Newspaper Page Text
BULROADS. i
y.vz l/ie Telescope}
To the Edit..:: of the Columbia elescope- i
CHARLESTON, 7 b DEC 1836. !
>S/r, —I enclose you a portion of a
series of p ipers on rail roads, whit h
I intend to have troubled wu. with:
but the crowded state of your col
ums at this time, forbid so great a tax
—you will oblige a subscriber by
giving them as early an insertion as
may be convenient.
To Ike .Wo ckholders of the Charleston, Louis
ride -i :d (hiciniiili Hail Hoad.
on th l: consrr u c t i o x o f ru l
ROADS.
It appears to me that the most
important consideration hereafter, in
the construction of rail roads, every ■
where, will not be howto raise funds
for that purpose, but how to prevent
the misapplication of them, in con
structing roads that never will pay:
for after all, the simple question ‘will
it pay?’ ought always to be fearless
ly put, and candidly answered, be
fore the first ground is ever broken
in upon.
In our case, as in all others simi
lar, tiiat desirable result depend s up
on these considerations, viz: Is
there profital.de business for the
road? Can it be cheaply and sub
stantially constructed? Can funds
be raised. And though last, not least,
can it be cheaply, methodically and
cn e rge tic all y n ran age d ?
'Two of these questions have been
happily answered, one by the lumin
ous report of General Hayne, to
whose zeal, correct judgement and
sound discretion the citizens of this
A’tate are largely indebted; the other
b> our subscription list, so honora
ble to south Ccrolina.
As regards the others, I will lay
before you faithfully, the result of
information, given willingly, by some
of the most experienced men to the
{North.
'The most expensive mode of con
structing rail roads that has yet been
tried in America, A which has met
with the decided discription ol th >se
who carried it into effect, has been
by slips, or scantlings of granite, laid
lengthways, on a solid foundation,
on which scantlings, iron bars were
laid, well secured by spikes or bolts
tor the cars to run upon.
This plan may be said to have to
tally failed, for not only does the sol
id rock wear away, but having no
elasticity, the jarring of the cars,
breaks A deranges the spike heads.
The iron bars being thus set in mo
tion, the destruction is rapid <s• total;
requiring immediate and most ex
pensive repairs. In addition, the
speedy destruction of the locomo
tives, and even of the cais them
selves, from the severe jolting; the
shaking noise and other disagreeable
effects upon the passengers, insur
mountable, these alone, from suffi
cient reasons for abandoning thi
plan, whenever timber of fust rate
quality can be got
Another method is by laving
blocks of granite or other stone, a-!
cross the track lines, as sleepers, ,
placing on them cast iron pieces for
the car u heel’s to run upon. Tlii
plan is liabh'to all the objections of j
the former, with this in addition, that
the cast iron suddently breaks, en
dangering whole lines of cars, and
frequently stopping the entire busi
ness of the road.
Another A’ greatly improved plan
has been to substitute rails ol solid
wrought iron, and ol great weight,
unsupported by wooden rails, laid
upon sleepers of timb, r. Some iron
rails lately imported by the Susquc
hannah and Baltimore road, weigh
58 pounds to the yard in length.
The objections to this mode of
construction are its great expenses
and the decay of the sleeper, in or
der to rectify which last objection
granite sleepers were tried. 1 hese
being subject to tin' very serious
tanks of rapidity destroy ing cars \
locomotives, and harassing the pas
sengers by jolting ami noise, it has
been proposed to insert a piece of
wood between the iron rail an I the
granite, to produce at <’.i'tic:!\.
which might prevent th. j.irri < a i
wear and tear, and tlm> obviate a .
difficulties.
this last mode was dec’a • d to
mo by the most < \p ( ri< nee ! l. *
most intelligent and the ablest man,
met with to the North, to be the best
mode of construct ion that his judge
hne ita-i-l exp-wience could suggest,
am! he has had more than any other,
i It Is scan ely necessary to say that
the objections to this admiriable plan
are, the enormous expense which no
rail road company ought to incur at
first setting out, and the certain de
cay of the wood work, introduced
i under the iron rails.
