National Republican., 1888-05-27
TIE GROWTH OF RAILWAYS.
Marvellous Changes and What They
Mean to Civilization.

[Thos Curtis Clarke in scrbners for Junc.l
The grand function Of the railway is to
change the whole basis of civilization from
military to Industrial The talent, the en-
ergy, the money which is expended in
IN aintaning the whole Of Europe as an
armed camp is here expended in building
and maintaining railways, with their army
of 100000 of men. Without the help of
railways the rebellion of the southern states
could never have been put down, and two
great standing armies would have been
necessary. BY the railways, aided by tele-
graphs, It is easy to extend our federal sys-
TEN over an entire continent, and thus dis
pepse forever with standing armies.
The moral effect of this upon Europe is
great, butt1Raysical effect is still greater;
American raifMN1 psaIly abolished
landlordism in lref9hN yill one
day abolish 1t in England anu the con-
tinent of Europe. So long as Europe was
dependent for food upon its own fields, the
owner of those fields could fix his own
rental. This he can no longer do, owing to
the cheapness of transportation from Aus
tralia and from the praries of America, due
to the inventions of Watt, the Stephcnsons,
Bessemer, and Holley.
With the wealth OF the landlord his poll
tical power will pass away. The govern
ment of European countries will pass out
of the hands of the great land owners, but
not into those Of the rabble, as is feared.
1t will pass into the same hands that govern
America to-day-the territorial democracy,
the owners of small farms. and the manu-
facturers and merchants. When this comes
to pass, attempts will be made to settle in
ternational disputes by arbitration instead
of war, following the example of the Geneva
arbitration between the two greatest indus
trial nations of the world. Whether our
federal system will ever extend to the rest
of the world no one knows, but we do
know that without railways 1t would be i'm
possible.
Railways have so cheaped the cost of
| transportation that, while load of wheat
| loses all of its value by being hauled 100
| miles on q common road, meat and flour
enough to supply one man year can, ac-
cording to Mr.. Edward Atkinson, be
hauled 800 miles from the west to the east
for one days wages Of that man, II he be a
skilled mechanic. II freight charges are
dimished in the future as In the past, this
can soon be done for one days wages OF {
common laborer.
The number Of persons employed in con
structing, equipping, and operating oul
| railways is about two millions.
The combined armies and navles of the
world, while on peace foot, will draw from
gainful occupations Q, 3,455,0O men.
Those create wealth; these destroy 1t. IL
II any wonder that America Is the riches
country in the world?
The Manitoba system was extended las
year through Dakota and Montana dis
tance of 545 miles. A small army of 1000
men, with about $500 teams, commanded
by Gen. d. C. Shepard, of st. Paul, vet
eTan engineer and contractor, did II all be
tween Apr. 2 and Oct. 10, 1887. All mate
rials and subsistence had to be hauled to tn
frpp ha hos nt
slept in its own tents, shanties, and cars
The grading was cast up from the Sid
bitches, sometimes by carts, and sometime
by the digging machine.
Everything was done with military organ
zation, except that what was left behind wa
a railway and not earthwork lines of dc
fense. Assuming that this railway, read
for its equipment, cost $4,000 per mile, 0
$S,175,000, and If 1t be true, as statistlcian
tell us, that every dollar expended in build
ing railways in q new country adds ten Z
the value Of land and other property, the
this six months campaign shows solid II
crease Of the wealth Of our country OF oVt
SS0,000,000. Had 1t been necessary for on
government to keep an army OF Observable
of the same size or the Canadian fronti'
there would have been dead loss OF oV'
$4,000, coo, and the only result would hay
been q slight reduction of the treasury su
plus.
1t must be remembered that this railw0
was built after the American system; whC
the rails were laid, so as to carry trains,
was not much more than half finished; d
track had to be ballasted, the temporal
J wooden structures replaced by stone al
iron, and many buildings and miles OF s
ings were yet to be constructed. But
= began to earn money from the very di
] the last rail was laid, and out Of Its ear
| ings, and the credit thereby acquired,
will ppmplpta itself