The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1872-11-19
How 10 HutId Railroads.
w ooDsrIELD, O., Nov. 9,

w ooDsFIELD, ", Nov. y, 1862.
EDITOR EsTERPRIsE;- AS the popular
topic in our community is railroad, We
wish to write you something more con-
cerning "wbat we know about building
one from our village TO GAINESVILLE, and
about the way we propose to raise ouf
proportion of the funds required to
grade and tie the road.
We understand fully that railway cor
porations do not build roads in these
times without sufficient local aid being
extended to them to Insure a good profit
on the amount of capital they invest;
and knowing also that no road can be
constructed-especially through a hilly
region-at such cost that it will pay the
builders of it even an ordinary rate of
interest, we concede. without argument,
that, to get road 10 or through any
particular locality liberal helping hand
must show ITSELF
We can, by an especial enactment of
the Legislature, appropriate the $30,00o
voted in our township (Center) to a
road from here to your place. Malaga
township stands ready to vote her full
amount allowed by law, which is about
S26, 600, and Sunsbury, in which il
Beallsville, will subscribe at a low esti;
mate, sl4 900, making $4,000, Which
will more than build the road from this
point to the Belmont county line, being
an average Of nine thousand dollars per
mile. Warren and Somerset towhships
can raise double as much by the FIVE per
cent assessment under the Boesel Act as
we can, as their valuation is probably
more than double tue amount of oursf
and will only have to build sag, selsreff
miles of the roadj which will make fiS
prebortiohate cost of construction mucF
lighter in Belmont county than in Monr
roe, and of course will not hecessitate
the full assessment-probably not tn5rs
than 3 per cent-the principal of which
need not be paid for fifteen years if dc;
sirable, which will leave only the interr
est at Sper cent. semi annually, to be
provided for such period until the
first installment of bonds would falI
due, which would mature in ffths until
all were liquidated; or the bonds can be-
made to fall due in tenths, after the first
year, or really in any time within 20
years after being issued Our bonds
fall due in instalments Of one-tenth af.
ter ten years. This is not the proper
time to discuss the cost OF. building the
proposed road fully, and we. will mere
ly state that it has been demonstrated
by figures in the meetings in our coun-
ty that the taxes that railroad woald
pay per annum for all purposes Town
ship, County, and State) estimating the
road to be appraised at $4,000 per mile,
! would more than pay the interest accru.
ing on the bonds, Besides the use oi
the money is worth, in both War en- and
Somerset townships, fully s per cent,and
great deal more at the same rate of.
interest would not hurt business either.
A party OF those men who are much
interested in securing a route from here
to Barnesville, will leave this place on
Monday, the. 18th inst, to examine the
route, and to ascertain the feelings, Of
the people along the line concerning the
construction of such road. We will
report the conclusions they arrive at
l As soon as we know TO certainty that
t there is good route, we will endeavor
to work up this matter in manner te-
coming the Importance it will be to
people living SO far away from q public
thoroughfare. K. b