A STOCKHOLDER.
To I fie Stockholders of the Charles
ton, Louisville ami Cincinnati Hail Road.
On the Construction of Rail
Roads.
After looking at many railroads)
our own mode of construction, im
proved by expedience, seems the
best adapted to our means, our conn- >
try and our materials.
Great errors have been commit
ted every where; and how could it
be otherwise, in new and untried
ioperatijns of so extensive a kind?
i licse have been n it only such as I
have already stated but in the size of
rhe wooden rails; the size of the iron;
hhe mode of laying down the sleep
ers; or have proceeded from the van
ity or carelessness of those entrus
ted with trie superintendence of the
various works. On one rail way the
absolute necessity of hastening the
completion ol the road, and thus kee
ping alive the hopes of the stockhol
ders pernaps also with a view of
aid from the legidature of the State,
ithe directors were induced to use
■green timber ol all kinds cut-out of
phe woods. The whole of this part
i fell into immediate dccav, incurring
I an enormous i icrease ol expenditure
of the most thriftless kind—daily and
peace-meal repairs.
In Maryland the fir-t six miles of
the Baltimore and Ono Rail Road,
were executed on tne most solid &,
lasting principle that coni I be de
mised; that is with granite as first de
scribed. I'he viaducts were finish
led with an elegance that did great
Jtonor to the taste of the director;-,
but the expense of al! this was at the
late of seventy two thousand, eight
hundred dollars per mile! i’he fail
ure of their funds compelled thi
company to retrench, and on other
parts of the road the expmice was
reduced gradualh, until it came!
down to about nine thousand dol
lars per mile, at which rate about
sixty miles were completed.
i akinji it for granted that timber
rails with iron bars, are best suited
to our country, it is fortunate that
what we shall be comp llml to do.
we can do better than our neighbors
for our timber is, I believe, equal to
if not better than any in (he world.
IV’c have the best kind ol pine in thej
lower and middle country, and from
i his side of our own mountain*, down
the whole of the French Broad, and
>ro ably much farther, we have lo
cust enough to finish the entire road !
Locust which never ioh! We have!
m the low country again Live ()ak>
tor sleepers, and * y press, which
ought to be used for every thing.
But the most sei ions attention ought
to be paid to the quality of what we
do u*e. Sound all heart wood/w
--ftelly straight tn the gru n, ought
alone to be ch >sen and no other.
Twisted timber not onlv decass
spetd ly, but does not hold the
spike*. Ihe size of tin' rails is of
great importance, (i inches l>\ 6 i*
used on one very extensive road.
It is a bad size, having too much ■
surface and too little depth shi 7
or even Sduhbed olfat top to :> I 2.
is perhaaps the best form and size.
these appcarently trivial thing*
are of more importance than is gen
erally imagined. Manx miles of
rail road travelled over last summer
were repairing at gn at expmice lor
aunt ol attention; first, to the quality
of the timber; secondly, t ie mi mer
of laying it down; thirdly, to the,
simple circumstances of the i". >ro
pcr form of the heads of the spikes.
I i some cast s the iron bars had
drooped ml and were Iving along
sale of the woo fen rails, oceaTmed
by one oi the ca i*« - alluded to.
In the very spike* with whir h the
iron bar* are fastened diwn, this
radical error may be discovered on
many roads. The sockets for the
spike heads being all of one size It
form, the heads of the spikes ought
to have’been made by machinery to
fit exactly; where they do not lit?
they are soon worn out; the iron bars
are set in moiin under the cars-thev
get bent up and finally occasion great’
danger to the passengers. The I
spikes ought therefore to be impor
t'-d to suit the rail road iron, and al
the same time.
A. STOCKHOLDER.
From ihe Southern Hanner.
MORE NICK BIDDLEISM.
