IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 'V. // y. ^o & 4(\ 1.0 I.! 2.5 12.0 1.8 1-25 1.4 1.6 ■• 6" ^ ^ ^ Wa m % ^;j y /A Photographic ^Sciences Corporation ^^ % V ' the New York and Erie Road ; one at, Hornellsville, about 00 miles East of Buffalo, called the Buffalo and New York City Railroad ; and another, the '^whocton Road, intersecting the. New York an^l Erie Road at Coffiing, some 40 or 50 miles further East ; and both of these Roads arc built, as understood, with the full a/pprobation and co-operation of the New York and Erie Road, with th" same wide guagc of track as it has, and in tlic expectation of draining off a large amount of travel- and transportation from the W«s<»r/v portion of tlie main trunk; but alco in the expectation of receiving a 2 MMh larger accession of business (rom these two Buflklo Roads goinjj to New Y"ork, for perhaps threo-fourlhs its- whole length East of those junctions, than it will lose by them over its Western onf fourth. And this course — that of allowing other Roads leading to other points thA" ife own termination— is adopted by the Directors of th© Erie Road on knowledge derived from the sound experience of other older Roads which have adopted the pame line of policy. Now that the same benefit would accrue to the main interests of the Great Weptern in case it should permit the BufTala and Brantford Roatds to connect with it, or in case it should even copstruct tli»t l^anch of road itself I can have no question. The Railroad from Buffalo on the South shore of Lake Erie to Detroit, or to Monroe, (the Eastern terminus of the Southern Michigan Railroad,) is in the course of rapid completion ; but it will be under any circumstances, quite or nearly 100 miles longer than a route of Railway from Fort Erie via Brantford and the Great Western, to Detroit ; but still, the South Shore route, is a direct route, and the Brantford Road net existing, the Western travel will take the " South Shore" L,ake Erie route, and the central New York travel as well as the travel from the Conhocton and Hornellsville routes, and the New York and Erie route to. Dunkirk— all will go up the South Shore route to the West, and Cmmla will Use if. B^it let tl^e Bufifilg and Brantford Road exist, and travellers from the East going West will diverge from the New York and Erie Road either at Corning, or Hornellsville, and go to Bi'fTalo, as well as travellers by the Albany and Buffalo Roads t» some extent, and from there take the Brantford and Great Western Road to Detroit in great numbers. All this travel I conceive, would be diverted from the South Shore Railroad, and without the aid of the Brantford Road, would be eptirely lost to the Great Western, and in r.y opinion not at all interfere with its receipts East of Brantford or if it should slightly interfere with the receipts of the Great Western travel East of the Brantford Junction, such interference would not injure to one-fourth part the extent in lakjpg passepgers IJroro it, that it would benefit then&tn in taking passengers on to it. Were both the Great Western and the Buffalo apd Branfford Roads in the State of New York instead of in Canada, I think there could be no doubt that the Stockholders of the Great Western, equally with those of the Buffalo and Brantford, would be anxious to controul and connect the two Roads, and that anxiety would be derived from the belief that both Roads would be mutually benefitted by such connection. I consider also, that from the very favourable grade of the Buffalo and Brantford Road Bind the ^uniiapcs,. and cheapness of material along the line, this Road may be built from two to three thousand dollars cheaper jjer mile than almost any ouier Road in the country. The right of way, as I understand from the Chief Engiijeer can be had for a mere trifle, compared with the usual cost of such objects ; and I have no doubt at all, that any amount of contracts may be made for the construction of the Ropd at perfectly fair rates, and payment made to the extent of one-half of such contracts in its Capital Stock to the Contractors. And t also believe, that if the question were once settled heyoiui a cavil, tha« the Buffalo and Brantlord Road were once secure in its rights and privileges, as given in the amendment 'xtension of your Plank Read Law of 1850 under which it i" organized, that every dollar of capital stock required for its construction can or may be scrid in the State or City of New York, and a great portion too of those interested in the stock of Railroads rupning East from Buflalo, so differently do our people look upon the policy of co-operating with the Railroads entirely, instead^^ of opposing everything not exactly tending to the same point as their own particular project. To illustrate the views of our legislators in the State of New York : — the State owns the Erie Canal, extending from Albany to Buffalo. The Canal is the great thoroughfare for freight, from Lake Erie to tide water, and was, for many years, the monopolist of all the freight destined to the West, and aii the emigrant travel, and a large portion (through its packets,) of the business and pleasure travel througli the State from Albany to Buf&lo. When the line ot Railway was constructed from Albany to Buf&lo, most of this business and pleasure travel .