>.ir. ^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) i.O 1.1 Itil2|ii B2S lu 1^1 llllll^9B89BB IHni 1.4 Its |2£ 1.6 *" - ^>^ %^* /; y FhotogFaphic Sciences Curporation ^-^^ <^ A 23 WHT IIUIN STRNT WnMTIR.N.V. MSM (7t6)t7a-4S03 4^ v\ ^^doaaoua. 0Colourod covara/ C o M¥ or tM io da coMlaiif n a Covora dcmogod/ Covara roatorad and/or laminatad/ Couvoffturo raataurAo ot/ou poUieuida rn Covar tftia miaaintf/ La titro da eouvortura manqua ry\ Coiourad mtpa/ Cartoa || Aog raph i qMa a an coulour ColOMrad inli (i.o. ethor than IMuo or Maeli)/ fnofirj da eouiattr U.a. autra qua Maua ou noirol □ Coiourad plataa and/or IMuati ^ t iona / nancbao at/ou Wuatraiiona an eoulaur □ Sound with'otbor matarlal/ Rail* avae d'a □ Ught binding may c auaa abaclov j or dtoiortion along bitarior margin/ LaroHura aarrAa paut eauaar da I'ombra ou da la oiaviraNin ir KNig oo w marga miariouro □ Blanic loavaa addad during raatoration may appaar witliin tha taxt. Wtiannwo^ poaaibla. thaao hava baan omittad from fllmf ^g/ II ao paut quo oortainoa pagaa Manehaa ofoutAoa lora d'uno raatauration appa ra iaaa nt dana lo taxta. maia. loraquo aala iiait poaa l bla. eos p a gaa n'ont paa iid fKmdaa. D D da eoulaur □ Pagoa raatorod and/or laminatad/ Pagaa raataurdaa at/ou paiHculAaa Pagaa diaeolourad. ttainad or foxad/ Pagaa ddoolortea. taehatiaa ou piquAaa □ Pagaa dotaeiMd/ Pagaa ddtaehAaa QShovwtbrougb/ Tranaparanca □ Quality of print variaa/ Oualitd inAgala da I'Impraaaion □ ImHudaa aupplamantary matarial/ Comprond du motMal auppldmontaira □ Only adition availabia/ Saulo iditien diaponibio D wholly or partially obaeurad by arrata •Hpa. tiaauat, ate., have baan raf limed to anaura tha boat poaalbla image/ Lee pegee totelement ou pertiellement olMeureiee par un fauiilet d'erreta. una pelure, ete.. ont At* fHmAoa * nouveau do feeon i obtenir le meiHoura image poeaibla. D Additionel eommeitta;/ Commentairee auppiimantairee: Thie item ia fUmed at the reduction ratio eheehed below/ Co document eet film* au taux da rMuotion ind'qud ei*deaaoua. 10X C 14X WL 22X 2IX 30X / J 12X IfX aox MX ax 32X mmm TiM tOtiM flliiMd htrt hM iMMi rtproducMi thmln off: Library of tho Public ArehlvM 9ff Camidfi quality lOlM tho Tho imaooa ap paarlng lioio «ro tho 9oatN»Io conaicloving tho condition and off tho oriiHnal copy knd In koopln« ffUming contract spocMoations. Orlginai coploc in piintod popor covora arc ffMmod boglnnina wHh tho ffront oovar ond andlne oh tho iaat pafo «^ith a printed or Nkwtratad Impraa- ahMi, or tiio back cover whon approprlato. AN other orlgineil copioo arc fHmad bagSnnine on tho firat paoo with a printed or iiiuatratod hnproe- aion. end ending on tho ioet pego with e printed or tlluatratod Impreeelon. eMMnpHNio finne nn repioo u it groeoa m generoeliA dot U bibUothAquo doe Archkoe pubHquee Ai Cenode Um bnogee eulventee ont iti peprod«rftae avoe le plue grand aoisi« eomple tenu do lo condition ot do la notloti do rewem p l e l f e f^md. ot en conformM avec lee condMone du contrit do ffHmogo. eHOinplelfOe originoux dont le coiniwture en ot bnprinido aont Hbnte on coninion^ent per le pr o wler plot ot on lermlnen! adt per le dern lAro page qui compoite imo ew p te l n t e dimproea l o n ou dlNuetration, eolt par le eoeond plot, colon le cae. Toue lee eutree 0Ken»piairee o ri g in o u K eont ffMmie en ooremenyewt per ia premMre pego qui cdniparte uno ompfolnte dlm pr oei i on ou dHhiatretlon ot oil termlnent per le denMre pego qui comporto uno teUe ompiolnte. > Tho leat recorded fframe on oech microfiche ahoH contain the eymbol -^> (mooning "CON- TIMUeO"). or tho eymbol ▼ (mooning "END"), whichever eppiiee. Un dee eymbolee auhretite epperrtire aur le demlAro imege do cheque microfSahe. colon le cea: le eymbdo — »» algnlfie "A SUIVRE", le aymbolo ▼ aignHIa "HN". IMopa, pletee. cherte, etc.. mey bo fllmed at diffferent reduction ratkM. Thoae too large to be entirely Inchidod In one eicpoeuro ore fllmed beginning in tho upper lefft bond comer, left to right end top to bottom, ea meny ffremea ee required. The following diagrama Nluatrete tho method: Lea certoa. plenchee. toMooux. etc.. pouvant Atro fllmte i dee taux da rMuotlon di ffff Atente. Loraquo le document eet trop grand pour ftre reproduit en un aeul cHchi. H eet fNmA i pertir do i'englo aupMeur gauche, do geuche A drotto. ot do heut en bee. en prenent le i^ombro dimagoc iiicaoaaire. Lee diagfammea auhrenta iiiuatront ia mdthodo. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 lU^ £* t§.. ^ f^< t-^*t/ T' ,t «»• "^5- \ ««i tli ?v REPORT ON mixml ^mi\txn Mmlmim ^v RAILT^^Y, Mfttttt'eal ta €5itij oi ©ttawa, WITH BRANCH LINE TO ST. JEROME. 1!y CllAULES IJ'XiCiE, Eskuiue, C. K., MONTUKAL : lAZKIIK •,'I1IMI.\(; imiSK. ("HNKU ('IIAIC A.\l> IIIANCOIH .\AV1KI! STllKKTH. 18 7-2. REPORT. Montreal, 19tu January, 1872. To the President and Directory, Montreal Northern Colonization IlaiUvay. (Jkntlemen, Having been requested to furnish you with the information in my possession, with reference to the " Montreal Northern Colonization Railway," between the cities of Montreal and Ottawa, including the branch line to St. Jerome, I have prepared plans of surveys and pi ofiles made under your directions ; and also finished copies of those made some sixteen years ago by Messrs. Sykes, De Bergue & Co., for the Montreal and Bytown Railway, between the same points, which have lately come into my possession. These plans I now beg to lay before you, together with close approximate estimates, in detail, of tlie cost of constructing a line of railway between the extreme points mentioned, by the various routes to be presently described. These calculations being based principally on data furnished by the detailed sections of the actual surveys, supplemented by informa- tion gained in a personal examination of the entire route, I can with considerable confidence submit the results, as reliable, and not ex- ceeding the actual cost at \Yhich the work will be executed. Before submitting the conclusions arrived at, it may be well to give a brief historical glance at the enterprise, for the information of gentlemen who have recently joined the company, and who may not bo so well infoi'med on various ]ioints connected with the work a? those who have been associated with it for a longer period. The first feasible project of uniting the cities of Montreal and Ottawa by a railway running on the north side of the Ottawa, datcrt from the years 1852 and 185o, under a charter granted to the " Jlontreal and Bytown Railway Company." The line surveyed, adopted, and partially constructed, started from the Harbor near tho foot of Jacques Cartier Square, and by a tunnel reached Craig Street, thence on the cast of St. Denis Street, to the height of land at Cote- tVBaiTon, and northerly to the Back River, crossing it about 500 feet east of Vinet's Bridge, afterwards striking in the direction of St. Martin and St. Eustachc. From the latter place the line passed through Bcllc-Rlvit^re and St, Andrews, touching the Ottawa River ti ■ '■ at Carillon, and following its north shore through Grcnville, in a very direct line to the Village of Hull, crossmg in its course the Wvors Rouge, Nation, Aux Lidvres, Gatineau, and various small streams near their confluence with the Ottawa. From the Gatineau, the line passed north of the pond, along the valley of Mill Creek, over the main river near the Suspension Bridge, into the City of Ottawa, and terminated at the present depdt of the Canada Central Railway. Attached to the contract for this line, was one for the construction of two branch roads, or tramways, with strap rails similar to the Raw- don and Industry line ; one of ten miles to St. Jerome, and one of thirteen miles to Lachute, or twenty-three miles in all, of a cheaper construction than the main trunk. By the contract, the contractors were to receive for one hundred and ten miles of main line and twenty-three miles of tramway, the sum of ^6770,000 stg., or about $3,850,000, — and in the event of the work exceeding two and one half per cent of the estimated lengths, then the contractors were to receive X6,500 stg., ($32,500) per mile of excess on the main line, and .