Our late Columbus papers give
information that the United States
Bank has purchased the stock and|
jbecome the manager of the Insur-i
lance Bank of Columbus! A char
’ter, granted by the i.egisla ure of
i Georgia for the conv nience and,
(benefit of the citizens of this State,;
has been transfei red to a local insti
tution of a distant state, a great por
tion of whose stockholders are sub
jects of the aati-repubiican goveru
■ ments of England and Fraiv e. 'I he
consideration money for this trans
fer, over and above the par value of
the stock, we under-tand to be one
hundred, thousand dollars. Branch
es have already been ordered to be
established at Savannah, Macon
Augusta, and it is probable if the
scheme works well, that they will be
exteudeu to every point where any
- bank now exists m Georgia. Here
wiii be a glorious monopo.y. 'Rhe
enormous capital of the U. States
Bank, its extensive connection*
thi tile Union, and its high
, credit, wid give it advantages with
which the other institutions of the
f’tatc < amioi successiuily • <?ompcte;
and we may soon expect to sec this
ma iijioiii monopoly eiider cr tshing
(he smader corporations, or make
the n suhservi;ml to its views.
Li every point ol view, we look
upon this ti aiijaction as an outrage
upon the people of the State, to
wna n i hey • a.t.iot, in just ce to tie m
*(’h es, io their independent charac
ter or pecuniary interests, quieth
submit. 1 nothing worse, it i> es
tabhdimg a pr. cedent, which may
hereafter be acted upon to work the
destruction o. ou. republii an gov
rnment.
e all know that wealth is pow
er. Now let us suppose that the
government ol England >r Fiance,
or oi ans other foreign country, wish
to a quire an infl.ieuce m thi* U. S , 1
to enable it to propagate any of itsj
principles—ail it need do, is to semi
an agent here with mom-\ Io buy up!
our bank charters, and the whole
tremendous influence of these cor
porations can be contracted ami
brought to bear upon th.- desk ed ob
ject. Vho does not see that al-
most any purpose might be accom
plished in dir* way? But if existi g
bank charters could not easily be
obtained, bribe* to individuals might
-in given, who would appb to our
L gislatores and probaldy receive
new cha:t?rs, not im their own use,
but for the use of their employers
we would be behind the curtain;
ami thus the same desire be grati
tied;
But have any of our citizens a
right, ad; r obtaining a bank charter
upon th;- usual representations ol the
necessity yvmch exist* for it in the
community where they live, and to
-enable themtoinvesi their money in
away to beiiclil tuemselve* and t heir
' follow i itiz ns. then to abandon the
object for which they sought it, and
betray the confidence oi the f.egis’a
tme by selling it* benclm* io a set ol
men whose interests ami feeling* are
different train our own? This; at
least, is a question tha should be
' carefully exami ied. ii such a right
doe* exist, it would be well for fu
ture I.cgialature* to learn wi* mm
from experience; and abolish it here
after in al. act* ol
The Bank ol the I .S. was an in
•'titut.on so generally regarded a*
dangerous to the liberties of the pe >-
pie, that the overwhelming voice of
puiilic opinion was raised against i ,
and in it* nationa. capacity it was put
down. But th olfered bonus of lour
millions of do’lar* to the Slate of
Pennsylvania, was too tempting a
bait not to be nibbled at by her Le
gislature. The contest between money
and republicanism was soon termina
ted. All powerful money goined
the victory—ami Pennsylvania per
petuated the power of the corrupting
monster, as far as her legislutio i
could extend. The Bank is now
I working its w.y into other States,
where, if unchecked, its influence
wiii be even greater ami its effets
more baleful, than they were under
its former charterer. Whenever it
suits her policy, she will be able to
destroy commercial confidence and
credit from one end of the Union to
the other she can gready enlarge
the circulation ol the paper curren
cy, produce over trading in every
| department of business, and then
J contract her discounts, and snecu
. late upon the distress and pecu miry
f'l sa rifices she has occasioned. The
| scenes of panic and individual bank
ruptcy which it created, when seek
. ing to exort a re-charter from (’oa
. gress, wilt be long rmn mibered, and
. should be held as a good reaso i for
.! resirabiLig the fearfid strides towards
; increased power which it is now ma
king.