^i. the Canal; and so largely did the emigrant travel increase, which was largely productive to the State, that at this time, pr<^ably nineteen-twentieths of the emigrant travel, with its baggage, (and this last is a large item) is carried by the Railroads. When these Roads were chartered, a part of them, (there were seven Companies in all) were prohibited from carrying freight other than pasiengers' baggage — afterwards they were permitted to carry freight vf on payment ofeanaltoUi to the State on such freight. Look at the r«suU. By the construction of these Roads an immense business was diverted from thf Erie Canal, and although during all this time, the tolls were several times lessened on the Canal, its business and tolls never increased so- ra/pidly as since these Railroads were constructed ; and the Roads have made every effort in their power to divert the Canal business to their routes. Fully satisfied, from experience, that the trade Oi the Canal would be Fromoted instead of diminished by the prosperity of the Railroads, during the last Session of the Legislature of New York the tolls were taken off the Railroads running parallel with the Canal,— and now, no Railroad tn New York pays toll to the State, although thoy may come into the strongest competition with the Canal business ! Such is the result to which the Legislature of the State of New York have arrived, after ten years' experience, of the action of Railroads owned by corporations. Another act of legislation has demonstrated the fact, that no injury can result, in the largest liberty being allowed to capital to seek investments in 'Railroads, wherever the interests of^he stockholders may choose to build them. Railroads have proved such creators of wealth in opening markets to the produce of the country , and introducing supplies to the people, that our LegislatOre seek the means to introduce roads among them instead of restricting them in their enjoyment ; and, therefore, a general Railroad law has been enacted, so that no special application is no'.v required for the formation of any Railroad association. Lands, which before the construction of a Railroad in their vicinity, were almost valueless, for want of a ready market for their productions, are now increased in value 25 to 100 per cent, from the opening of a ready market by such Road. They aiM a general prosperity '.o the people, by the enhanced price of the farming products, and in so doing add to the means of the Farmer and his neighbours to spend their money in travel over their Roads ; thus, by a liberal policy, both enriching themselves and the people. Such is eminently the case with the Erie Railroad, now just finished, to Lake Erie, from New York, corroborating the previous facts illustrated by the other Roads, in adding to the great aggregate wealth of the State and its people. That such a line of policy pursued in Canada would be attended with as valuable results as in the State of New York, 1 fully believe ; and among all the Railroad projects now in inticipation in Upper Canada, I know of none that will be more likely to prove profitable to its Stockholders, and valuable to the people in the vicinity of its line, than the Buffalo and Brantford Road, and its continuation on the Great Western to Detroit I believe it will give at least two dollars to the Great Western by carrying the passengers into it from Buffalo, where it will take one dollar off from its receipts, and that simply by giving them a passage of six hours between Detroit and Buffalo, and vice versa, instead of a ten hours' passage by the South shore of Lake Erie route. You will please excuse the hurried manner in which I have thrown these desultory ideas together, while df'layed on my passage home for an hour or two at this place ; and if you think th^y can in any way be useful to your interests, you can make such use of them as you think proper, only regretting on my part that I have not had more time to commit my iniperft'Cl ideas to paper in a better mar.nei Very truly and respectfully your Friend, And obedient Servant, LEWIS F. ALLEN. Archibald Gilkison, Esq.