£1,200 stg., ($6,000) per mile for extra length of tramways. Now, taking the ascertained distance to Ottawa at 119J miles, it gives a surplus of 9^ miles at $32,500, or a total, including tramways, of $4,158,750. Deducting from this the cost of 23 miles of tramway at $B,000 per mile, leaves a sum equal to $4,020,750 for 119| miles of main line, or at the rate of $33,646 per mile, embracing also a very moderate quantity of rolling stock, as per a schedule furnished. These figures of contract cost, are given with the view of instituting a comparison in an after part of the report, and to show the public that the present estimated cost of the road is very considerably less. The gauge was to be determined by the company within six months, failing in which, the Contractors had the privilege of doing so ; the land was also furnished free to the Contractors. The section between Carillon and Grenville, 13 miles in length, was built, and a commencement made at several other points, when the work was suspended by the unfortunate death, by drowning, of the leading member of the contracting firm, and has remained in abeyance ever since. The next step of any importance to open up railway communication with the north, took place in the latter part of the year 1868. This movement resulted in the formation of a Company for the construction of a cheap wooden railway from the Mile End suburb of Montreal, to St. Jerome. A charter was obtained for the sAcheme, in the following year, which, among other privileges, gave i the right to continue ae line from St. Jerome northward to St. Agathe, or easterly to Rawdon ; also to extend branch roads in various directions, but notably to unite with any railway coming from Ottawa City towards Montreal. The charter carried a government subsidy of three per cent, on a bond fide cost of five thousand dollars per mile, and a like subsidy on all bridges exceeding five thousand dollars each. During the summer of 1869 surveys were made to determine the most suitable route, both with reference to cost and distance, between the Montreal Harbor at Hochelaga and St. Jerome. From the reports of surveys published at the time, the following synopsis of lines is given. Cost per iti;iA Lenitth Leneth Total Total ROUTES. Total Length. Total Cost. of of Straig't Curved Am't of Cnrva- length **"«• Line. Line. inre. Bridges Miles. f $ Miles. Miles. Dog. Feet. No. 1. — Hochelaga via-i Sault au Rcc, St. Rose, St. I 30.85 654,609*21,219 23.21 7.64 704 3,588 Therese, to St. Jerome . . J No. 2. — Hochelaga via' Vinet's Bridge, St. Rose, . 30.43 567,298 18,642 24.94 5.49 459 3,322 St. Therese, to St. Jerome No. 3. — Hochelaga via Vinet's Bridge, Moulin a la Dalle, St. Therese, to 34.04 489,654 14,384 27.98 6.09 591 1,972 St. Jerome No. 4. - - Hochelaga via ' Vinet's Bridge, Porteous Crossing, St. Therese, to 30.36 440,531 14,510 25.52 4.H4 438 1,752 St. Jerome An examination of the above table will indicate Line No. 4, as ex- celling all its competitors in respect to shortness, cheapness, proportion of straight line, curvature and length of bridging, and therefore to be adopted if the most direct and cheapest route to St. .Tcrome is required. The superstructure of the railway being of wood, did not inspire sufficient confidence in its durability or eflficiency to lead the public to regard the enterprise with favor, and therefore but little progress was made beyond obtaining the preliminary surveys alluded to. To overcome this difficulty application was made to the Local Legislature to amend the charter and allow iron to be substituted for wood, with such additional subsidy as might enable tlie company to carry out the work. The prayer of the company was granted, and by an amended charier, permission to use iron rails is given, and in the event of such 6 I being used a land subsidy of 5000 acres per mile from Montreal to Grenville, a distance of GO miles, with 15,000 acres per mile from thenco to Ottawa, GO miles additional, is granted, making an average of 10,000 per mile for the entire distance, the extra quantity per mile from Grenville to Ottawa being apparently for the purpose of inducing the company to run the line entirely through the Province of Quebec, aud so aid the Colonization movement. The remaining portion of the wooden railway scheme, continuing under the original charter, to preserve the guarantee of three per cent on $5,000 per mile. Negotiatiuns in the moan time had been gomg on with the Canada Central Railway Co., to form a junction with their road by extending it from Ottawa to Ilawkcsbury, a village in Ontario, on the riouth side of the Ottawa llivcr, opposite Grenville, the "Northeni Colonization" meeting tliis line at that point, as permitted by the original charter, and in this manner obtaining a through line between Montreal and Ottawa, with such running and traffic arrangements as would be mutually satisfactory to both companies. At this stage of the work I was strongly in favor of the policy of carrying the mah» line of your road via St. Jerome and Lachute. Thii arrangement, although giving a longer main through route by several miles than if it were carried from St. Therese to Grenville via St. Andrews or Lachute, would have entailed far less cost in first construction, and subsequent independent working of the branch line from St. Therese to St. Jerome. As in the first instance, one and the same train service would accommodate the entire countrv. The Canada Central Co., having failed in obtahiing from the Ontario Government, a renewal of their land grant of 12,000 acres j)er mile for the sixty miles between Ottawa City and Ilawkesbury, and on which it had depended for assistance to enable it to carry out the work in accordance with the agreement entered into with the Northern Colonization, for a junction at Grenville, was reluctantly compelled to abanlon that idea. The more enlightened policy of the sister Province of Quebec, in granting 15,000 acres per mile from Grenville to Ottawa in the event of the lino following the north shore, again opened a door of hope that the project of uniting the commercial and political capitals of the Dominion, might be crowned with success. If this could be effected, the two Railway companies were once more in perfect accord, as with a junction of the two lines effected at Ottawa, the City of Montreal ould by means of the Canada Central, have a direct rail communication with the Upper Ottawa, and event- ually in the onward progress of that road, touch Lake Huron, and posably connect with the American Northern Pacific Line at the Sault Ste. Marie. It will be in the recollection of some of jou, when the project of locating the Northern Colonization Road on tl)e north side of the River from Grenville to Hull was first announced, that it was received with great derision by many people who professed to be fully acquaint- ed with the character of that country, they affirming that the con- struction of tho road was impossible in an engineering point of view, except at a cost which would soon swallow up the resources of the Company, including *he 01,000,000 from Montreal, with but little to show for the expenditure of the money ; that the Laurentiau Mountains approached the margin of the Ottawa River, with many and important tributaries to bo crossed by very expensive bridges : others, while admitting a line could bo had on the north side, yet as- serting that it would bo far less expensive on the south, even without the assistance of the land grant, — while in point of local freight to be obtained for the road, the south was infinitely preferable. Many warm friends of the enterprise, and in favour of Montreal and other Municipalities granting liberal aid, were in consequence of these misrepresentations made suspicious of its feasibility. The fact that the Montreal and Bytown Line had been located through this sup- posed inhospitable country, had slipped from memory. No plans of the line could be found, and your engineer had no personal knowledge of the route followed by that Company. Your Directors were aware, in the event of being unable to meet the requirements of the amended charter, to keep the line entirely within the Province of Quebec, that their land subsidy of 1,200,000 acres would be lost, — a diminution in their resources even with the full amount of contemplated municipal aid of $1,500,000, which would preclude a bond basis being established for the road, on the south side from Hawkesbury up, and so prevent its being carried out. Somcwho*^ disheartened, but not defeated, your directors instructed their en^ • ccr, in company with one of their board, Mr. Duncan Macdonald, a>i experienced railway contractor, to explore the country between < jren ville and Hull on the north side, also from Ottawa to Hawkesbury on the south of the Ottawa River, and report as to the comparative ad- vunt iges of either side for Railway construction and traffic purposes. I'he result of this exploratio;i, which was carried on during seven, weather in the depth of winter, is given in a report under date of 28th Feb., 1871. A copy of tlus report is handed in herewith, satis- factorily demonstrating that an excellent route can be had on the north shore. A level plateau, or rather a series of them were found to exist between the margin of the rii^er and the base of the Lauren- tiar fountains, of from a quarter of a mile to fifteen miles in width. 