The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1873-02-18
ESTIMATES PER MILE.

'i"SSsS o1oOS
Switches, water tanks and sta
tions, 5000
Two S-ton locomotives, at 81,
500, 5000
rwo passenger cars. % passen
gers each, 81, 500, 5000
10 platform cars at $500, 1900
box cars at $500 5000
Total cost $15S,000
Shpposing the bonds of the townships
through which the road will pass, of S
per cent on the taxable property, will be
S1lS,000, for which they would issue
their bonds payable in 20 years, this
would leave the sum of $4,000 to be
raised either by stock or by pledging or
leasing the road. This amount might
be raised by bonds secured by the road,
payable in ten years with interest.
These bonds would not be required
until the road was ready for the iron.-
The township bonds would grade, tie
and furnish the road ready for the rails,
and furnish the rolling stock and leave
$4,000 10 be applied to the rails. This
would place the road on good footing,
and make it safe investment which cap,
ital would seek at, fair interest. As
soon, tlren. as the bonds Of the townships
were voted the roadcould be commenced
and finished ready for operation in less
than a year. ta
The net proceeds of the road would
then be applied to paving the principal
and interest Of the $4,000 bonds, which
it would probably do inside Of ten years
depending, of course upon the net
annual proceeds. The township bonds
would be made payable inside of 20
years, paying the interest only for the
first 10 years, at which time the road
would have paid its preferred debt and
could now commence paving off the
township bonds, by applying the profits
of the road. The amount of principal
in all the townships due annually for ten
wears would be Sll, 800 Su2posing the
net profits of the road would be u per
cent on the capital, this would pay the
amount Of principal falling due annual
ly. This estimate is perhaps too low for
the net earnings, comparing with similar
roads now in operation, some of which
report the net earnings from to 2l per
cent from the beginning. The town
ships, therefore, would only lend their
security for the bonds and pay the inter
est, all of which would be refunded by
the road. .and in the course of time would
yield handsome dividend annually to
the township of, perhaps, more than
their township expenses would be, thus
reducing their taxes, anG having all the
benefits Of the road besides.
The road should be extended through
the Southern part Of our county to some
point on tthe Marietta road, and from
Barnesville to intersect the Pittsburgh
road. This would make it good pay.
ing road. In support of the PROPOSE
tions laid down, we will quote some par
agrapbs from the National Marrow
Gauge Railroad Convention, held in St
Louis in June, 1872, in which MANY Of
the most eminent engineers of the Uni
ted States participated.
In speaking of the "Want of Railroad
Facilities they say, "How are you go
ing to supply the demand2 We viii
supply it with this new system of mar
row gauge railroads that are now being
projected and will soon cover the conti
nent-tle road that will furnish low
freight"
"The cost of construction Of three
feet gauge road will not be over one-fiftt
of such roads as the Erie, Pennsylvania
Central and Baltimore and Ohio, n
thereby saving large amount in frs
cost. and interest on same, which is the
strongest possible recommendation fol
capital to invest in narrow gauge, cheap
roads" II
Speaking of the practical facts in re
lation to the power, safety. &c, of loco
motives, on narrow gauge roads: "Tha'
by adopting the proper form of con.
struction, the engineers can have suffi
cient power to handle any number o.
cars that can be prudently and economi.
cally run together in one train, and tina,
such line can be handled with as much
safety on the narrow as on the broad
gauge, that there is no difficulty in max.
ing as fast time with the narrow gauge
locomotives as the great majority of the
broad"
"'That an engine of three feet gauge
can take a greater number of tons Of
freight in its cars against the same grade
and that il will haul the same number o.
tons of load in its cars up sleeper
grades than the engines of 4 # 8!
inch gauge, with its loaded cars, can a
all accomplish" ot
cit will be found, also, that the three
feet coach is really more steady wher
traversing such sharp curvature as exist:
on some of our standard roads, because
the decrease of the wheel base secures q
freedom to the trucks on curvature
which the others cannot possess and this
is an element of safety itself"
s.The immense saving on the. narrow
gauge system In having carried more
freight and passengers at less cost thar
any line of railway now in use; that it is
almost free from oscillation; that it has
withstood the seyerest windstorms in the
country without being effected; that the
cars can run at thirty five miles per houl
with perfect safety; that the wear and
tear of rolling stock ana rails is reduced
to an absolute minimum.
"That a two feet nine inches to three
feet gauge meets the only objection that
can now be raised against narrow
gauge, and that all the requirements oi
commerce can be fully transacted by
lines built on that gauge; that they car
be built from one-fourth to two-lifths
less of the cost of the standard gauge
through the same section of country, and
can be maintained at not exceeding one
half of the cost of the present system
to do the same business"
We may, therefore. conclude that the