184 



FARMERS' REGISTER— SPECULATIONS ON RAIL ROADS. 



It is a well established fact, that the earth and 

 sea have undergone frequent and violent revolu- 

 tions; and. that the cliange that lell the i)rairies dry 

 is the most, recent, is-evTdent from the perfect state 

 which shells, &c. are now found and from the fact 

 that vegetation in many places, has made but 

 slow progress. The nature of the soil indicates 

 some ingredient adverse to many kinds of jjlants. 

 But it is evidently fast changing, and it is not un- 

 likely, that in the course of time, it will entirely 

 lose its distinctive character and become perlectly 

 amalgamated with vegetable matter. The pro- 

 cess of decomposition and reproduction is raj)idly 

 going on m most places, and at every successive 

 cro]rof plants, more matter is added, for the final 

 acconiplishmem of the great change. It would be 

 an interesting subject oflnquiry whether the wood- 

 lands are not gradually encroaching upon naked 

 places; and if so, it would show at once that the 

 prairies are by natural operations, slowly losing 

 their pec4.iliai-Itie.s. 



Postscript. — A gentleman of Clarke County, 

 Alabama, states, that on his plantation are parts 

 of the back bone of some animal from eiglit to ten 

 inches long, and proportionally large in circumfer- 

 ence — some still held together by the cartilaginous 

 ligatures. Many of the early settlers Used them 

 instead of andirons. There is no canal for the 

 spmal marrow.* An early settler informed him, 

 that he had seen an entire skeleton, on the surface 

 of the earth; it was of enormous dimensions, long- 

 er as is reported, than the largest whale. 



SPECULATIONS ON RAIL ROADS. 



From the American Rail RoadJoumal. 



Has it never occurred to you that the capital 

 vested in many rail roads and canals, is likely, if 

 not exceedingly profitable at the commencement, 

 to be eventually lost, li-om the roads and canals 

 being superseded by others which may be made 

 afterwards? The great and ultimate object of 

 these improvements, is to facilitate exchanges — to 

 cheapen and expedite transportation to and from 

 market— as, between the great coal region, or be-, 

 tween the great agricultural west and the best 

 paarket, whether Philadelphia, . New York, or 

 Boston. Now, if it be assumed, that transporta- 

 tion by rail roads, or by some better roads, steam 

 being the impeUing power, shall supersede, where 

 practicable, ail other modes of locomotion, — and I 

 do not suspect myself of being alone in the ^opinion 

 that there is no extravagance in such an assump- 

 tion, particularly when we notice the progress of 

 thuigs in Europe — it is no iiiore than reasonable 

 to begin to contemplate, and try to forsee and a.ct 

 upon the natural and inevitable results which must 

 follow, and to lay them before the public, that they 

 may be fairly in view, and have proper considera- 

 tion in the mind of every man, or company, when 

 coming to a determination in regard to any pro- 

 posed improvement, both as respects ita location 

 and the manner in which it shall be comjjleted, or 

 the amount of capital \vhich m;iy be safely in- 

 vested in it. 



The climate and productions of Europe and 

 North. America are so nearly ahke, that as tlie 

 state of science and the arts in these quarters of 

 the world continues to come nearer to an equality, 

 it is fair to conclude that the exchanges of mer- 



chandize will hardly keep pace with the increasing, 

 population of America. Still, as the condition of 

 men is improving, and society and nations are 

 becoming more mlimate and Iriendly in their rela- 

 tions, and curious in their inquiries, we may sup-- 

 pose that travel lor gratification will greatly in- 

 crease between the two — this is proved by the 

 number and constant increase of fine ships as 

 packets; and it tiiirly indicates,. in connection with 

 the extent. to which steamboats are coming into 

 use, and tholong voyages which they occasionally 

 make, that the time is not distant when tlie packet 

 ships will be propelled by steam. No rail road 

 can be laid across the Atlantic. It .will be an ob- 

 ject to have each of the.two ports in Europe and 

 America, ii'om whence most of these ships may 

 be expected to depart for the other, situated con- 

 veniently as it respects the interior parts of the 

 country, and as near together as may be. The 

 wearisomcness of a long sea voyage will render 

 these considerations indispensable,, and may lead 

 to some changes not now much thought ol. 



But to leave this part of the subject for a while, 

 and dwell more particularly on our own United 

 States. 



To attain the greatest rapidity of motiojn will 

 always be an object of controlling importance, and 

 therefore level regions will be greatly dcsyrable lor 

 the location of the principal thoroughfares. The 

 intercourse and exchanges between the north and 

 the south, must increase vasdy beyond all pre- 

 cedent, and probably beyond. all present anticipa- 

 tion of the rnost enthusiastic, for as speed of trans- 

 portation increases, and the cost is reduced, the 

 productions of each of the various clima,tes will be 

 vastly more, consumed in the other climates; and 

 the assumption is, that transportation by land will 

 gradually take the place of -water navigation, first, 

 tor persons travelling, and tlien for merchandize, 

 and particularly on account of its expedition, safety, 

 and regularity. This consideration is made strong- 

 er, fi-om the fact that much of the interior, and 

 the finest portion of North America, and that 

 which will soon be the most productive and most 

 densely settled, and of course require the greatest 

 exchanges of this quarter, is already as near by 

 land to the most important productions of southern 

 climates, as it is to our eastern commercial ports. 

 It is not too early, . then, to begin the inquiry, 

 where shall be our princij^al and leading roads ? 

 tor it is plain that they. are not yet located, and 

 that they cannot be determined on judiciously with- 

 out the most grand and enlarged views, and the 

 most extensive and accurate surveys. 



Without attempting to speak oi' details, which 

 can of course be only determined by such surveys, 

 it is pertinent, and may be profitable to notice, 

 that the fonmation of the countiy, and- the condi- 

 tion and wants of the citizens, present and future, 

 clearly indicate that the road already commenced 

 at Albany, must be continued without any regard 

 to navigable Aviuers, on the best and most level 

 ground westward, indefinitely. That another road 

 from Nor!l)lk, or perhaps from Boston, inust pro- 

 ceed soutliwardly over the level region, near the 

 coast all tlie way, to some harbor where a town 

 is yet to spring up near the south cape of East 

 Florida, from whence there will be a busy steam- 

 boat intercourse with Havana; that a branch of 

 this road will proceed, say fi'om Savannah, to 

 New Orleans, and thence into Texas, and onward. 



