Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1873-06-12
Hn1n1r2 Gnnntp

be admitted-and II is the very idea
upon which your whole project is
based-it certainly follows that it
would be very unwise to sacrifice
the interest of the greater business
to that of the less; and that what
ever gauge is best adapted to your
specialties-is the wise thing to adopt.
The argument in favor Of mar
row gauge, maybe summed up as fol
lows:
FirstzYou can build it. with the,
local means that can be raised along
the route, without resorting to the
dangerous policy of invoking aid
from a foreign company.
Second-You can operate it with
more profit to the stockholders; as
the reduction in-dead weight carried
in proportion to paying freight; the
constant saving in track repairs and
renewals,as the result of lighter roll
ling stock; and the smaller amount
of capital invested-all combine to
make the proportion ofexpense less
and the net profit greater.
Third-rhe characteristics of the
road itself will form the best securi-
ty against its absorption, by any,
other corporation, and will therefore
guarantee its remaining an indepen-
dent organization in the hands OF tile
stockholders along the line.
Fourth-lt insures you the cheap
est possible transportation, not only
oter itself, bus-particularly at all
points where you connect with other
roads, by compelling them to carry
at your figures. $50 & .i.-" -71ag l
,Fifth-lt gives you track most
completely adapted to the wants of
an extensive mining district, such as.
surround your southern terminus, if
you will he found a. have q
terminus in that direction, which !
very much doubt, as its cheapness-
must of necessity extend it indefi-
nitely. -s-. s.
Branch tracks to outlying coal
mines in all the rich valleys can be
built entirely of wood, such as are
now in the use in that vicinity of
Quebec to the entent of over 100
miles, upon which your ordinary
road engines can make a speed With
safety Of 16 miles per hour, and
which will last, with slight repairs,
from four TO six years, as the weight
of your engines would not be- equal
to the crushing weight of hard wood
and which can be replaced with iron
rails as the business developed may
demand. 10 90 .-s. :,
Sixth--The saving of nearly ONE
half (43a per cent )of the percen taget
of dead to paying load. operates
financially precisely as an increase
of business to the same extent with
out any increase of cost, and viii
much more than pay the cost of Re-
shipment OF your general business.
In fact, it is not certain but that the
advantage arislng.from keeping your
cars at home would alone pay for
the change. And so far as the
Cleveland market is concerned, it is
morally certain that before you
coaidcpmplete your line to- Black
River harbor you would linda road
Of the same gauge ready to give you
the connection. ..-rol 4
Seventh-The narrow-gauge sys-
tern is yet in its infancy, bsr it has
already won the favor Of practi.
cal railroad meD who have honestly,
examined into its working, and be,
fore you can count that you .haye
fairly settled down to business, you
will find more valuable connectioRs
of the same gauge awaiting you than
any you now forego. In fact,t en-.
tire Western States have Oltgrown
their facilities of transit,n until cheap
transportation have betome a bat
tie cry. The old lines have become
so consolidated and blended in in
terest that no hope can be looked
for in that direction. and the only
possible relief can see from the i'm
pending conflict is the building Of q
completely new system, the; very
character of which will place it in
permanent competition with the
Old one. .a.-s.afl ss1- ~ -r.
Very respectfully, DC,
f J. P. HARPER, .,
-. o. .i.-f Chief Engineer.
Wooster, Ohio, May 26, 1873.