Wilmington daily gazette., 1872-10-21

Of our Lord 1872, would be such an insult 10
an intelligent, progressive people that / for
bear. can only say from much observation
and retle, ton, that the man who travels and
makes use Of Railroads is far superior In COM
prehensiveness, in intelligence, In liberality.
in charity, and in general usefulness, to that
man, otherwise his equal, who stays at home,
and insists upon the useIessness OF Railroads.
Manufacturers are so closely identified In in
terest with the facilities offered them by kail-
roads, as to readily appreciate them. Our
farmers, too must necessarily become more
interested in Railroads. not merely as con-
venience, but as a necessity, and for these
especial rea sons. Considering the high price
| of land in this vicinity and adjacent to our
| large eastern cities, AS compared with lands
| in the interior, also the wonderful yearly
increase of cultivated acres IN the West ana
then the enterprising rapidity with which
through Railroad lines are opening up freight
ing facilities. to bring this western produce in
easy and direct competition with that Of the
East, and it becomes matter OF serious con-
sideration whether the owners of high priced
farms can continue to compete in ordinary
agriculture " ith the West, and whether it is
not vitality important that our farmers should
place themselves in closer, easier and cheaper
connection by Railroads with the larger cities
in proximity. SO as to be enabled to change
the character of their productions and sup.
plies to butter, milk, cream vegetables, fruits
and the many better paying luxuries that are
demanded by the growing wealth and wants
. Of such cites.
| As illustrating more forciy the value added by
| Railroads to the productions they market, statis-
ticans show for instance that corn at 10 cents pei
l bushel will bear transportation, over ordinary
highways hut ~, miles, whist upon railroads
, the same article will bear transportation l6o,
miles. Taking Ia miles as the radius OF circle
and we have leos7 square miles, or 1000 ~ a IA
,iius aud we have S,oi2, i06 square miles, thus
showing that Railroads multiply territory in whci
corn can be mirkcted, to i6o times that IN whlcl
it is possible by means of ordinary road travel
u have any marketable value whatever. In tn
same way railroads will place the country sup
4 plies Tor city market by estimate about II times
but say for short distances half, six time
r nearer thus reducing q miles from Wilmingto
= practically to | mile, II miles to miles, or |
= miles to 3 mile The result, too, OF this practices
" reduction of distances between the country an
: the city. not only tells on both i'll the exchange
commodities, but equally so III the increased valt
of the lands thus made to greater or loss exten
y the suburbs Of the adjacent cities, and then to
,, the advantages OF closer business relations all
interchange of SOCIAL intercourse. the facilities fC
u the country in attending the churches schools All
ertainments of the city, am, OF the city not onl
- i'll making frequent excursions to ENJOY the coui
u try scenes and purer air. but gradually of sect
4 ring uncrowded homes heauiiied and adapted
II the wants and tastes OF the wealth that inevitatl
u concentrates i'll large and growing cities alt.
T. gether blending and harmonizins the hssocittoi
NJ OF the country with the city, and Of the city vii
= the country, aud each improving the other. Thu
= the Railroad. great III its results upon the mat
II rial AT vancenent OF communities. is equally gre
IL in its effect in fostering the intellectual and soci
IS. element of lfe and the astatic culture OF the pc
ce pie in "A word, it terds to make men and wolnt
~ wiser, better and happier, and TO render lite mo
,c valuable to each and all
lu Statistics as am aware, are in the nam, UNI
le teresting, AMI YETI feel assured you will Ind Il
he follow iily condensed from accessible source
Oh neither tedious nor uninstructive, As tending
No. illustrate the Tor the faith OF the A!eric
A. people in the value Of Railroads.. to the whole N
Il tom as we'll as to the local interests involved.
as The first tram. road IN the United States, oper
ted by rses has been understood to be that fro
us the granite quarries in Quincy, Mass, TO Nepon
Es River constructed in 1896 and opened IN Is.
To but the claim for priority in this Is now ma
-, nearer home and for the Leiperyille Quarry
w, r., between Wilmington and Philadelphia.
n The first passenger Railroad was ID miles OF t
y, | Bait < ONO, opened about lS29 and operated
;, horses The first locomotive used III this count
~. was built in England and was run in 1928, on
~ banks of the Laekawaxen creek, TO connect I
M ~. canal OF the Del II Hudson Coal Co. with
, is. mines. Mr.. Horatio Allen, who imported this 4
Gu gine claims in a spirited and graphic account,
Gu have made alone aud unaecompanied, the d
~ trim by locomotive on the Western Hemisphere
en The first locomotive TO carry passengers IN I
He United States was built ut West Point, New q
~ 1880, for the South Carolina Railroad fri
on Charleston to Hamburg. There seems, hoWey
nd TO be considerable contradiction and confusion
Dn. dates IN these cases OF precedence simple aud p
l0t else as we would expect them to be- and the 70
we gong has been sfied with in the hope OF ms
nat ng it reliable or as nearly so as practicable.
lily The miles OF Railroads operated IN I 3 1871,