Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1872-11-14
RAIL ROADS.

The question is often asked, "Do railroads
ever pay?" In many cases. no doubt, it is
positively declared that they do not. If moth
ing is taken into consideration but the simple
dividends accruing from the stock invested in
railroads, it would be true in most cases, per-
haps. that railroads do not pay. This is true
Of almost any work Of internal Improvement.
A planter invests thousand dollars in i'm
proving his farm. He builds comfortable
dwelling and paints it. That his domestic an
imals may be sheltered from the rains and
winds of winter, he erects suitable houses for
them. All these improvements cost money.
The question may be asked, "Does the planter
get paid for his time, labor and actual cost ex-
pended in making these improvements" 1t
is clear that the man who builds 8 house for
himself and family makes an investment, but
it is different investment from the man who
lends money to his neighbor, or deposits mon
ey in bank. In the former case there is
apparently no interest accruing on the invest
ment; in the latter there is. But this does not
prove that it is in every case better for an in
dividual to invest thousand dollars in bank
stock, than to build with it a comfortable
dwelling house or even barn and stables.
Railroads, like all other works of internal i'm
provements, add value to everything else.
A country without wagon road may be rich
and fertile so far as the soil is concerned but
until road of some kind is constructed, over
which the products of the soil can be trans
ported from one point to another, the fertility
of the soil never will be developed. A foot
path to such locality would add to its val
ue; a good wagon road would add more, and
a good railroad would add still more. A
railroad is an improved kind Of road. In fact,
it is the best kind of road known. 1t is uni
versally acknowledged that the value of land
and of the products of the soil are governed to
very great extent by the character Of the
road. The best kind of road, as matter of
course, will have the greatest influence.
Amongst themany advantages of railroads,
we may mention the fact that they invariably
bring a market for produce of all kinds nearer
to us, and make market for some things
which, without railroads, would not be salea-
BILE at all. Our fathers hauled, in wagons,
their butter and eggs to Charleston, and re-
ceived no more for them there than we can
get at our doors. Fifty years ago there was
in this region poor encouragement to make
anything more than would barely support
life. Not because our fathers loved money
less than we do, but simply because they had
no market for anything they made. There
would, at present, not be much money made
in York county from butter and eggs, if Char
lesion was the nearest market for these arti-
cles, and wagons the only means of transpor-
tation. The time and labor of transportation
would be so great that few individuals would
attempt to make more than would meet home
consumption. Railroads, like the rains of
heaven, are blessing to the whole country
through which they pass. Every individual
is benefited by them the poor, as we'll as
the rich. They tend to develop the natural
resources of a country and to multiply the
comforts of its inhabitants.