8 I well adapted for agriculture, as well as the location of a railway ; while the enormous space of territory s -retching north of this plateau and occupied by the Laurentian formation, is susceptible of culti- vation to the extent of about three fifths of its area for at least one hundred miles in extent. From the Warden, Mayors and leading inhabitants of Ottawa County, the exploration committee ascertained that the thinly settled portion extended north from the Ottawa River to an average dis- tance of forty miles, and that along the lines of several of the rivers to a distance of from eighty to one hundred miles, settlers could be found ; that in this northern region, or terra incognita, excellent cereals and root crops were raised ; for instance, a yield of wheat had been obtainedof from 13 to 17 bushels from a bushel of seed sown, the land producing of Indian corn, 25 bushels per acre, potatoes 200 bushels, coarse grains about 30 bushels, and hay t"'0 tons per acre. The population of the County of Ottawa, as given by the Census of 1860-61, was 27,757; while that of the two rival counties of Prescott and Russell, on the south side of the Ottawa, and claiming the road as offering greater inducements, was only 22,323. The preponderance of root crops, hay, cash value of farms, live stock, sawed lumber, &c., being also greatly in favour of the north side. In addition to this, it was found that there was an actual excess of bridging on the south side to the extent of 2,350 lineal feet. The marked difference in the financial aspects of the two routes Mras also pointed out, even when based on an equal estimate of cost. It may be well to draw attention to this feature at the present time, with the view of removing any doubts which may now exist in the minds of the new directors, as to the desirableness of crossing the river at Grenville, and carrying the line from thence to Ottawa on the south shore, — the same argument being applicable under the present aspect, as held good at that tin:t'. From a close inspection of the country, with other information in theii possession, the committee reported the probable cost of a line between the two citir;^ ria Gren^'lle, on either side of the Ottawa at $30,000 per mile, or a total of $3,600,000 for the total distance of 120 .liles, — a very close approximation to the cost, as will be seen further (u when the surveys are considered. ' This estimate was made up as follows : Dcta'lcd estimate of grading, land, minor bridges, permu- ment way, &,c !};i;o,000 per mile. llolling Ftock 4,000 " " Three largo Bridges over Ottawa and branches, $240,000 or 2,000 " <' Kxtra work -it Mile End and Montreal Harbor, $72,000 or 600 " " Superintendence and Contingeuciets, the usual allowance of 10 percent 2,600 " " Depreciation or discount on municipal Stock, &c 800 '• " 30^000 9 I cannot do better in this connection than to make the following extract, found on page five, of the printed report of the exploration alluded U). " To assist in aniving at a docision ns to which of the routes should bo iuloptcd, in view of monetary considerations, the following figures arc submitted. tHrst. Line from Montreal to Ottawa Citj>, via North Shore, distance 120 miles. Total Cost as above $3,6')0,00() To meet this expenditure the company will have the land grant of 1,200,000 acres, worth, say $1 per acre $1,200,000 Montreal Municipal Grant 1,000,000 Municipal grants of intervening counties 500,000 $2,700,000 Tjcaving amount required to be raised by private subscription.s for Stock and sale of Bonds $ 000,000 Second. Line from Montreal to Ottawa City via south shore, distance 120 miles. Total Cost as befora , $3,G00.()0(> Ti) meet this expenditure the Company would have : Montreal Municipal Grant as before $1,000,000 Municipal Grant of intervening counties as before. . . 500,000 Assumed Maximum aid from Ontario Government of $4,000 per mile for GO miles 240,000 $1,740,000 Leaving pmount to be raised by private subscriptions for Stock and — sale of Bonds $1,860,000 The company will therefore be in the following financial position : Xorth Shore Line, Amount required to be raised from private sources. $900,000 South Shore Line, Amount required to be raised from private sources $1,860,000 " From this comparison it is evident that the northern rival carries off the palm in the financial interests of the Company to the ex 3nt of $900,000, an amount suflBciently great to turn the scale in its ^avour, even apart from the cont^iderations which make it still more to preponderate. " In explanation of the foregoing values given to the Government grants of the Provinces of Quebec and Ontario we may observe that in the opinion of many Avoil-informcd persons, the money value we have attached to the land granted by the Province of Quebec is far within the mark. Various values have been assigned by the parties in question, varying from $2,000,000 to $46,000,000, basing their opinions on the valuable timber limits, mining properties, &c., covered by the land itself. We have endeavoured, in making this comparison, to keep safely within reasonable limits, and think our estimate a fair one. The greater portion of the land is at presei t inaccessible to settlers, and must continue so for some years to come ; it cannot, therefore, at present bo sold for anything like its intrinsic value, but if ihe company by municipal and private aid can raise the !H 10 greater portion of the amount required to construct the road, the laud will eventually, no doubt, become of j»;reater value, and furnish good collateral security to the municipal and private stock-holders in addition to the actual railway itself, of which they will be the proprietors. '• We pre3umf> the most enthusiastic friends of the scheme do not anticipate very large direct returns on the investment, beyond the working expenses, at least while the work continues in its present proportions, terminating at Ottawa, or Aylmer. " A union with the Canada Central, and by this means an extension westward along the Ottawa Valley, crossing at the Sault Ste. Marie, and forming a junction with the American Northern Pacific Road, now in course of construction, will reduce the distance of the overland railway route from Pacific to Atlantic Oceans, between 400 and 500 miles over the shortest existing American line. " With this connection clfoctcd at an early date, and it has already strongly recommended itself to the promoters of the g-eat Pacific line, the enormous traffic east or west will flow over our link in the chain, and rich returns follow, or the line be leased at a figure which will furnish a good percentage on the first cost, the municipal and other stockholders also retaining their interest in the remaining portion of land grant, assuming that we have not estimated its value sufficiently high, and that it Vvill not all be required to aid in the first construction of the road. It will thus be seen that, apart from the immense indirect advantages and profits to be derived by the city of Montreal, and tlie intervening municipalities traversed by and bordering on the Kaihvay, a great direct value may attach itself t^) their investment before many years. " In rcforcnco to the aid supposed to be given by the Ontario government to that section of the road within the Province of Ontario, we have taken the most liberal view possible in favotir of the financial grant to the South Shore line. " The act of the On'.ario Logislature, passed last session of Parliament, authorizes the Lieutenant-Governor in Council to grant aid in construction of Railways to tlie extent of $il,500,000. " The amount of aid so extended is not to be ' less than $2,000, ' nor more than $4,000 per mile, and in favour of lines leading to, • or through sections of the country remote from existing thorough- ' fares, or passing through thinly settled tracts, or leading to the •* Free Grant Territory, or to the inland waters.' '' Whether the section of the country traversed by the proposed line in the counties of Prescott and Russell will come luider the 11 above conditions of the act is doubtful ; or, if the right to tlie grant be decided affirmatively by the Ontario government, whether theae two old settled and comparatively wealthy counties will be entitled to more than the minimum amount of $2,000 per mile is still more uncertain. We have however given the line in our estimate, the benefit of the maximiim sum of $4,000 per mile." Since the foregoing was written, the conditions of the question as to a grant from Ontario to the line from Hawkesbury to Ottawa on the south side have been determined, and in a manner adverse to its claims. The Executive Government of that Province, have promised aid to a parallel line some twenty miles south, known as "The Montreal and City of Ottawa Junction Railway," leaving the Grand Trunk line near the Ccteau Landing Station and running centrally ;ilong the Peninsula formed by the Ottawa and St. Lawrence Rivers to the capital. The probability of the gift being repeated to a conti- guous line following the navigable water, is so slight that we may dismiss it from consideration and predicate the comparison accordingly. *' Li this aspect of tho question the rival routes, north and south i>f the Ottawa from Grenville up, will stand on the following financial basis, assuming, which may safely be done, that the relative costs will bo nearly equal, and that a similar municipal aid would be given to each. Ist. Moutreul to Otlav>-it vid (.Iic^uvillc on North Hhorc— AppvoxiinaLc cDst $;{,Goo,oo<) Dtiduct as l)ofo;(', valuo uC Laud (Jraiit and Muuicipiil aid 2,700,000 Amounl U) be raised on Stoi'k a'.id BoiuU $900,000 ind. Montreal to Ottawa, ri'a (Irenvillo, Ilawkoshury, and Iroiu th\'o. I. Montreal via Vinot'8 Bridge, St. Martin, St. Euptnehe. BoUc Riviere, St. Andrews, Carillon to Gronville, Sykos' .survey, — dixtauce ol' 59s niilus. No. '2. Montreal via Viuot's Hridge. St. Therese, St. Jerome, Luchute to Grenville, about , 65i " So. 3. Montreal via Viiiei's Bridge, St. Tiiorose, St. Andrews. Carillon to Grenv-lle, about SUs Xo 4 Montreal n'aVinel's Bridge, St. Theresc, Lncbute to Grenville about 57 " In dctennining tho distance from Montreal (at Hochelaga) to 8t. Therese, as adopted in the foregoing statement, Line No. 4, of the table on page 5, of lengths of routes between Montreal and St. .Jerome, has been followed as the most direct and cheapest route, nieasuriug 17 miles. The length of branch road from St. Therese to St. Jerome, which will be considered separately, is aT)0ut 18.86, miles. As has already boon observed, prior to the