The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1881-11-19

mile of railroad to l6square miles
of territory, North Carolina win ,
need LOO miles; Tennessee, 1000 ,
miles; Mississippi, 200 miles; Ala
bama, 1900 miles; Arkansas. $500
miles: Louisiana, 1000 miles, Texas
l4,0O0 miles.
| have computed the whole table
of all the States to see what num-
ber of miles of railroads win be
required to be addedto our pres
ent service in order that all the
States and Territories may be one
fourth as well served as Massa-
chusetts now is; and it win require
for that purpose III, GOO miles in
addition to the 100000 miles which
we now have.
But we will be content to double
our railway service; that is to say,
add 100000 miles in the next l6 /
years.
take this period for several |
reasons; it will be l6 years at the /
end of the present year since the |
civil war virtually ended. In the
period we have added 66,OOO miles
ont of the 100000 miles of railroad
which we now have; at the rate of
i,l25 miles year.
In that period we have overcome
the curse of paper money; we have
restored the specie standard; we
have paid more than one third,
nearly one-half our national debt;
we have greatly increased our
population; we have passed
through the most severe CONNER
cial crisis ever known; and, most
important of all, we have sur
mounted most of the difficulties
connected with the industrial re-
volution.in your Southern States.
Is it too much to expect to aver.
age a little over 5000 miles of rail-
road a year in thenext six years :
If this is not oyer.sanguine, and
think it is not, for we are build
ing this year nearer 10000 than
5000 miles, then we shall acom-
plish the work.
1t looks, as | have said, like u very
big job; but will make il appear u
very little one.
A fair average cost of m aver
age mile of railroad is $50, 900 that
sum of money measures the SER
vice of every man engaged IN it,
from the presidents of the rail.
roads, the iron works and the
mines down through the workers
in the rolling mills, iron mines aud
mechanic shops to the commonest
, laborer who digs and dclyes on the
, track.
At $500 perday for the whole
force, each 100 miles requires the
services of 5000 men for one year,
In order that we may build 100,
900 miles in 10 years, a force of
laborers must be continuously en-
; ployed during that period of $780,
900 men.
II looks like large force; but as
! have said on this chart, while
Europe prepares for war we pre-
! pare for work.
If during these l6 years we
should sustain standing armies
equal to the present armies OF
France or Germany in active ser
vice in proportion to the average
| population ofthe period, our stand
ing army would number 100000
men. .
Can we spare one-half that force
J to build our railroads Z
Now, consider that with the rail
road comes every other branch of
, industry which goes to make the
. State-the wheelwright, the car
riage maker, the blacksmith, the
, worker in wood, the workerin iron
the car builder, the tinsmith-all
the representatives of the various
arts of which villages are made,
and ON the foundation of whose
work towns are built up and cities
, grow into existence.
VIII you take your share in this
great work : You are richer than
you know; but you have not yet
found ont how to concentrate your
wealth: how to make great aggre
gates of capital out of small savings
of each workman and workwOman,
after the manner Of our savings
banks We are also giving many
of our children trade so that each
can use his hands as well as his
head. 1t is by this combination
, we must work if we are to keep
+ our place in competition with you.
We are eagerly seeking to solve
the question of industrial cduca-
ton; only by this aud by the saving
hank can we be saved.