652 



FA R M E 11 S ' REGISTER. 



[No. 11 



THE GASTON AND RALEIGH RAIL ROAD. 



We cannot too strongly recommend to the at- 

 tention ol'our readers the following communica- 

 tion from the pen oi'a gentleman thoroughly ac- 

 quainted with the subject he discusses,, and whose 

 calculations, based as they are upon sure da! a, are 

 entitled to implicit confidence and respect. There 

 cannot exist the slightest doubt as to the advanta- 

 ges held lbrth by this magnificent enterprise of in- 

 ternal improvement, and as little that the citizens 

 of Petersburg would reap a rich harvest from its 

 successlul completion. We say then to our fellow 

 citizens, avail yourselves of this opportunity of 

 making a profitable investment, and of enlarging 

 the business, the commercial importance, and the 

 character of your town. — Ed. Int. 



From tlie Intelligencer. 



Messrs. Editors: — We have been going on 

 very quietly with the subscription to the Raleigh 

 and Gaston Rail Road Company — little has been 

 said and much done. But so much may be said 

 in favor of the scheme that I think it would be 

 proper to publish in your paper some of the rea- 

 sons on which the friends of the work rely to re- 

 commend it to public favor. 



Our own citizens have certainly shown a great 

 degree of public spirit in the readiness with which 

 they have come forward and lent their aid to the 

 enterprise. If, however, they would but exam- 

 ine into the matter closely, they would find that 

 they have not only secured lasting and almost 

 incalculable benefits to the town; but ihey have 

 actually made such a speculation as seldom falls 

 to the lot of man. They have secured great ben- 

 efits to Petersburg,they have placed the rail road 

 which we have already made, beyond the reach 

 of adverse fate, and they have invested money 

 which will certainly yield them 15 per cent. I 

 will venture to predict that there is not a man 

 among us who will not regret three years hence 

 that he did not invest in this road to the utmost 

 extent of his power. I have had every means of 

 sifting this matter well, and the more thoroughly 

 I examine into the subject, the more firmly ami 

 convinced that this is one of the most brilliant 

 schemes which has ever been brought before our 

 public. 



In making a conjectural estimate of the income 

 to be expected from this road, we have data which 

 give our calculations a great degree of certainty. 

 The travel and the trade now passing over the 

 Petersburg Rail Road will serve as a guide in 

 making an estimate of the income of the^Raleigh 

 and Gaslon Rail Road. Let us take the travel tor 

 instance. There is at this time, an average of 

 21 passengers passing each way daily on the 

 Petersburg road. I believe that this will bear 

 a very small proportion to the number which will 

 pass over the Raleigh and Gaston road. When 

 this road goes into operation the northern and 

 southern travel, which is now divided between 

 several routes, will, in a great measure 

 red to this 



boat from Charleston to New York, those who 

 travel in the Piedmont line of stages, and even 

 those who go out from Baltimore and dojln (he 

 Ohio river to New Orleans, will, many of them, 

 come through this road. So that the amount o! 

 travel now must bear a very small proportion to 



what there will be eventually. But as it is best 

 to err on the sale side in a matter of such moment 

 to us, 1 will suppose that the travel on this road 

 will amount to bo daily each way. 



With regard to other sources of revenue I will 

 mention sum,- iacts. In a good crop year there 

 are about 42,000 bales of cotton sold in the Peters- 

 burg market of which heretofore 12,000 only have 

 been brought in on the rail road. The whole 

 amount of cotton raised in Virginia for the Peters- 

 burg market is believed not to exceed 10,000 bales. 

 Even supposing that none of this 10,000 is inclu- 

 ded in the 12,000 bales brought in on the rail road, 

 there are still 20.000 bales which are brought in 

 wagons to Petersburg. I need not tell any one 

 who knows any thing oi' our market, that the 

 whole of this crosses Roanoke at and above Gas- 

 ton. We may safely calculate then on 20,000 

 bales of cotton. Indeed no one who is acquainted 

 with the country through which the Raleigh and 

 Gaston Road passes would doubt lor a moment 

 that there, will be a very large increase. Large 

 districts of country which have never heretofore 

 sent any thing to Petersburg will send cotton on 

 this road. 



With regard to tobacco, another important 

 item. I will mention the simple lacl that this road 

 will approach within 80 miles of the valley of 

 the Yadkin, one of the most fertile regions in the 

 United Slates; that the soil there is peculiarly 

 adapted io the culture of tobacco and that the 

 greater part of it now goes in other directions — 

 some wagoned 150 miles. So well is the exhaust- 

 less wealth of this district of country known, that 

 there is no doubt of a rail road being made to 

 connect ii with the Raleigh and Gaston Road. — 

 Of the amount of tobacco raised in this valley, 

 I can only form a conjecture./ I see nothing ex- 

 travagant in estimating it at 15,000 hogsheads. 

 Tobacco is made throughout the country through 

 which the rail road passes, and much of the 

 tobacco raised on the Yadkin will at once be 

 brought to this road. Eventually the whole of 

 this country will seek a market through this 

 channel. But, if we only calculate on the country 

 which will certainly and immediately bring its 

 produce to this road, few will think me too san- 

 guine in expecting 5,000 hogsheads'^ 



From the data thus obtained I give below an 

 estimate of the probable income of the Raleigh 

 and Gaston Rail Roao L ^ 

 35 Passengers out and in daily $10 



each, - 

 20,000 bales cotton $1 each, 

 5.000 hogsheads tobacco $4 each, 

 Mail, 

 Merchandize, 



Annftal Expenses, 



# 127,750 00 

 20,000 00 

 20,000 00 

 15,000 00 

 10,000 00 



$192,750 00 



50,000 00 



8142,700 00 



Which is nearly 18 per cent, on the capital 



, be secy/ stock of $S00,000, and, even if the cost of the 



Passengers who now travel by ste^rfh- road reaches 81,000,000, this income would be 



more than 14 per cent. There is no reason to be- 

 lieve that the cost of the road will exceed ^800,- 

 000. 



I would mention also Messrs. Editors, that there 

 are many things not taken into this account which 

 will be transported on the road. Flour, wheal, 



