Wilmington daily commercial., 1872-10-21
INoREAsE OF RAILROAD nus1NEse

" i3ii 6Os
INCREASE OF RAILROAD BUSINESS
Increase in decade ending in 1889, 2795 miles,
Of decade ending in 1S49, 6203 miles, ending in
1859 2l6l4 miles, and in decade ending in 1863,
22764 miles the greatest increase being in the
past year 1871, OF 7453 miles, a length OF rail
road made in one year nearly equal to the diam
eter OF the Earth. The cost of these 60S52 miles
Of railroad in estimated at $4,000, 600 600, about
40 per cent more than our entire National debt.
The cost of the mileage constructed the past
year, including additions to old roads, was
1915 900 600. The earnings of railroads in [. S.
in 1851 were for passengers S19274 254 for
freight $50 1872 104, total $50, 466 1858, or about
$4,000 to the mile, the passenger and freight re-
ceipts thus being nearly equal in 1851. The total
earnings for 1871 were Si5i ,9j7 00O, or about
$1,000 per mile, the freight receipts having IN
| the meantime relatively gained on the passenger
receipts 30 as to stand about twu-thirds for
freight and one-third for passengers, or two to
one. The tonnage of our railroads in 1851 was
about 81 millions or say 500 tons to the mile,
| in 1861 about 80 Millions or nearly 1900 tons to
| the mile, and in 1874 about 100 millions, or
nearly 100 tous to the mile, and this too,
is after an allowance for duplicated tom
| mage as passing over more than one road the
| entire value of the tonnage of United States
Railroads in 1871 being estimated at the enor-
| nous sum of SIS 900 900 000 The net tonnage
| reduced to pounds in 1851 eqnaled AGA pounds to
the head Of population valued at S3j 81 per head;
| in 1861 to 1912 pounds valued at SllG42 to tho
head, and in 1871 to 5000 pounds valued at
| 1915 to the head, or more than ten times as
| much pro rata as in 1851. BY report of the
| Treasurer of Iowa the earnings to head of pop
ulaion ran up from Sl.42 in 1862 to $40 or sew
| en- times much In 1870. and tho earnings por
| mile of Railroad from 81 ,772 in 1862 to 81 AL
or more than two and a half times as much in
| 1870. II is estimated that the Railroad tonnage
Of the country would duplcateitself once in each
ten years, from the progress made in its indus.
/ tries were there no increase Whatever OF miles OF
road or of population that the construction OF a
Railroad will add five times its cost to the worth
| of the aggregate value Of the property of the
community constructing it, and that the COM
merce and wealth which it will create annually
/ will exceed five times its cost. In all this i sup
| posed to be the true solution of our wonderful
facility for recuperatian, and of our far supe-
/ rior ability over other countries in the payment
/ of our National debt.
THE POLICY OF THE MANAGEMENT.
| In whatever may say or may have said con-
| cerning our enterprise 1t has beun my studous
| desire to make no delusiYe promises to mislead
/ others ] simply give what believe to be rea-
/ sons for the faith that Is within me, and have
/ not hesitated to second that faith with means.
