Year: 1866




upon the stock; and this point the preceding
articles have been directed to prove. In the
nope, therefore, that shall not be thought
to be undertaking the hopeless task of per
suading the people of Wilmington to com
mence an enterprise in which all that Is
invested is to be ultimately and entirely
sunk, wish now to call attention to some
OF the reasons which make it desirable to us
as Wilmingtonians, that such road should
be built, and that il should terminate in
Wilmington. In doing so I shall avail my
self of the arguments furnished to my hand
in letter received from the gentleman
whom l have before quoted, and whose
authority on Railroad matters stands high
enough to warrant me in appealing to it
with confidence:


1.-Two elements are necessary the growth
Of cities. First, favorable location on
tide, whence an unlimited intercourse may
be had with the seabonrd at large; and sec
ond, an enlarged inland communication,
from which to derive the materials of com
merce. If Nature, in her munitccnce, has
provided the first, commercial and municipal
prosperity will be measured by the enterprise
of man in furnishing the second.


A glance at the map will show that vii
mington, with her admitted tidal advanta-
ges, is exceedingly deficient in internal com
munications; and that she is mainly depcn-
dent on her powers of attraction from the
neighboring cities along the coastwisc line,
upon which she is so favorably located. To
remedy this defect, and 10 restore to Will
mington those business advantages which
her geographical position so clearly entities
her to, is the chief object OF the improve
ment now under consideration; and the fact
that she is not called on TO enter single
handed upon the enterprise, but will he
aided by large manufacturing and agricul-
tural interests along the route, seeking a
more direct communication with the coast,
is favorable index, not only to the enlarge
ment of Wilmington commerce, but also to
the success of the work as Wilmington
project. Pending the surveys which are
now making, and in view of the fact that
you have already a large amount of infor-
nation based on former surveys, as to the
probable cost of the work, and the business
which it will command, shall at present
only invite attention to few of its promi.
nent features, and their relations to internal
traffic.


Anthracite Coal is the great moving power
of Eastern Pennsylvania and its vicinity,
and manufactures flourish in proportion as
they are brought nearer to it. From Birds
boro to Wilmington, by way of Philadel-
phia, the distance is N miles; by way OF
your proposed road it will be SO miles; show
ing saving OF "a miles in the transportation
of this commodity; whilst the gain in trans
portation to Coatesyille, an important manu-
featuring point, will be 35 miles.


The extensive limestone deposits of Ches-
ter valley will be 10 miles nearer the PENN
sula than Norristown, the point from which
that region is now supplied, whilst the more
limited but in some respeets.the more yalua-
bic beds of southern Chester County are 10
miles nearer to the points of Shipment
Coatesville will be 10 miles nearer TO Will
mington than it is to Philadelphia, and 3s
miles nearer than by way of Philadelphia
If we now consider these distances in CON
nection with the Peninsular Railroad which
is about being extended TO Tangier Sound
on the Chesapeake Bay, with a view to
making it link in the main line of Southern
travel by steamboat lines thence to Norfolk
and Richmond, it will be seen that travel to
the West, by way of the Pennsylvania Rail
road, will save 3S miles by taking your road
from Wilmington; and by way OF the Read
ing Railroad north westward "a miles will be
saved Notwithstanding these advantages
which will secure to your road a fair amount
of through business, an extended cOmmuni
cation between Wilmington and the PENN
sua and the anthracite coal fields, as well as
with the city of Reading; the local traffic
will be of paramount importance, and will
furnish a large interchangeable trade with
the several Railroads intersected Iron ore
abounds in the Northern portion of the
route, which is seeking an outlet to the
SchuYlkill valley. Centrally the rolling
mills want iron and coal lime wants an
outlet, and other manufactures their sup
plies, whilst the agricultural resources of the
country traversed are unsurpassed, and it is
thickly populated by a people whose inteli-
gence leads them into enterprise beyond the
limits of home, and who will, therefore,
secure to your road large amount of local
travel. WILMINGTON.