Political.
A ( Uh I ALN LFCrrURI'L
From the Phil'ia. Gazelle I (F/u/ paper.
“31r. Wi-p, we perup’ve, h is conmieneec
his long a,d ll uulent talks in Congress. Ao
•me cousuines more of Die people’s nine and
money to pm pose, tha > tins gentleman.
I he cacoi t ies loquendi is forever upon him,
and h‘ will prase ymi by tne hour, with no
sense of the infliction. We learn tint he
considers h mself a successful imil nor of
J iim Randolph. He stands alone in this
minion. Me ot Roanoke was tearse, vigorous
mu classical in his language, and uiiered few
t phrases wlvn h did urn tell. V] i. VV ise, on the
i'-hi laiy, is hi adeni onl\ in empiy declam •-
tl i, in ihe sesqitipedalia verba. We • an-not
c.w much orators ol ih.s sor are bepraised
I by p-ar iz-tos —we have md pendeme
to wnh Id Ir >m them our -iiil'iagi s. I’herc is
too mu n io W ashiug-ou on the fl » o
ol Caiigr-'ss; and ihe reason .s, ihai < v r>
other iegi-lator, proud of a v isi extent of Hon
sv v linage, is n.fl>< Ung hi.ns II upon In* fel
low ticli qai.-s, and '.'■oi'i.ig ad capStn iim
sentences in o tne gallery „ ur n.miole
opinion he sal try of he Speaker of .lie House
if iiepresen ilives ought o be iiigh' r Ilian
ill.h of ihe Pi'‘.','dcin ; ior be is onl i>ed to
end re like .1 laiget ail ihe fires of contemlmti
dispu aiils, wi hout the ixis-ebiliiy of esc inc.
vlf Wise is tne lead and front of tii.se
wtang ets ; au(i being tccusiorned lo speak
oui mind ireely, we • amiot bm lament that
has begun Ills sp aK.ng cu.ijpaign aga n.—
L- 1 -my <>ne rememh. r how the t iisiness oi
Congress wis crow 1 dtn 1 s las soliog uno
wo or threw closing <1 iys of ihe session, and
limned inrough wimuit form o- uul-r, and
how much was em.r< |y neglected, and wt shall
be Coincided w.'.li m our condemnati.m of the
long speeches, uselessly made from winch
such unfortunate lesuhs ensue.’’
THE SCHEMES OF THE WHIGS.
1 rom the Richmond L'nquirer.
The. W asiiingion Telegraph lecture* the
Phil idelphla loq • mer on .shewing its cirnt* —
m<( begs Htn hold up its head. The Inqui
r-i is more honest than its colie >gur.. I'w rns
s at once of the war n intends to wage ai'amsi
Mr Van Buren. Such lm», is tile le-ign of
lie I'elegraph, I'lo it'll i ..fleets to disguise n,
md wrap itself up under certain prudish con
tmgencies No print is more determined
upon aar to (he knife, tiian the Telegr.ph.—
It Began WI h rallying opposition to Ihe Presi
dent left, uoon to)yr>u id that lie was an
Usurper ! ai d now 11 is idle lor H to affect any
res. rvaliotr. or assume any di-gmse it is too
I ■., a I a slave 10 l ire lamp which guides i’.s pith,
nm lo whey I lie wishes ot ns presiding genius.
J oe ambition of Mi. (.’aliioun n ver sleeps.
I'lie l elegraph will ih< reiore wage war ai'amsi
Mr V m Bar n 10 rue knife.
Bui we have sil’"' ' fit "mt from o’herqur
lers 10 sh 'W lie rut iLss and d ermmwd spirit
of the Op • ••'ilion Who savs tn Washing
nm < «»rre>pmid -ai ol ; c B >lnm > e P ririol ?
