The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1869-04-08
VOLUME 4.---N0. IL.

the carriage of freight by the New York
Central Railroad were removed, the
tonnage of Western products on the canal
rose to 965,095 tons. In 1867 the united
Through" tonnage of the FIVE great high
ways between the east and the west, the
Erie canal, the New York Central, the
Erie, the Pennsylvania, and the Baltimore
and Ohio Railroads, amounted to 5000, 900
tons, whose value was $1,000, 100000
The Pennsylvania Railroad, built upon
the line over which so years ago the
commerce of the State crawled in wagons,
moved in the year 1857, of local freight
alone, 901 ,226 tons, and l,4l2, PA tons in
1861, and 2,906,205 tons in 1865. When
the Erie Road was opened, and the New
York Central was authorized TO carry
canal freight. there were 10000 miles Of
railway in operation in the United States.
The total of merchandise moved over
them could not have exceeded 5000, 600
tons, of the value of $3.50 the ton, and of
the aggregate value of S750,0O0,000. In
January, 1868, the mileage of American
railroads had increased to $4,000 miles.
The weight of the merchandise transpor-
ted over them was 100000 tons, of the
estimated value of 81 500. 900, 900. In the
short span of II years the mileage IF
American railroads grew nearly 400 per
cent, and their tonnage 1000 per cent,
with corresponding increase in the value
of the property carried. The, popula,
tion of the country, in the meantime,
grew from 24.000,000 to 100000, or
at the rate of so per cent SO that the
astounding fac! is evolved that railroads haze
increased the commerce Of the country 1000
fold more than the increase of its population!
In 1851 the freight moved upon all of our
railroads equaIled ALI pounds per head of
population, and was worth $3l per head.
In 1868 the tonnage equalied 2,777 pounds
per head, and had value of $2lo per
head. In lS5lthe cost OF the 10000 miles
nj railway in operation in the United
States was s2O0,OOOOOO. In 1868 the
cost of the $4,000 miles in operation was
dqual to sl,6OO.OOO,OO0. Consequently
the investment since 1861, of 81 400. .O00,.
900, has been the means of annually
creating commerce FIVE times greater,
amounting to So. 100000. Euery dollar
INFESTED in american railroads creates fre
dollars yearly. .....sa.-
Illinois now, developed by the magic
power of steam, is q splendid and unan.-
swerable argument in behalf of the policy
of national railway building. That State
in 1851 had only 25O miles of Railroad,
which cost s7,5OO,ooo, and the freight
over which did not exceed 10000 tons,
which was not worth over Sl5,000,00
At the end Of the year of 1867, Illinois
had 3.250 miles of Railroads whose traffic
was 100000 tons, the value of which
was s75O.OOO 600. 1t cost $1,000 ,0OO,00Oto
build these roads, The worth OF the
property transported over them in one
year equallcd very nearly six times their
cost. In 1851, the products transported
by these 70 Dis was at the rate OF z0O
pounds per head Of the population. In
1867, the tonnage transported exceeded
1000 pounds per head. The value of the
tonnage per head in 1851, was only Sl5.
In 1867 it's value per head was $3.50. The
result Is astounding. To be fully appre-
ciated, it must be lorne in mind that the
railway traffic of 1llinois is unlike that of
Pennsylvania and New York, mixed
one III LU6 plUuuCIS vi uhO oo'ii "hS A0ASSsS
the mine, the loom, the forge, and the
shop. Her products as yet are almost
exclusively wheat, corn. and cattle. Her
railroad tonnage has consisted principally
of those agricultural products which bear
transportation but short distances over
earth roads. 1t is the locomotive which
has enabled that great State to market
4 -. -,,L,ot ,.,n,, tanf ond n0rk I 2OD
miles away from home. 1t is the locomo-
tive and the iron rail above her garden
soil which have given her one-6fteensh Of
the population Of the United States;
which give her the power to bear ene-if,
teenth of the burdens Of the General
Government; which enable her to pay
annually s24,OO0,OO0 Of national taxes,
besides sustaining in the most liberal
manner the cest of her own enlightened
and progressive government.
A few evenings since, with joyous