Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1871-05-30
THE HERALD.
Agriculture and Transportation.

Agriculture GlAA a AN~NA1E
I'm 1850, we had but little over
eight thousand miles Of railway in
tbe United States. BY the end Of
this wear we shall have fifty thous-
and milestone third Of all the sail
wave in the world. And by the end
Of the decade, we shall touch tho fig
ure of seventy-fve thousand miles
IN the early history Of railroading,
passengers and freight were carried
bv the same train but the two inter-
ests soon demanded separate systems
Of carriage; and it is now becoming
evident that entirely separate tracks
arc required Narrow-guage roads,
running freight trains only, at low
rates OF speed, will-probably within
few years-be the practical answer
TO present questions as TO adequate
accommodation for passengers and
freight. The introduction of such, or
any equivilant system, may acceer-
ate the growth Of our roads in new
ratios and TO an incalculable extent.
Lower costs Of construction aud light
er running expenses are new Gle
ments involving possibility Of new
uses the limits whereof are not
forseen. But to base figures on
what has been, rather than on what
may be, and taking the established
ratio Of increase as likely to DO con-
tinucd during the next ten years,
we shall have at the end Of that Pc
riod, az stated, soventy-Gvo thousand
miles Of road. The average tonnage
per mile is now, in some Of tho older
States, about sixty.three hundred
TINS. Putting the estimate at five
thousand tuns, we shall have carry
ing capacity Of three hundred and
seventy-fve millions Of tuns per am
mum.
The industrial movements afford
ing material for this vast ireightage
are agriculture, manufacturing, min
ing, and importation. The contribu-
ton Of the import trade is not likely
to DO rapidly increased from its pres
ant amount--say fiftecn millions Of
ton-the Increased traffic in fine and
costly wares being offset by our
growing independence of foreign
markets for most staple commodities
Tho growth Of our mining inter
csts viii undoubtedly give employ.
ment TO immense additional tunnago.
The coal trade alone promises to Off
er freight that would tax the whole
of our present facilities. II would be
difficult TO compute the probable pro-
duet Of our other mining pursuits;
but we may state the total amount
OF metals and minerals TO be moved
~ NOT far from one hundred and ten
millions Of tun6--a great figure by it.
self, but only u small item in the
way-bll we are making.
We do not submit these calcula-
tions as indisputable, though based
on authorized figures 1t is sufi-
cient for present purposes if we APP
proximate the truth nearly enough
TO reason upon the probabilities es-
tablished. Accepting these promis-
cs, az at least safely within these
bounds, brings US to tho conclusion
that we arc TO transport. during the
seasons Of 1880 and 1881, two hun.
bred and fifty millions OF tuns Of ag-
ricultural products.
These stupcndous figures seem at
first incredible, demanding o devel-
opment Of our agriculture too rapid
and extensive to be accomplished ev-
en- by American enterprise. Bnt,
when we consider the marvellous i'm
petus given to this industry by cheap
and rapid transportation, we find il
difficult to ovcr-cstimate future pos
sibIitios. Only within the last TWEEN
~ years have railways afforded any
considerable aid to tho tillers Of the
soil, our roads, previous to that time,
having been short lines devoted most
~ TO passenger traffic, To show
what has been done since, one illus
tration must suffice: The cost Of
moving a ton of grain one mile aver
aged, i'm 1850, twenty cents. In lS-
70, tho average freight tariff was
ono and a quarter cents,
MS laCb Will lHQltdlc Ouc VI Lub
many ways in which railways con-
tribute to the development Of agri-
culture. In like manner, we would
set forth the extension Of railways as
one among many agencies tending
To promote the same interest. Tho
time is upon us when we arc rapidly
TO realize tho effects Of these slowly
accommodating causes-when the first
industry Of mankind is to lead our
nation IN a progress toward the
golden age. The imperial areas TO
10 made productive the population
10 be established in happy homes Of
successful industry the era Of now
human experiences To be proven,
give TO this advance the character
jt q great forward movement of our
raca--a peaceful conquest, moment
ous as the graudost triumphs ever
achieved by war. The stars in their
courses are with us, and we bear
the best hopes Of humanity, Nee
York Tribune.