Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-03-30

ANOAVAAAC, INV a.
eur Ra1lrooAs.
II, taking q hint from those beau
tilnl objects, skeleton leaves, we were
to construct the simplest possible
mp Of the material interests Of. this
coustfy, we should find that the form
and counections of the Union would
he delineated Ia our railroad system.
Slight ~ gossamer. ~ these lines
would be on any plan representing
them to the eye, they are thorough
fares compared with which the old
AppianW aywas a garden walk. They
bring the commercial ends of the
whole country together; while with
ont them II may well be doubted
whether the United States would
not have outgrown the cohesive prin-
ciple of their political institutions
and fallen asunder years ago. Let
Us remember this to their credit
when we are inclined to bemoan the
corruptiops and rings which have
come in with the era Of railroads, as
ifthis had added some new trait to
human nature or to politics. II, in
deed, we have an elephant on our
hands, whose management Is to be
the chronic problem Of our political
future, let us admit that he Is a most
useful, benefcent and indispensable
elephant.
And how he has grown! In the
year 1929, not only "within the mem.
Dry Of men still living" as Macaulay
would have said, but Of those who
still call themselves young men,
there was not a railroad doing busi-
ness in these United States. Tn the
following year there were three miles
opened. Thence the progress was
very much like that Of a locomotive
inst starting, when It pants hysteric-
ally, slips its wheels a little. gains a
little, gains more, and then gradually
sweepson witha mighty momentum.
In 1927, as we have said, our railroad
system began; the year following
there was no addition; the next, %
miles were added; then for two years
but 10 each, and 1t was not until 1850
that the yearly increase Of road
reached a thousand miles. At that
time--Ir1Ore than half the period
from the introduction Of the system
the whole length Of roads in opera
ton was but 9,02l miles. Now the
total for the country il 54,435 miles.
with an average yearly increase for
the last three years of about 5000
miles. ffthis rate Is maintained to
the close Of the century, there Is
every reason to believe that II will
be,--we shall t1len hnYfeyTy 2aQbQqg
cost thus far is put down at $2,573,-
68.l09, which IL near enough to the
past figures Of our national debt as to
be quite suggestive on the different
ways Of spending money. We know
not whether We ought to note with
pleasure that the average cost OF the
road built during the last years--viz.
S4O.345 per mile-was considerably
below the previous average COST
VIZ. $4,000 nearly. It Is gratifying
to see that railroads can be built so
chcaply In the midst Of high prices,
yet cheap construction Is apt to be
nakeshift that ought 10 have been
abandoned by this time.
The importance Of our railways as
thoroughfares Of travel, as carriers
and distributors of products, and az
means Of developing tho country,
transcends all calculation, wo might
say, the imagination itself. 1t has
been estimated by good authority,
for instance, that the freight
transported by tho railways of the
Union during the year 1869 amounts
ri to over 81, 0OO, ZOO, 900, or between
four and FIVE times the sum of
the national debt at Its height.
This stnpendous movement goes on
with the regularity Of clock-work,
IN all seasons, without regard to
watercourses and other natural lines
Of INSTRUMENTATION, and across
even the most formidable barriers OF
travel. What an element Of stability
In production, distribution and con-
sumption we have here! The local
ity that was tout Of the world" Is
pierced by the highways of COM
f,,erce; the product that ate itself up
with charges before 1t could get to
market arrives now and deposits
troft In all hands; and the area Of
snnsf,bn hla ..N,,, -, c,lif,ao mud n,,ba,