF the railroad system 81 this country, from
which We take q few prominent facts
The first railroad ia the United .Siai,s.--thc
Baltimore aud Ohio road was chartered IL 42T,
and sixty-iwo miles Of il were opened but work
ed by horss power. IA lSii. New York olrned
in the same year the second railroad tie Albany
and Schenectady The third was the south
Catoliua railroad. which WAS oIcne,l 10 is35,
aud was ai that time, Mr.. Poor tell. ~. tho
l""a"4' continuous lins iU tie would
in l-il, We po.s,ss.,i hut little over one
hundred mites ni railroad: in ls3i We hal ugs
milr. ia i-61, ac,.il In eighteen hundred
and thirty -srVcn two hundred snd twenty four
miles Of new track were ai in eighteen hun
drcd and sixty seven, two thnusand Two hundred
aud twenty seven miles OF new track In cigh.
teen hundred and fofiy-ihrrc. only one hundred
and Giiy-nine miles were laid in eighteen hun
drrd and tifly-six, three thousand siA hundred
anil toriy-ihr-- miles we're up-nrd which Is the
largest number Of mles nf new track laid in anv
year
la eighteen hundred aud forty We had one
mile Of railroad Ia four thousand four hundred
and fifteen people ia Eighteen hundred aud iifty
one mile 10 three thousand two hundred aud
ninety Eight people and in eighteen hundred
and sixty, one mile 10 niue hundrel and Eve peO-
pie. In eighteen hundred aud seventy, Mr.. Poor
thinks, We shall have forty five thousand miles
Of railroad opened one mile for every eight
hundred aud thiriy-sevcn inhabi bitanis.
Massachusetts, has the greatest number ofmilrs
in proportion 10 her t.Triiory-one mile for every
five and half square tuile. Connecticut comes
next, and has one mile To . +-l0 square miles
New Jersey has one mile for s. o square miles
Rhode island follows with one mile OF track for
ten and half square milcsOf land rrnnsy lsania
Is ahead Of New York, havinga mile Sor every
l0 10 square miles while We have only mile
fot ever. J.; Tia square miles. The States We
have nauiei above, and New Hampshire. Ohio
aud Delaware, all have Inorr miles OF railroad IN
proportion 10 territory, than New York
Mr.. Poor remarks that II all the New Eng ,nd
States had ratio OF mileage 10 area Equal in
Massachusetts, this group of States would have
twelve thousand miles of iron track Instead uf
the three thousand niue hunlrc aud thirty eight
they actually possess Il the middle Siates cluai-
ci New Jersey, the, would posses. fifteen lhous.
aud six hundred and forty miles, instead ofwhai
they have nine thousand i've hundred and fiiiy-
two. " the western States clualed Ohio. they
would have fifly-on, thousand three hundred and
fifty miles while they have really but fifteen
thousand two hundred aud tweniy-sN From
these comparisons We may form an idea Of the
probable extension Of the RAILROAD systcm ia the
future foI though !, Is Improbable that the Scw
England States, as group will soon reach the
ratio u Massachusetts,. il eau scarcely be- doubted
that tho Middle aud Western States will, before
many years, equal New Jersey and ohio in the
extent Of their railroads. We had, according TO
Mr.. Poor, ia eighteen hundred and siKty.scycn,
IN the whole country, ihifty.nlne thousand two
hundred aud forty -four miles Of railroad but II
all the States, excluding the territories were
furnished rs well rs Ohio, We should have the
enormous aggregate OF one hundred and sixty.
five thousand aud eight hundred miles and II
they all cquaied Massachusetts, We should have
three hundred aud iifty-two thousand eight hun
dfcd aud sixty miles.
The whole railroad system of the United States
has cost, according 10 Mr. Poor's estimate, ST.
GOO, ,OO0, OOO-about two-ihirds the amount Of
our national debt " T. Pon