project liaving reached its present importance as a main throutih line, or a Unk in the inter-oceanic route. I favoured carrying the main line via St. Jerome, as indicated in No. 2, of the table, in order to save the extra expense of (constructing the branch from St. Therese to St. Jerome, and its future independent traffic working. Its extra length of eight and one-third miles over a rival line will reluctantly force its ruling out, Avhen through traffic considerations are taken into account. The jKloption of Line No. 1 will increase the length of the colonization branch direct from St. Eustachc to St. Jerome, nearly 14 ii :■ . ft 3'J milea additional to that from St. Thereae to St. Jerome, or aii increased distanco from St. Jerome to Montreal for traffic to flow •ver of nearly 6J miles. This extra distance for all the freight hi cordwood, lumber, agri- cultural products, and manufactured articles, which may reasonably be expected from the St. Jerome district, and eventually from the immense colonization region drained by the North River, will operate against the adoption of Koute No. 1, via St. Eastache. From a careful examination of the plans and profiles of the Sykes' survey, via St. Eustache, and comparing the same with the results arrived at from your surveys via St. Therese, very little difference is found in cost of construction per mile, by either route, as both lines follow the same course from Montreal to the Back River. Even if all things were equal in the rival lines, it would appear to be judicious to select that which is most remote from the navigablo Ottawa, or farthest in the interior of the country. Let us now proceed to an examination of the country betweou St. Therese and Grenville, on lines Nos. 3 and 4. Assuming that the ground to be passed over by line No. 4 via Lachute, is similar in its features to that traversed by line No. 3 via St. Andrews, with the same proportion of curvature, line No. 4 is acme 2| miles shorter than its competitor, which has, however, 10^ miles less of road actually to be built, owing to the possible adoption of the Carillon and Grenville section, 18 miles in length, n(>w in operation. To assist in arriving at a more satisfactory conclusion, it may be well to give the results obtained from the Kurveys made by Sykes, De Bergue & Co., and those of your own engineer. The detailed estimates upon Avhich the conclusions are bas;,'d will be found on separate sheets, the aggregate amounts alone being given here. From these detailed calculations you will ascertain that the coat of the first section of the main line, llochelaga to St. Therese, a distance of 17 miles, will amouut to $528,902, or at the rate of $IU,- 112 per mile. In this sum is embraced a sufficient amount to lower or case the grades leading up to Cote Ji Barron from the north, and. descending from that place to the Harbour. These grades, as originally adopted wore intended for a cheap wooden railway, with the heavy freight running principally in ono say chute to Grenville 7 1 'A '• 46:{,543 '• 17,169 • ( 1 . 248.846 .( 19,142 14 Section N<». 4 (W as bclbro 1,48(>,G76 (f 24,478 (t ♦Total... 117 $2,727,967 11123,315 j>er mik'. To thift add for rolling stock 117 miles X $4000. 468,000 KfiiiiiiiiU'Mt, lis Imforw. ....... 170,000 f3,:i65,967 as the estimate foi* line No. 4, or a saving of $54,959 in cost and 2| miles in distance over line No. 3. This difference is of course based on the iissuniption that a line can be had from St. Thdi-^so vid Lachute at the same rate per mile as the known cost of tlie one vid Carillon, and that the Carillon and Gren- ville Railway Co. would demand as much for their distance of 13 miles, as it would cost your company to build a similar length of road. This is a [)oint which can only be accurately decided by a survey of the country between St. Th6rese, Lachute and Grenville, when if a good route can be found as favourable, or more so, than vid Carillon, the eftbct would be to cause a decrease in the probable demands of the Carillon and Grenville Railway coini)aiiy, as their property would be of considerably less value with the main railway carrying the through pa.ssei)goi- and freight traffic past it, on a piirallel line within a few miles. In the original location of the Sykes' line, oi- No. 1, at St. Andrew's, the distance could have been considerably shortened by striking north of that village, in place of following the circuitous route 17 on the south side, along the margin of the river. If the configuration of the ground permit of the location without much extra expense, the road should follow this new route, to effect the saving in distance. A narrow gauge branch line could bo extended from a suitable pomt on the main lino near St. Andrew's, to Lachute, connecting that growing village, with its great water power, and fine agricultural country, with the railway. On the other hand, if I'.ne No. 4 via Lachute is selected, a similar narrow-gauge branch could be con- structed to St. Andrew's, and connect its large looal trade with the main railway. St. Eustache could also be joined to th mair'ineby similar means. The gauge for those minor branches need not exc eed three feet. They may be constructed and worked at a remarkably cheap rate,^nd prove of great utility to the surrounding country as well as to your road. While leaving this part of the problem in rather an unsettled ftondition, enough has been gleaned to indica*^ pretty accurately the cost of the railway to Ottawa, or a sum not exceeding $3,420,926. If a savmg can be made in this amount by taking the route vid Lachute, and at the same time shortening the distance, so much tho betten •' ' ■, ■•- It will bo seen on reference to page 4, that the contract price with Sykes, DeBergue & Co., for a railway between the same points, and I'j:- an equal length of line, amounted to $4,020,760, or about ■0600,000 in excess of your engineer's estimate for the Monti*eal Noi ihern Colonization Railway, It is true the Montreal and Bytown Railway was commenced as a wide gauge road, or 5 feet 6 inches, while yours is 4 feet 8 J inches gauge, but your grades are on an average two feet higher, while iron now costs over 50 jKfr cent additional to what it did at that time, with also nearly the same advance in labour. In the face of this, the fact that your company will give a line, superior in point of grades, curvature, rolling stock, and station accommodation, for $600,000 less than the original contractoi"S, must be satisfactory to the citizens of Montreal and tlic inhabitants of the country gencvally, as it will effectually remove any impression which may have been formed as to the impro]>er expenditure of tlie mniiicij Jil grants m aid of the constnictiou. ■(Ilo.scly allied with this mail) line, the interests of the city, the back country, and colonization purposes p^cncrally, is the branch load to St. Jerome, and eventually from thence along the course of the North River int<"> the interior, with possibly fui extension in an easterly direction towards New Glasgow, opening up and developing that fiecti^>f» of tho country, ami eonnoeting tlio same with this city. A iT-*" «P 18 A P :i' charter has also lately been granted for a railway up the valley of the Gatineau for a distance of one hundred miles. This road when built, will prove an efficient feeder to your main line, and also act as a most useful instrument for colonizing that portion of the Province. Similar lines branching fro'u your road and extending up the valleys of the Iddvre, Nation, IL ige, and other rivers on the north shore, will doubtless follow in due time and perform like functions. In the mean time we will consider the most important of these subsidiary Imes^ that to St. Jerome. Taking its point of departure from the main track near St. Thdrfise, the branch follows a north-easterly course over a level country to the village of St. Janvier, and afterwards over a slightly rolling country to the village of St. Jerome, a distance from St. Th6rdse of 13A"o miles, or oOvVir from Montreal, the detailed estimated cost being $224,561, or, with a proper proportion of rolling stock and equipment added, a total sum of $254,561, being at the rate of $19,054 per mile including rolling stock, &c. St. Jerome, a flourishing village containing a population of about 1200 souls, is situated on the North River, at the outlet of the gorge through the Laurentian Hills made by that river, down which a large number of inhabitants from the rear parishes seek egress to market. The village lies in the midst of a fine agricultural country, and with an almost unlimited supply of water power in the neighbourhood. Here it may bo well to offer a few remarks on this power in consequence of the intimate relation which exists between its profitable employment, and the construction of the railway. The North River which furnishes it, takes its rise in several large lakes in the interior of the country, draining a vast extent of territory, and flowing in a southerly direction to St. Jerome, where it turns suddenly, and runs in a south westerly direction, discharging into the Ottawa near St. Andrew's. At the village of St. Jerome and for the distance of six miles, there is a fall of three hundred and five feet, divided over that space by a succession of cascades or currents, and developing a power of 120,000 horses at the lowest stage of the water in a dry