Connecticut western news., 1874-10-16
NEW ENGLAND TO THE WEST BY
 ANEW WAY.
IN SIX MONTHS AND FOR $500,O0

IN SIX MONTHS AND FOR $5OO,O00.
 The following practical and elaborate ar gument, presenting new, short, direct, cheap railway opening from Boston and New England to the coal fields and the west, has been prepared by Mayor East man, of Poughkeepsie, and submitted to leading business men of Boston and the east. Mir. Eastman has been thorough student for years of this subject. His long advocacy of a new route east and west, midway between New York and Albany, and his position as 8 promoter and active officer of the Hudson rlver bridge at Poughkeepsie, to unite the through lines has enabled him to gather more accurate statistics and practical knowledge of the subject of which he writes than is possess ed by any other man.
 Mayors Office, Poughkeepsie, N. Y,l
 September 9. 1874. To the Han. Samuel c. Cobb, Mayor of Boston.
 Dear Sir:-I have followed with consid- erable interest for years, the acton of the New England states, and especially of late the city of Boston, in reference to increased transportation facilities with the coal fields and the west. We of the Central Hudson have also for long time been working in the same interest. Your great necessity has also been ours, ard in the study of the problem, as we have been obliged to go over the ground from Boston to Pittsburgh, I beg to call your attention to certain facts which have been developed, which seem to me to be worthy of the careful consd- eration of your authorities and leading bus mess men.
 ARGUMENT.
 A line drawn on a map of :he United States from Boston to Cincinnati will cross the Hudson river midway between Albany and New York City at Poughkeepsie. Sit uated on that line or very near, east, are Hartford. Springfield, the iron districts ot western Connecticut and eastern New York and on the west, Scranton. the coal fields of Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, Colum bus, Ohio, and large number of promi- nent cities and towns. That line is also intercepted by more railroads than are to be found in the same distance in the United States. From Pittsburgh to Boston forty eight railroads cross an air line as feeders and outlets, and more business and freigh; centres upon it than on any other like mum Der of miles in America.
 DIRECT LINE WEST.
 A line drawn directly west from the heart of the manufacturing districts of the east along the boundary line, running east and west between Massachusetts, Connec- ticut and Rhode Island, will pass midway between Boston and Providence, Spring field and Hartford, cross the Hudson just north of Poughkeepsie and run as far north Cleveland and Chicago. leaving nearly every great city to the south of it. Fa1 north of this line is Buffalo and Albany, and the only present continuous railroad track from the west and southwest to New England, and still farther north, one hun- dred miles from this central line, is the present connecting road with Troy and the Hoosac Tunnelline. Therefore railroad running due west from Providence, Hart ford or New England's manufacturing cen tre, would be shorter and more direct route for the great stream of traffic and travel east and west by from 75 to 100 miles.
 Every mile north of the direct line east and west of that freight or passenger cal goes before crossing the Hudson is just SC much out of the way, and adds accordingly to the length of the route, the time con stunned in the passage and the expense ot carrying.
 EAST OF THE HUDSON.
 The Hudson river is one of the great natural boundaries dividing the United States into grand divisions or sections. = The New England states, east of the Hud- son, including New York city, contain one seventh of the whole population of the United States, and control more than one half the manufacturing of the nation.- These states are the most active and mos wealthy, and their business interests ant capital are nearly equal to those of all th' rest of the Union. The only bridges ove which now passes the great tide of trad' and travel are at Albany and Troy. Four fifths of the people east of the Hudson and nineteen-twentieths of the people wes of it are south of the Albany bridge, ant the greater portion of travel and freigh carnage between them must therefore, it takes the only all rail route now open make long journey to the northward o it's natural course, increasing the expens and enhancing the price of all articles ex changed, without any corresponding com pensation.
 There is now no all rail route for COS from the mines of Pennsylvania to tb East but the roundabout one by way 0 Albany, from 80 to 125 miles longer tha the direct route crossing midway betwee New York and Albany.
 These facts having cost the manufactur ing interests of Connecticut and Massachu setts alone millions of dollars in the pas it is not to be wondered at that the peopl are arousing to their interests, and are seel ing new outlets and connections
 THE MIDDLE CHANNEL LINE.
 There are but three natural channels { railroad routes east and west across tt Hudson through which must eventual flow the products of Pennsylvania and u West to the incentive and consuming por ulation of the East. Through the Mohaw Valley and Albany is one by the way Jersey City is another-while through Il valleys east and west of Poughkeepsie the middle channel