■‘l promised <0 Imni-hyou wiin an abst act
of the admirable speech r. Wi-e delivered
v -6 id.iy .mt t«» my surprise I found it
-pread out iu ex »msi» in the columns of the j
nion if 1 nti lh_!« mer Uns morumg ” (Cui
and dry, of course ! \"d a’l th-»• inis ai ihe
hi. kli >n were pr vtously and d lib-r oely du
sigm d m !•!•• ci'»se !) —’ ll camiot l ol to be
>n .ircep ib e presen' !•< y ur re id rs ; and I
doom n 1 you will give 1 !■• mem, or ale >si
mmv <ii nee » xtra< t», and 11 is, therefore, tin
u ••• s-arv lor me to uri'e out noirs. I wish,
however. I could cumrv •<» )<m soni" notion
f die m inner d >li« ' m a* tc speaker in some
of Ins tn i<- striking pa--»ag s, <<r of Ute en-
Uiusia-ltc -1 it with whe n tie ormdaaim d
lua. the battle j i,t f<> ignt was mil decisive
Let ins words rmg tn ev< ry patriot’s ear, and
rouse us to ren wed exer 1 m iefeme of our
R piuliciii and ceiisiiiu.loual l:ber : y. *‘L)
featr d, bm noi conquered—• neck' dby tin
Pretori m b md*, but no; arrest d tn lite r on
wa d miF' n, U»e Patriot A my is not disco ir
agt d or d'* av<d; *un en but noi s ruck
d.wn the pug of IflE COUNTRY I
still flyj.sg !’ Believe mi, Mr Editor,
these arts the v.nanimuus sentiments of all clas-
ses of Ihe Opposition in Congress. The days
of the coming dynasty are numbersd.''
“The unanimous sentiments of all classes
of opposition m Congtess’’! What is that sen*
nment ? “To beat down the adtntnis’ra’ion”
• f Mr Vi . B ren. just as “th? enl genius
of this country” avowed m Dec, 1800, that he
would beat down Mr. J fFmson’s .dmmisira*
Hon. Tiiat s inc serin en’ is here exj res
s' d. but in differen w rds : “The days of the
coming dvn >sty are numbered”—that is to say,
let Mr. V. B even discharge his duly ; lei his
administration be as pure as Mr J* fi’i rsoii’s,
he must be beaten down— hat one ot the aspi
rants may take bis place al the end of four
ears’
\noiher of the Whig presses (the B dtimorb
Chronicle) expresses the same sen tnr'nt :
“Ttyvre is one feature in the laie speech of
Mr Wise, which is worthy of entire admiration.
11 is tiie (mid md c >nfi Jmi’ Ime n which he
■bieaks -4' the result of the next struggle for the
be assumed by ihe Whigs every where rn
public end priv de. Taev now feel that ’he
destinies of ihe country are in their hands.—
L t them noi lose that c.onviciiuu—ihe most
important element < I success—through ill-tim
ed and m j asiiff ilde despondency Le’ all
croaker-' a'd foieuoders .»( defeat be avoided.
L t thsm entry their p e«h tious to the ranks
oi mir opponen s. Let not on-; of them be
allowed to casi over ihe fervid glor o* of such
a c .use as mirs, the icy < hdliiess of des
pair. Nothing Imf h*lle-sness or despair ean
pr< vem our er.tire success tn the next contest.”
These in :> thus shows us by their construe
lion of Mr. Wcse’s speech, what he and the
higs design to effect—War, unrcleming war,
against the next \dmmis:ralion. Can mere
be any doubt of 11? Hear whit another of
their mouth pieces at VV islungton s'iys. The
following is an extract from a long md • I mo
rale lei er (no do ibi of Mr. B oak*, the Edi
tor of tlie N. Y. Express,) published 11; that
paper of the 11th inst:
Washington, Dec 12, 1836.
‘•.Ur. l r an Buren's Administration The Op
posit ion.