season, or about twelve times as much as exists at the City of Lowell in the United States. This power is repeated to a considerable extent farther down the river, at the village of Lachutc, and again to a smaller extent at St. Andrew's. In all my experience as an hydraulic engineer I have never seen a more favourable locality for employing the water by a succession of dams at different points along the river, thus causing it to repeat its useful effects at least a dozen times within the distance of six miles. The bed of the river, in many places, is of rock, with adjoining i 10 banks admirably ada{;ted for the efficient distribution of the power in nulls and factories. Passing along the beautiful banks of this river, and stopping from time to time to examine points for factories and mills, Mrhich would give joy to the manufacturer's heart, and which, by the expenditure of a few hundred dollars, could be converted into splendid mill sites ; with the undulating fine agricultural country strc telling off to the south, east and west, flanked on the north by the Laurentian mountains with their undeveloped mineral wealth, the spectator would be deeply impressed with the facilities given by Providence for turning the natural riches of this region into means of support for the teeming population yet dostined to occupy so favoured a section of the country. The writer himself could well sympathize with the enthusiasm of the Rev. Mr. Labelle, the esteemed Curd of the Parish, who for years past has devoted his untiring energy to the development and useful employment of this great motive power for the good of his fellow-countrymen. Who will not wish success to his efforts, and at the same time extend the aid necessary for the purpose, simply in the construction of this branch road, more especially when in doing so the city of Montreal and northern parishes will reap so great a reward u) this, as iu other respects to be presently alluded to ? An elaborate survey of the river at this point has been made, and the entire plan of water pow^er arranged and reported on. The report, accompanied by lithographic plans has been widely distributed through Canada, Groat Britain and the United States, with the view of drawing the attention of manufacturers and capitalists to the great advantages offered for the investment and employment of capital, 'rhe success of this second enterprise depends in a great measure on the carrying out of the railway scheme as a preliminary ; without it no outlet can bo had, or adequate market obtained for the products of the f>ower utilized. At the present time a fractional amount of the power is usefully employed at St. Jerome, but its results are confined principally to t!ic locality. There arc now in operation two grist mills with ten runs of .stones, two saw mills, one shingle factory, one carding mill, and a cloth factory, turning out two hundred yards of tweed daily. If brought within two hours of the Montreal markets, how soon would all this be augmented ! Montreal becoming the Boston, and St. Jerome the Lowell of the Dominion. The level of the North IJiver, near St. Joronie being more 20 i i: Mi ill i m m '■ tlian three hundred feet above the surface of the ground at Mile End, water could be conveyed by gravitation in pipes to Montreal, following the lino of the railway and carried over the intervenmg rivers on the railway bridges. This plan of obtaining a large supply of pure and wholesome water for the use of the city by gravitation should commend itself to the notice of the corporation, and if fonnd practicable and economical should receive their best attention with the view of having it carried out. One of the most pressing requirements of the city at the j)rc8ent, and for all future time, is a supply of fuel at the cheapest rate. This important subject will now be briefly discussed, and it is hoped with the rc?alt of indicating a method of obtaining a cheap supply of cord wood to the consumer in the city, simultaneously with an advanced price to the producer in the country. For several years past the price of this necessary article has ranged from six to eight dollars per cord, and as high as twelve dollars during the present winter. The annual consumption of the city must bo over 200,000 cords, brought principally by water conveyance, and every succeeding year increasing both in cost and (juantity. At St. Jerome the present price is one dollar per cord, and at St. Sauvour, but seventy five cents. As some interest will be felt in learning the enormous quantity which Avill be available for many years to come in this district of the Province, the following statement furnished by reliable authority is given. In the country of Terrebonne, to the north of St. Jerome, thtre are 693,300 acres of bush, chiefly hard wood. In the County of Argenteuil, contiguous to Terrebonne, and within 20 miles of St. Jerome, there are 451,000 acres of hard wood, together with some 21,000 '''•'>3 of timber land in the parishes of St. Canut and St. Columl' ''■I addition to this there is an almost endless extent of ivi. -jrritory lying north and cast of St. Jerome, which produt . jsnal quality of wood. For the present it will serve the purf. .^ state the quantity which the foregoing aggregate of l,lG-3,oOO acres will yield. At, say 40 cords to the acre, it will amount to the cnonnous sum of 40,612,000 cord^, capable of supplying the city with its present consumption of 200,000 cords per annum for 2-jo years, a statement which will no doubt give pleasure to those pcojile who may be fearful of the total cons'im")tion iii a few years of the fuel of the country, more ospoclally when it exists at the saraa time within easy and cheap haul. In the townships of Wexford, Doncaster, Carrick, arid so on north, there is reported to be ahuivlance of good I ine timhcv. 21 tMilc itreal, rcning jupply itatiou fonnd n with rcseut, it rate, hoped pply of ilh an icle has twelve 1 of the ■ water ost and and at ;[uantity of the [lority is erome, County 3 of St. ;h some .nd St. extent which IlU serve 'gate of )\xs 8um I present (atemcnt jarful of Jy, more ip haul. ki north, At the present timo all this natural wealth of the country is useless, in fact a nuisance, or positive loss to the settler, from the additional labour it necessitates in clearing up his farm, over the prairie land of the west. Without railway or water transportation to give it a money value, this heavy bulky article cannot be profitabljjr t;iken to market a distance of twenty-five or thirty miles, neither will its only product, pot-ashes, obtained at heavy cost and great consumption of fuel, pay for the time and expense of making and transporting over a long rough road. On the other hand, the high price of fire-wood in the city, ever on the increase, now renders this prime necessity a very serious item in the cost of living, bearing especially with great heaviness on the poorer classes. \Vith the railway in operation the whole subject is reversed by practically bringing the points of demand and supply together, and thus more nearly equalizing the two. The new settler at once obtains a proper remuneration for the labour of felling the timber, (his first crop), and in this manner maintains his family during the time the clearing is in progress, soon rendering his land fit for cvdtivation, and self-supporting. The market and money brought to his door for the wood applies also to the agricultural products of his farm, and with ordinary industry, a few years will find him in comfortable circumstances. The railway will tend, more than any other means which can be adopted, to the rapid colonization of our wild lands, and so both keep the native population in the country, and incite immigration. Without the railway and its attendant advantages the backwoods settler has but a life long struggle with poverty and toil, and frequently succumbs at an eaily age in the hand to mouth conflict for subsistence, or leaves the country in disgust for the prairie lands of the west. Through reliable information I am led to believe that, by the construction of a lock at an expense of $5000, that river would be made navigable for wood scows for a distance of six leagues above St. Jerome and into the very heart of the wood producing country. This being the case, the water with this small outlay, would become a practical extension of the railway to a further distance of eighteen miles and thus act as an efficient feeder. Supposing the railway in operation it would not bo too much to assume that at least one half the wood now required by Montreal could be furnished by it, or say 100,000 cords per annum. The average price at the point of supply would probably soon double, or reach two dollars per cord, to this add two dollars as the cost of transport and profit to the railway company, and an additional dollar for profit to the wood merchant and to cover contingencies. The total cost of the wood delivered at Montreal, would thus r^' EVI :i ,(i :^ reach but five dollars per cord. By this yearly transaction, in the one item $200,000 have boen paid out to the farmers or at least $100,000 a year more than they now obtain, supposing that they had a market for this quantity, which they have not : the railway com- pany has obtained $200,000 freight, or a clear gain of about $40,000 over and above actual cost of transport : the wood merchant has made