credit and effort. may add with more sincerity
than | ask or expect credit for that the construc-
| ton of the Wilmington II Western Railroad was
| entered into after much hesitation on nv part,
| and what was unusual, against the wishes Of
| those nearest to me. 1t has truly boen to me a
labor of duty, of love and pride, rather than of
financial interest. l do not deny, however, that
| one of my great pleasures of life is the accom-
pshmeDt OF a work In itself clearly proper and
right, under adverse circumstances and oppo-
sing influences. l hold that building Railroads
is just as legitimate as farming, or as the cree
ton Of grist or other mills nor do admit that
the divided responsibility of directOrslipexempts
any ono from the strcteat compliance with busl'
ness equity honorable dealing and prompt full
tlment of all engagements. am aware that to
many residents on the line, the construction of
a Railroad is at best attended with unavoidable
annoyances, and as intmated at our opening
ceremonies, we claim the patient forbearancC
OF all in consideration OF the great private anC
public good to be accomplished by the compile
tion aud operation - the line. We have
no reasons to complain on this score an'
| it gives me pleasure TO add, that we have eXpe
renced perhaps more than an average llberalitl
in the exemption of land damages, aud other
wise, and with rare exceptions we have had fair
| manly and honorable treatment II i'll any cast
| we have failed on our part II doing what WI
promise with reasonable promptness under tin
pressure incident to such an enterprise, or Il
comply justly and fully with our engagements
it has been, 1 assure you, the farthest fom III
wish or Intention
Finally, desire to acknowledge heartily m
thanks to the officials of other railroads TO
much information and many courtesies, to til
Directors, Engineers. Officers and Employees O
this company, who have so steadily corporate
with me- and to the Stockholders and friends Il
: the road who have stood by the enterprise. L
those who have wroDged us, if any, and to a
doubters as to our success, am glad to say tha
| | shall eudeavor only to return good fOr ett
and will entertain toward them nothing but kin
wishes Trusting that we have striven for ju
| tice to Others may we not reasonably hope IL
charity aud friendliness in judgment of ourselve
and of our work
L RETROSPECTIVE VIEW
Tho opening of the hne of the Wilmington
| Western HailrOad, in itself an important era
| the progress OF this community. is attended wit
) | assoc. dtlons OF peculiar and unusual interest
r the person who addresses you. 1t was in farl
d house, in view from the line OF this road All
n near the beautiful stream of the he'd Clay Il
a speaker was ushered into this world of labor al
O OF trials OF loves aud of charities it was the
@ that at the early age of two years the death of
= father placed me under the charge OF widowt
o mother, to whose perseverance, patience al
f self-denia in afIrdiug me the means of mo
@ erately fair education owe 70 much. On tn
Il same farm, aud on and near the identical groul
" over which this road passes, | performed
i | summer the various duties of farm work. and
j. winter coasted OH the hillside on my Spl-ud
| | Jumper, made up from singe barrel stave. al
g. | il was on active farm duty met with a mi
j. hap that though resulting in much -uferl
Y and many "ups and downs in after times. c"
i. | firmed a lesson of life 80 often quoted b., II
Ia good mother that apparent aillclous are OF
,s | times our greatest concealed blessings. With
l. sight of this road | received too the create
r. | part of my schooling. 1t was there that forI
n | ed many acquaintances, pleasantly remember
g. | through intervening years, embracing sever
" | who are among us to-day, aud some who ha'
~ noby co-operated IN the furtherance of this g
er terprise it was there that l listened to Il
ID sweet and lingering music of the bells on 4
ts horses of the ConestOga wagons al they pass
A. on in making exchanges of produce by the nG
l. ural channel between Lancaster and v ilmiil
a. ton, trade afterwards diverted by the far-see
10 enterprise of our neigh oring county, again Al
ne now may we not reasonably expect to be restor
tn by means of this enterprise to its original a
IL proper course. Ii was there that whisper
he loves Young dreams to pretty girls who are NJ
he the happy wives Of respected husbands, aud "
DIS are the mothers and grandmOthers of iutere
D. ing families. 1t was near by that we play
ch | "tiehlsy over, on "Teek days" and went
meeting OH first days, and it was in the qu
~ | and unemhellished graveyard ac!Oss the "
u, | mother. and of others near and dear to me.
Iu From this home and from these scenes, abe
no the time of the completion of the railro
as through Wilmington from Philadelphia to b
, oi timore and at tho age of but little over IL
49, passed on with but very few pennies indeed
'rT NV pooket, and after taking charge of scht
in the neighboring county of Chester, for abe
er one wear, proceeded to Wilmington to ident
lat myself thencefOrth especially with that city
W my future home, aud at once, to some exte
eu with the railroad interests then in their nfan
y" by entering the counting-house of car man
ne featuring establishment, since become fame
er as well for it's iron steamships.
of CONCLUSION.
a. And now my hearers after a very busy sub
nls quent life of eventful years with its.cares a