Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1873-12-18
Correspondence Of the Beacon }
SOUTHERN MD RAILROAD.
s. j. COSrIGIN.

3VcCuouiCSbiitc, DcC. lSs0 q.
Messs. Editors - In looking over the
last issue Of the BEACON. l see that
application has been made to our Coun-
~ Commissioners by the S. Md. r. r.
Co. through it's counsel. Hon. Benz. G.
Harris. for the balance Of the internal i'm
provement fund coming to our county.
New, Messrs Editors. while l. for one,
am ip favor Of internal improvement, gen.
orally. and Railroads particularly, if we
can be benefited thereby. ye. think We
nigh, be excused for asking. "what evil
dence the S NJ r r. Co has given US
to have much faith in any benefit We are
tn derive from giving the funds bestowed
upon us by the State 2" Certainly. to the
practical eye. It looks as il the Company
never intended to build the road with
their orn mnney. or they did not know
what they were about. know. to curve
around small raviues aud gullies to obtain
an easy grade. may seem economy to some,
but not so. il we calculate from proper
data. In this county. the grading is but
small item to the cost Of the iron. other
materials and labor to finish the road sf-
ter grading. Thus. = few E,iles added in
length to obtain cheap grade. will add
thousands to the expenses Of final compile
ton. Now. let Us test these assertions ty
figures. Suppose route can be obtained
from Point Lookout to the Western boun-
Diary Of our county By some few places of
heavy cutting and Filings. at 40 miles.
making the av.-pgc grading four thous-
and dollars per mile. making the grading
for the whole forty miles foot up one hun.
dred and sixty thousand dollars. Now,
to avoid quite so heavy grade. route is
obtained winding around some deep cuts
at forty-,hree miles which will cost thir-
ty-fve hundred dollars pcr mile, on the
average. or it you please. three thousand
dollars per mile. which will make the for
ty-,hrce miles only add up one hundred
and twenty mine thousand dollars. thus
saving by the long route thirty one thous-
aud dollars. But now we come to lay the
track.
What will the rails and other materials
cost to complete the work :! From the
best data I can obtain. the iron rails will
cost from fifteen to twenty Thousand dol
lars per mile. the ties will cost not less
than one thousand dollars per mile. the
ballas,ing will east one thousand dollars
per mile, the spikes will cost two b undrcd
aud City dollars per mile. Now. for easy
calculation. suppose We say the whole cost
Of completion. after grading. will be only
twenty thousand dollars per mile. thus
making the completion Of the extra three
miles on the long route foot up sixty thou
sand dollars. from which deduct the thir-
ty-one thousand dollars. saved BY easy
grade on the long route. will leave TWEEN
ty-nine thousand dollars in favor Of the
short route At completion. But that is
only Que item. When the ties are 6llcd
in With earth aud gravel ballast. they are
only allowed to hast from SIX to eight years
before they have TO BE- replaced. and this
is for Ill time 10 come. The iron rails
uill also wear out. and thcss three extra
miles must be kept in repair With the ress
Tor al time. And then aeain. the run
ming Of the trains over the extra three
niles. Il b laid deva IN the books thai
The cost Of running > single train b from
sixsy cents 10 oes dollar and twenty-five
cents per mile. SapPose Ne take the los-
- figure. ard saprosc Ne havs I've trains