“Before ibis, a majority of the members of
the Electoral Colleges for the choice of Pre
sident of the United States, have given their
votes for Martin Van Buren. By the Consti
tution of the (Ju.-tt d Si ites, and by the votes
of tin 1 people, he has been pronounced <>|i*ct- d
the Chief Mag's rate of the nation. What
ever, thme'ore, may be l\n' priv lie feelings of
the tens of thous.mds of tm-ru an citizens
opposed to Mr. Van Buren, the firs duty
pro opted bv that op loscion coinai nds us to
submit to \\>e public wdl, wh cn has placed tins
man ovet us. i lin is the Imu of eve ry man’s
public dmy. either t » bn < omtii v <>r h o r ilets.
“U;> n this -p >t the VV ogs of Hie U. S.—
(I -*pe ik from an inima e kn >w|jpdge of the
opmi-m- <>f tee best m ormed n-1 most distin
guish d 'neo ol t.!u Or’posilo u in W ishiugton)
ltavt determined •<> raise the st odaid both
•>1 th ir submi <tion t<» me new \d<tiimsira’ion,
.nd thru opp ■sition t<» r. Thus early, a d
even before tr V B iren enters upon the
> in e< of !ii> . »tli e, w |i the honest e etni< s i>f~
the present \d iii'oatia im array t hems’ j ves
aga i.s the lune There i- no otheralterna
'. title hfl them ! liik same uncompromising
in stieity ti Mr. Van urln n w, and
UPON THE SAME VRINC PEE THAT HE HAS
EVER BEEN PP BED !
‘ Upon this ground I intend to fortify
; myself.”
And then he goes on to assign as an a'gtr
mem /nr 'llls reckless proceeding, that VJr V-
Buien had trejm “rleetfd only as the nomina
ted successor of 'ire Prn-i ‘.••m ol ihe U. S.
'Villle th 'I P. eSidenl was o. office,” —as if that
caul had no! been siitip & pr< n ilgated riming
the conic.i ; and a- if the verdict of the Peo
ple had not been then promt meed against it.
In a Word, rm min ran mistake the signs of
' the l>mrs.~-The plan is, immediate and un
■ compromising opposition to me Admmistraon
of Alt. V a Buren war to the kntf- . (here
jis to be no waiting for developements—no
i judging of the tree by i's liuits, as M• Ci .tv
ford de.-lar d, aid his friends a ted. it the
lease of Mr. Admas. We call ihe alb niton
lof the People to Un se indications. B.i wild
' quails at the 'hr.-ats of the Whigs? W’no ernes
I for their “bold and confi lent tom ?” IVno
seriously believes iliat “the destinies <>l 'he
country are in their hands?” I hey have
employed every sti of weap n I'iiey ad
dressed ev'u y sori of prejudice. They larperi
upon every -pecies of slang—and they wore
decisively mglortou-ly beaten. Ihe pt-npfe
of this conrrv listened to their cam. and
pronounce ! decisively acamst them S' '<mg
as our cause continues uof'ght and j S , an
enlightened people wif -land by i If VJr.
Van ll.ireu d >es Ins dn'V and he administers
the <»overmr>ei.t on jis and ci.ns.ilu'ional
principles, be is safe. lie may d ly .11 ihe
slang of all the sl ing-whaegers id 'he Press—
er tin- wildest d uuric.al'ons of tnluri Hed ma
ims. I'm y only sei ve io expose the designs
of his opponent. Nothmg can save him
from their relentless vengeance —or d'pnve
turn ol ms friends, but Ins abmidomnem wf the
true p'l'niplrs of the Republican Party.—
Observe diem, ami he is safe. The People
will support h'm Observe them, and Im may
defy all the vengeance and lite menaces u( htg
enemies.
MR. WISE.
This gentleman who mak«*s such a stir in
Congress by his cons, mi effervescence, wa, a
pupil >f eccentric John Randolph and is con.
S'rntly endeavoring to r-xote the same inter
est for mm-elf which followed him, by a par]
allel course of conduct. Where eccentricity
is designed, now. ve., t t rarety succeeds in its
olqect—aid we believe Mi Wise, by his
unceasing talk has excited more of r< dh ule
tian respect, fits attack on itm Piesident du
ring dm present session have been praised in
some party papers, but we cannot help con«