a large profit, and, taking the present average price of wood to the consumer $8 per cord, the citizens of Montreal have saved $300, 000 in one year, or an amount sufficiently great to repay them their bonus of $1,000,000 in a little over three years. This result at first sight is rather startling but the more closely the subject is ex- amined, the more cl-^arly will its truth appear. With this brief reference to the St. Jerome road, the entire cost of the various main lines in connection with the branch will now be laid before you in a condensed form. 1st. Main )iue via St. Thereso, CauUou and Grenrillo to Ottawa $3,420,926 Branch to St. Jerome 254,561 Total distance of 132.8C milo=> at a cost of $3.fi7.5.487 2nd. Main line via St. Thercse, Lacbute tiud Grenville to Ottawii $3,365,967 Branch to St. .Jerome 254,56> Total approximate distance of 130.30 miles at a cost ol. $3,620,568 3r,926 254,561 P.R75.487 > ^,365.967 > 254,56> p,620,568 ^3,606,509 orapared icc of its estimate be more bfNo. 1 future noiuit of ^ed from vays by in paiis y we see d with a itively a expenses daring the winter pcason, it cannot be expected that the net returns would be sufficiently great to warrant private capital being embarked in the construction of roads to the full extent of their cost. K, however, from one-half to two-thirds is assumed by the public, the balance can be obtained and capitalists prevailed on to jfumish the amount, witii good security for a moderate return. In this spirit the grant of land, &c., from the local government has been, made to assist in the construction of the road to open up the country. That the portion to be fui'nished by the municipalities will not be lost, but on the contrary placed in a position to yield a rich harvest to the donors, we will now show. This has already been partly illustrated in the case of Montreal, which will be recouped for its gra,nt of $1,000,000 in the short space of three years, from traffic in the single item of firewood. In addition to this we will take a country municipality, say the County of Ottawa, through which the railway passes. The assistance promised by this section amounts to $200,000. The length of road to be constructed in Ottawa County is about fifty miles, and will cost in grading and other expenses, independently of iron rails, and rolling stock, in the neighbourhood of 1*12,000 per mile, or a total of $600,000, to be paid out in the form of wag3S, and distributed amongst the inhabitants. It will thus be seen that the municipality will receive back the $200,000 given, together with $400,000 additional, and have the Kulway with all its attending advantages to the good. The like results will apply proportionally to other municipalities. To attempt a description of these advantages on this occasion would be almost like a reflection on the intelligence of the people. I may be permitted, however, to glance very briefly at some of the leading points in this connection, and leave the inhabitants to supply the remainder from their own personal knowledge. If a few of the principal products of the country, such, for instance, as grain, hay, wood and lumber are taken, we find by the present means of transport that it costs as much to bring a bushel of grain from St. Jerome to Montreal, a distance of 30 miles, as from Chicago to tue same place, a distance of 1,200 miles. Transported by rail i saving of eight cents per bushel could bo made and divided between the producer and consumer. It costs $4 per ton to draw hay twenty miles over ordinary roads, and with a selling price at from $12 to $16 per on in the city it will not pay to draw it more than that distance. By rail it can be moved as far for $1, a saving of $3 a ton to the farmer. '1 I It 1 !! ^^1 24 The distance from market at whicli most of the inhabitants in this section of the country live, renders the growth and selling of hiy beyond that required for home use, unprofitable. Hard wood cannot be drawn more than twenty miles at a cost of $2.25 per cord. It can be transported that distance by rail for ^1, and proportionally for longer distances. / It costs $4 to draw saAvcd pine lurabci- twenty miles and ;^8 for hard wood lumber for each thousand i^A board measure. By rail, pine may be carried that distance for SO cents, and hard wood lumber for about 50 cents per thousand, the difference in ratcH of courso going to the producer and consumer. If the railway is built, not only will many steam saw mills comu into operation along the line, and greatly increased quantities of pine, hemlock and bass wood lumber be manufactured at more profit, but in addition we shall have maple, oak, ash, elm and other descriptions of lumber, seeking markets from which they are now excluded, owing to cost of transport by ordinary means. The foregoing remarks will apply equally to every product of the farm, forest and mine, sent to market, such as cereals, 'root crops, cheese, butter, milk, pork, flour, cattle, bark, staves, hoops, iron ore, plumbago, &c., and also to the merchandise brought into the Town- ships and Parishes. The passage of the first train along the line will at once double the value of real estate for ten miles on each side, and proportionally less for greater accessible distances. The beautiful banks of the North River in the neighborhood of St. Jc . o^-e, and the sylvan spots of the Riviere des Millo Isles, Riviere des Prairies, and the Ottawa, would soon be studded by villas and summer residences, with easy access to and from Montreal and Ottawa, rendered possible by the railway. Tlie picturesque mountains^ lakes, and glens of the Laurentides would attract thouspnds of tourists, and rival the far famed White Moun :ains in the attractions they would present. Reference has now more particularly to be made to one of the leading items of through traffic for the road, and it will be my endeavour to place the subjeCv .n a clear and concise manner before you, and also before the gentlemen interested in the lumber trade of the Ottawa and its tributaries. (These views have lately been advanced in a report on another proposed railway, but they arc equally applicall*^ to the line now under consideration.) From reliable statistics it is ascertained that the lumber annually cut at Ottawa, and the neighbouring town of Hull, amounts to the en- ormous quantity of 240,000,000 fee^, or taking the city of Ottawa. 25 Hull, the Gatineau and vai-iovis points along the north shoi e to Gren- ville, 303,000,000 feet. Of this first quantity it ia stated that at least 190,000,000 feet are sent to the United States market, heretofore principally by water via Montreal, Sorel and Chambly Canal to Burlington, Whitehall and Albany, as principal distributing marts for the inland cities ond towns of that country. Latterly a portion of this transport has been pre- formed by the St. Lawrence and Ottawa Railway, transhipping, or rather ferrying its loaded cars at Prescott to the Ogdensburg Northern Road, and by this route reaching Burlington, and other New England Cities. If, for your route, prior to the erection of a second bridge over the St. Lawrcnco, the cars are ferried to Longueuil, and placed on the rails of the proposed "Montreal, Chambly and St Johns Railway," connecting with the " Montreal and Vermont Junction " line in the neighbouiTiood of St. Johns, a road independent of the Grand Trunk Railway will be obtained to the New England States and Eastern seaboard. The length of this new line, actually to be built, to carry out this? design, will not exceed twenty-five miles over a level and cleared country. The following table will give the lengths of rival routes between the lumber producing Ottawa City and the common distributing point, Burlington. 1st. Distance by water via Chambly Canal 'MO mile^'. '2u(l. " '• rail rj'rt Prescott and Ogdenaburg iJ30 " Uril. •' " " Montreal unci Ottawa City Junction 213 '■ 4th. " ■• •' Montreal Northern Colonization, llocheluf^a, ^, oi-i and Vermont Junction Koad J " '* From this you will see that, for all practical purposes, your road is about equal to the shortest competing route, and if 2^ miles can be saved by adopting the Lachute line, it will be reduced to only two miles more than the proposed " Montreal, and City of Ottawa Junc- tion Railway." Running side by side for the same distance and under like conditions of loadhig and unloading, railway transport cannot com- pete with that by water for a bulky article like lumber. Jv the pre- sent instance however the distances and conditions are so dissimilar that the rail leads the way both in time and cost. As before stated, Burlington has hitherto been the distributing point for the New England States, while Albany and Troy have performed like functions for the State of Now York and those to the south. ■li 26 11 At Burlington the lumber passes from the barges into the yards of the " middle man," or person who sells it on commission, and in due time it is sent bj rail to its ultimate destination. In passing through this stage of its history, the lumber is subjected to a charge of from 20 to 25 cents per thousand for transhipment, or with the commission on sales to about $2 per thousand in all. This practice of retailing, or selling through a middle man at Burlington, Albany, &c., dates from the early history of vhe trade, and has no doubt been continued in consequence of the water transportation terminating at those points. With a much shorter rail route, and consequently cheaper and more speedy transport inaugurated, it does not follow that the system of middle men should be continued, or at least, not nearly to the same extent. Ottawa, Hull, the Gatineau, Buckingham, North Nation, Thurso, and other great lumber manufacturing points should assume the position of distributing as well as producing points. In other words, those places should ship direct to every city, town and village in the United States, where rail connection can bo had, and where the Ottawa lumber is required. The difference of $2^ or the charge of the middle man, would then pass into the pockets of the producer, or perhaps be divided about equally between him and the c msumer, a result certainly more satisfactory to those parties than the present arrangement. To illustrate this more fully the following comparison is made, showing the cost of transport by the various routes. For this purpose we Avill assume the city of Boston to be the point reached in each case, and that the lumber passes through without the intervention of the Burlington middle man, and is sold at Boston on commission. 1st. Cost of transport by water via Chambly Canal to Burling- ton $3.00 per thousand Transhipping from barges to cars at Burlington. - - .20 " " Transport from Burlington to Boston ($5.50 U. S. currency, tW I ?, per cent discount. 4.35 " " Total cost for distance of 544 milca. 7.55 .;n(l. Cost of transport by rail via Prcscott and Burlington, $8.40, U. S. currency, fa> 13 per cent, discount, including ferrying of cars at Ogdensburg, for a distance of 4G4 mile8.|7.31 " " :!r tardily, and at a considerable advance on the ordinary rates. Tho detention of ocean shipping has in consequence been great. With the railway in operation, all this expense and delay wouid have been avoided, and much greater shipments been made from Montreal. The Northern Colonization Road, touching the harboiir of Montreal, at Ilochelaga, will be in the best possible position for easy connection with the shipping visiting this port. Largo harbour extensions must take place in the admirably situated Ilochelaga Bay, both for the accommodation of this great lumber export trade of the Ottawa Valley, and for the vast through trade of the inter-oceanic railway, which will have one of its important termini at this place, the western end of the harbour being more appropriately devoted to the trade of the St. Lawrence Valley via the Grand Trunk. Before concluding the report, it may be well to give a few statistics in relation to population and the leading productions of the country to be opened up and connected with the cities of Montreal and Ottawa, and from this form some general idea of the amount of traffic which will flow over the line. The census of the agricultural products for 1870 and 1871 i^ not yet published. I have received, however, the returns for the population, and by comparing them with those for 1860 and 1801, have ascertained the ratio of increase for the decade. A similar proportion of increase may with propriety be applied to tlie products as given for 1860, or giving a result sufficiently close for onr present purpose. By those returns the counties to be tniversod by your road, or influer 1 thereby, vi?;., Laval, T'errcbonne, Two Moimtaina, ArgCi lil, Ottawa and Pontiac, show a population of lll,92o.tho Oountji^ ^ Ottawa alone having a population of 38,620. While on the south side of the river, the counties of l^rescott arid Rnssoil show a population of 85,991. As before stated, a belt along the front of these counties of several miles in depth from the river will he more immediately under the intlucnco of 3'our road than of that 20 projected by tlie " Montreal and City of Ottawa Junction Company," in the rear of the counties ; your line \Yill therefore draw a portion of its traffic from this district. From a careful examination of the entire country trsiverscd or influenced by the " Montreal Northern Colonization Road," and its branch to St. Jerome, it is regarded as highly probable that a population of 11 6,500 will find this the most direct route to the cities "f ^Montreal and Ottawa, independently of the large through travel in each direction. What this latter may amount to, is difficult to state, but when regarded as a direct route for business men or tourists visiting the commercial and political capitals, and also for lumber men, we shall be quite within the limit in placing this class at 18,500 per annum, making a total of 130,500 passengers who will travel annually an average distance, coming and going, of CO miles, at a fare of $1.50 each. In the acconijianying table of the leading agricultural products of the several counties traversed by the line, we have allowed one half of the total quantity as coming directly within the carrying range of the road, and that, w ith the facilities offered, at least one half of this la.st amount, or 40,400 tons, will be sent to market, either to Mont- real, Ottawa, or to the lumbering establishments ; that an additional quantity '\vill be obtained from the south shore of 5000 tons, and that about one fourth pant of thib produce tonnage will come into the country in the form of merchandise, makhig an aggi'cgate amount of about 68,000 tons to bo carried an average distance of 80 miles at the rate of 4 cents a ton [.or mile or a total charge of $1.20 per ton. It has been shown tliat a great saving will be effected in the carrying of lumber by .rail, over the present water transport, and, no doubt, your line will command a large percentage of this traffic. To move the total quantity of 100,000,000 feet, now sent annually to the American market from Ottawa and Hull, to say nothing ot the large .".dditional ({uantity at different pohits on llie route, would roijuire 10,000 car loads carrying 10,000 feet jer ear. or si.\ trains, each made up of ten loaded cars din-inu; everv v.orkinu' dav if the vear. i'rom this it ai)i'.ears liiat there is M-ork cnoughiur several hues of road, and, no doubt, ptej.s will be l;;kch in couf?ti'uct t!icm. 'IV) be fur within the realm nl' nalety, we vili assinae that l»i\t oiu- third of tills quantity is carried hy your road. :ini<'v.nti5ig. v.idi a pn>]'.ortion of way luniber to, say 'Vfi.OOO.OOO iVot. at \\\v ratv oF si .^^8 per tlioa.'jand, for 110?i miles. Your line will alM) be a pi>stal route between ;:;e eajital and the s»oa1h and east. a;« well as iwy the JMu-opean mnil.-. It v.ill oonse- TT ^•^grw^T' !! 30 qaently be entitled to a government subsidy for the service of at least ^12,000 per annum. Abstracting the leading items mentioned we have the following traffic results : — Passengers: 130,000 ^ $1.50 each. $ 195,000 ITrcight: 68,000 tons ^ ?1. 20. 81,600 Lumber; 70,000,000 feet ^ $1.88 per thousand. ---..-. 131,600 Fire wood from St. Jerome, 100,000 cords fa) $2.00 per cord. - - - 200,000 Hail subsidy. 12,000 Total Receipts $G20,'J0<> Now if the liberal allowance of 80 per cent, for traffic expenses, wear and tear, and renewals be allowed, there will bo on this account $4GG;16t) $124,040 To this balance add Government subsidy to St. Jerome, 13-3G miles rtD $5,000 per mile, e(iuiil to $GC,800 rti> 3 per cent. $2,004 $126,444 liWivine: a balance of, say $126,noo to meet interest on stock and bonds. We have already ascertained tliat the total cost of the line, including St. Jerome branch, is $3,675,48T From this deduct the estimated value of the land grant, 1,200,000 acres ^ $1.00 per acre. '--- $1,200,000 Jjcaving a balance to be provided 1)y stock and bond subscriptions of - $2,475,487 This amount at 7 per cent., the usual rate of interest, will require an annual sum of ;$17o,284, or a surplus over the available revenue of $40,284, giving actually only a trifle over 5 per cent, to the stock and bond holders. If the Ontario system of granting llaihvay bonuses or free gift.i is adopted by the municipalities in connection with your road, the following will be the financial exhibit. Cost of road as before. $3,675,487 Deduct Land Grant $1,200 000 « " Municipal Grants - $I,r)00,UOO ::,700,00o Ijoaviug balance to be provided -$ 075,487 At tlie same rate of interest, 7 per cent., there would be required by the Company to meet the interest on the bonds, an annual sum of $68,284. The balance of eamhigs, $120,000, sti'l holdhig gooil, there is a surplus, after paying the 7 jjer cent, bonds, of 8'J7,716, or equal altogether to an annual interest of nearly 13 per cent. Viewed as a line terminating at Ottawa City, and accommodat- ing but the local tralTic indicated, the project cannot be pronounced a m 31 financial success, in the event of the municipalities adopting the stock system of aid. Railway Bonds, bearing so low a rate of interest t» five per cent., cannot be floated. We have endeavoured to ascertain the maximum cost of the road, and the minimum quantity of freight to pass over it at reasonably paying rates, and a liberal allowance for cost of traflSc, &c. The capitalist, however, does not, as a rule, take the same couleur de rose view of the final results as the engineer, and consequently demands a wider margin. In the event of your road forming a link in the Inter-Oceanic Railway, either via Sault Ste. Marie, or the north shore of Lake Superior, thereby accommodating the enormous streams of through traffic, in addition to its own legitimate local business, then perhaps the capitalists might view the investment with more favour, and place themselves on the same platform with the stock-taking municipalities.. On the other hand, if the municipalities adopt the bonus plan, advancing the money j)7'o rata with the progress of the work, the bonds are proportionally strengthened, and capitalists will find a mar- gin sufficiently great to guarantee them against any probable error in the engineer's under or over estimates. An important question, connected with the scheme in the event of its union with the Northern American Pacific Road, (in fact forming the keystone,) is that of a bridge over the St. Lawrence, at or in the neighbourhood of Montreal, by this means giving an independent rail connection with the eastern seaboard. The Victoria Bridge will in a few years reach its maximum capacity for transit, and will be tested to its full extent in that respect, simply to accommodate the trade of the St. LaAvrencc Valley and its tributaries west of St. Ann's. The present trade of the Ottawa Valley, gigantic as its proportions ar-e, is really but in its infancy, and soon will require all the additional outlets which can be furnished, either by rail or water ; supplementing all this will be tlie traffic on this "Air Line" from Atlantic to Pacific Oceans, carrying to or from these points and intervening ones, the vast tnido of the Northern part of the continent. Few minds can grasp its fntui-e extent, or the facilities required for its eflScient accommodation. Viewing this bridge as an independent work financially, although so closely connected with the welfare of your road, I will not allude to it at any length on this occasion. Its cost should be spread over the entire mileage of the Atlantic and Pacific Road, and made- e-H^entially an international work. B2 'ji ^ t.;i :|| 't'i'i 11 -i^ An elabo.atc investigation and report uill be required to detcr- raine its precise location and character. Several sites jiresent themselves : one b}' a high level iron tubular bridge, spanning the river near the foot of St. Helen's Island, of sufficient height to permit ships to pass underneath, and continued as a viaduct across the portion of the city existing between St. Marj'B current, and the height of land at Cote-^-Barron. The railway to be carried through the tubes as in the Victoria Bridge, but iJ O U 3} K k- 'fl 5^ ;j O m t_i z ir% u 0! y H u > L, a !» u ca w t/J • •* *^ •< > (4 o m a us M ►t H y, 1/1 u U o ^ O y. (« ^^ o ei y, o o t- > ", >> • • g 5 • J" 1 -5-3 !5 CC CO . H B9TR.4 ^. '-2 vT fl S 5 o ? to 1 •^ 1 "2 i2| 1 sent d wi roug ^ S 3 J o C^<5H H a I o 00 o © CI I— I m i-i j2 « 00 u H 1/; o u o o 03 t- o o 1- i-j l.-^ CI c o ■y a a o Pi o y> ^ a -^ O p. n Mi CJ. © .1 ^ TABLE OP AGRICULTURAL PRODUC'1'8, Ac, OF COUNTIES TRAVERSED BY THE MONTREAL, NOllTHERN COLONIZATION RAILWAY— MONTREAL TO OTTAWA— INCLUDING THE COUNTY OF PONTIAC. AoRicur.TURAL Prodictb as gives by Ckssc 8 OF 1860-61. ; Cash Value of Value of 1 Farms and Livestock! Farming 1 Implements. 1 Land held in Acres. Wood and Wild Lands. Land CultU vated. COVNTIKS. Cereals. Root Crops. Hay. Butter. Cheese fieif and Pork. Laval Minots. 357,108 474,530 670,780 364,149 506,259 493,523 Minots. 153,696 249,605 218,665 258,296 394,573 341,970 Tons. 4,894 9,340 13,628 10,927 18,861 10,711 lbs. 182,920 327,126 410,711 362,078 296,521 262,212 lbs. 4,144 2,350 6,426 22,825 6,389 4,597 libls. 665 .3,315 1,640 1,421 1,582 1,400 $ i $ 1 275,361 : 3,052,407 1 1 400,340 3,315,908 568,822 4,072,893 351,161 i 1,312,558 633,103 1 3,106,800 380,670 1,263,054 Acres. 71,510 217,235 181,656 179,095 362,127 212,226 Acres. 16,061 124,029 65,811 109,636 293,065 157,611 Acres. Terrebonne Two Mountains Arscnteuil Ottawa Pontiac Total for year 1860 2,860,355 1,646,805 68,361 1,841,567 45,737 10,023 2,609,463 16,723,626 1,223,849 766,213 457,630 Reduced to Tons 71,659 41,170 68,361 920 22} 1002 •••••• «-i««* • • • • CO C>9 Total aggregate Tonnage for year 1860 183,134 tons. Add 8} per cent, for increase to year 1870, 15,566 " 198,700 » Or say 198,00 " Of this amount one-half may be sent to market, or 99,000 " And of this probably one-half by rail, or 49,500 " Passing on an average 30 miles, at the rnte of 4 cents per ton per mile, or a total c-oiit of $1.20 Allow for merchandize and inward freight a proportion of { of the out "•'%rd agricultural freight, or 12,375 " at ilio same rate of transport. To tins >Ad outward and inward freight for po/tion of County South ol Ottawa, from Hawkcsbury up, say 6,000 " 67,875 " Or say a total, in all, of 68,000 « Probablb Traffic from CoimriES of Prescott and Russell: Total Tonnage of cereals, root crops and hay, for 1860, 42,165 tons. Of which probably 6,000 " will leave, and 1000 tons arrive, via M. N. C. Road 1,000 " or a total of 6,000 " '■*« TABLE, SiiEwixQ Population op Cocnties rnAVERSED uy tub lIoNrnEAi, n'outhkpm Colonization Hailway, or inpluenckd bv it; bit the Censusks op 18G0-U1. AND 1870-71. KORTII SIDE 6P OTTAWA. COUNTIES. By Clmsus of 18C0-C1. By Ci'iisus of 1870-71. SOUTH SIDK OP OTTAWA. COUNTIES. I By Ci nsus ' By C.-nsus j of I of I ISGO-Gl. ia7fi-71. Laval Terrebonne Two Mountain.^ Argcnteuil . . Ottawa .... Pontiac .... 10,507 10,4G0 18,408 12,807 27,757 14,125 9,4 i 2 io,r.ai 15,G15 12,806 33,G20 15,810 Total I 103,134 An Increase of Or 8^ pi-r tt. for the decade. 111,923 ' 103,154 8,76i) Prcsc'ott I and BiissoH , 22,323 35,091 ABSTRACT. Present Popvilution N. Side, say 112,000 JAnd will draw from S. Side, .say 4,500 I Through Passengers, 13,500 [Total estimated Pass. Traffic, . 130,000 [Who will prohably travel an averaga I distance, coming and going, of GO miles I fa 2^ cents per mile, or a total el.urgo of $1.50 for eaeh passenger. APPRO.XIMATE ES'MMATK OF LCMBEU CUT BY THE DIKPKRENT MlLLS BETWEEN GrEN- VILLE and AyLMER, on THE NOKTH ShORE OP OTTAWA RiVER, ANNUALLY, — AND AT Ottawa City, on the South Shore. Feet. North Nation. — .7. A. Cameron & Co 1 3,000,000 Thur.so. — Cameron & Edwards (;,000,000 Buckingham. — LeMoyne, Oibb & Co 15,000,000 Do, .las. McLaren & Co 1 0,000,000 Do. Biiekingham Manufacturing Company 4,000,000 Blanche.— 2,000,000 Do. McLaiirin & Blocliburn 4,000 000 Gatiseau Point 4.00o',000 Oatixeau. — Gilmour & Co 30.000,000 Do. Wclsii & Bro 5,000,000 Chaudiere. — E. B. Ed;^^48*-^i \ fVRRII >t«., '.-,^m- ^'^ '^.. ■<• »r \m ^ ^. ^ryM'L'; ..-:.'; .' '^-^ I Pi^rp Hu tlali in>jiii«roir£j •i: (,«eittilb,. 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S5 !(S<| Gai 4. ^ OCATIOir OF THE NOSTBERIT « ^iitipH ^RSCt \ E \ --rK raani^ V ''>J '^: •;:..^''y^-^*i^^ ^< ^^ft .^^*'** 1 /t rt^'X**^*'' J/ *^'*y \ ¥», ^3'r*^?x ^^^■H£-*^te^ yiig3K*j ^^ ^c iiil^; T^ - ti ^%i^ ^i^^'^V" / rtf/.- o Scale lio ft386.0OO RV PACIFIC BAIL BOAS mm -74^^Kr- ^ i^w- 'wm^m : f-mimmmm^'-^i^^s^-'^&iis^^i^': « %'■■' ViJ-.o^Hf D^(W3HB ■ ; ■*■' ' .,'P:,' ■ - ' - %■ <■:-. 'V?:' K I '; * i 'V 1^ -^f £ an CI A 3 fiTHOr^ X'' ■/v,»,^/ i-^k-V^W'"' tv; 11/ ■'>M-ii\ iff'- -H-;':* «*•■ ^'.l»^^;^> -;t I . ' > M ■ .■^Siyr-iV-r •It. ■V- ■vA'> .^iw, - -* f" •>«>1' y,.,;vi&^ ■i'hnn';.v -f 18.11 1 inmnww w' i.' ii'i'iii ' "' I ' ' ' t t -♦> S? ¥■ * •^^v. / \ ^w^w "UliPpI '>\^> ■flMH 1^ ■ Y- (^^'- L t^'' ■mm^^'^t'- ■■;f - •V iJ'SUk, r'l ^ / KM -«, , - -v /- .^^t Si; '^;^'s .%r ;" \ O T T i M>> )v'**'^*"*-"-'T« POtRY MiULeRAVE] RIPON OORE HULL iUik »BCR BUaKIMdMAM J i TEMMUTOI 0^ ^^ iC > :^^ f >? IS^^ii!^^^ nP»4ls^^^ r^ \Z^ ^^Uglfbr mmim :t: t ^ ^ iC > li: k I ' { u 1 r V ^ jft^ •^ ^ \ ^ \ \ \i> •^ ^ r ■f-'vo \ \ ^« ,^, Ji^' .<»rJ .5t \ 6^* o oK»^ \ ^ «» i^*' LAS \ \ S«' T««^ .'^.my \ ^■^ \J)J^y SA r "Jj ^ h*j M ^9^^ usT/^^y bHC.. W-^K^ J^-r '^^y ^^mJw^ 1 . V « t. CMttM ,(M MVi 1^£Ut0M* Y s-^^ t^^ -"TJiySi { o«i ^ mtr \ \ N. V CAR .% \ 1^ •i JIT O N" \^V4i..^«i .o«^ \ V f^ \ o V ft; OyiMb S \ v\ \'' V**^' \ ^ ilU jnktff^j n if/bui^ HimM \ Mr r .iKiniw--*^ \^ ^^^ \ \ A :,.P^ ^^ 1 , , \ / A / \ H WlMii;^^' '. ■. «v ^ . • >." • ». ^ 'HI J. _ y I \ f \ ifrrrif igti^^W^ ^ GRENVILM \ ^it/^^T' ■ 'I' '"-■ \j \ -toWfcr j^jfyf "" . ■ '-.'-''' ^p^ -•-.;'■ V \,, ,^^ VM P^ : " ■* • ' 1.. ■ _ ■ V •..A: X \ • ■ ..^^\ >^^^ X ^ i/^^^ 1 V \ mctemi^^^^ • r 1 \ \ J^^ / ' .■''- ^---r: '-,.\ 'W^^'/^r .. ;" -" » .".!-' ' ' - - \ ^ J^y -'■ ■■- . .- . ,'- -''_.. " t''^ \ J^^^^ ♦■ 10 • 6 ♦ft ■ -H---' •. < ' ' ' ' • '"■"■fA^.;'-* 10 • 6 * «. O. ^ •to --■ ■':■•■% ■ > 10 SCALE OF STATUTE MILES. so 40 M "T •'A 9M vv*s>yA St JNS\ *' w iil^S^ .StJ^ ^. .«5S ^Jl^t'^^"" vO*-^ : mOKTMSHL.n^t' JAMUMRY im. KThSh.Q.A :>f. LE660aiC«i STEAM -LITH. MOMTREAL. r-Wi-i. : . .«M^. »•>*■•. ■». ■^fc-fci^- J-^'^-? '-,;;»* ;?. -^..-..- >^ ^r. ^'^'t' ^l^s 1^ '■t:#' \^ \ \ A C-'v "';, r'^ R?\r?»vw??Jyi*^' '"^ n if ~HJ«U'.»i,^|J*' ii\mt^^,m ■ ini w iJiM«miipi|||||[|| .V* ^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1 ■O ll!i 1.0 SfKiUi JB w m 122 6" ^'^. ^^ €/k <^ > Hiotograijiic ^Sdaices Corporatian ^ 'C^ 23 WIST MAIN STMIT WllSTii,N.Y. UStO (n«)l7a-4S03 ■'fi.■ '•: iPPm wmmmmi mm ' 6 1 11 u,' I i II 1 1 n ^ \ p « :5|^ hJ r— 1 ^^K/ 1 'fh.Ti.e.A IF* I *), Viilji k m mwM III '111,, ,1 ,1,1 ii\ io III 'f. . 'l!iiii)| IS o J ¥ IHil 11 W^'* ^^^p^ 1 »^ Ik ^"oiin III ^ 1 r \ TUfM *«^/ ^,^i / rSOSTACMt I I 7T 1 / w I Vm' I .^1 /I \ I "•'♦^ \ / N / / %« '***^M*r/0t 1>>) 1^ L'X / / .-\ / / / / / / y > I T I / A CO d}- ^^ C/5 I / i»»> ^^ / / // L^ / ,llM 'Sf7. 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