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Lorsque le document est trop grsnd pour Atre reprodult en un seul cllchA, 11 est filmA A pertir de I'angle supArleur gauche, de gauche A droite. et de haut en bas. an prenant la nombre d'imagae nAcessaire. Lee diegrammes suivsnts illustrant la mAthode. irrata to pelure, \n A n 32X 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 CUyr^Jinji djL jtA. " ^ :Kio PROSPECT OF THE MONTREAL AND BYTOWN J » O' PROSPECTUS or THI MONTREAL AND BYTOWN RAILROAD. iiaontrealt PRINTED BY JOHN LOVELL, ST. NICHOLAS STREET, 1853. PROSPECTUS or TBI KOHTREAL IRD B¥TOWN RAILROAD. tk^tM^^t^^^M^*' To THE Citizens op the Towns and Counties in- terested IN THE Montreal and Bttown Rail- road. The period has at length arrived, when we can present yoQ with a narrative of onr proceedings, and a review of those material elements of wealth which must contribute to raise this road to high importance as a commercial specula- tion. In addressing yon upon the present occasion, we feel that our language will be carried not only throughout your country, but across the Atlantic, to counsel, instruct and guide parties seeking profitable investments in Canada. We .s:t> therefore not insensible to the responsibilities of onr position, but as practical men, familiar with this country — witnesses of its rapid growth — and believers in its future grandeur ; we feel justified in speaking in terms of con- fidence, when dilating, upon the prospective results of this enterprise — ^more especially, as we can appeal to the import- ant financial fact, that Municipal Councils, have already manifested their disposition to pledge their credit to promote the work. We are thus removed from the temptation of over-colouring our statements, and limit our report to a recapitulation of the.80urces from whence income would be derived — the forms the traffic would assume — the territory the road will open— the increased application of capital and employment of labor which the mines, the forest and tho farm will occasion. A preliminary survey already made, deinonstratca satis- factorily! that the road can be brought into the city in the direction of Papineau road, or St. Denis street, by a line, which will be, not only practicable, but offer neither serious engineering' difliculties, nor entail heavy expense. The land which it will be requisite to acquire, can be procured at a moderate cost — many of the proprietors, who suffered by the groat conflagration last year, owning property as yet un- built upon. Mr. Renaud, a scientific gentleman, made a survey of the approaches to Mr^ntreal by the north cast side of the mountain, and the report of that Survey, which was pub- lished in February last, has been confirmed by the Survey of which a Report and Map is annexed. The trifling elevation of C6te a Barron surmounted, a |)er- fect bee lino may be drawn from Montreal to Grenville, or some other point on the Ottawa, where the railroad will tra- verse that river; the natural outlines of the country are singu- larly liivourablc to a railroad— the land is level and unbroken — the bridging of the streams a work of comparative ease. Throughout this route the lands are fertile and cultivated — the population dense and opulent — the villages numerous and important ; and the amount of agricultural products which will seek a market in Montreal when a railroad is estab- lished can only be measured by the extent of demand. From Grenville to By town along the south shore of the Ottawa is a level and unbroken country, and through Gloucester, Cum- berland and Clarence, there runs a belt of forest land at some points four and Ave miles, at others only one mile from the banks of the river — the soil is described as a strong blue clay, capable when drained and cultivated of producing wheat — the growing timber is composed of cedar, tamarack, with surface roots easily cleared— this, belt is intersected hj a number of small creeks. Tl»c paramount consiilcr.xtioii ou;;lit to lio, to secure tho sliortev-f, and most direct liiu', bctwoon tlie City of Montreal and liytown. To attain tliat result every ollior iutorcsl .<>iiouUl yiclil. Tilt; direct liuo should be rc;,Mrded us a main artery, or Norllit'rn ( J rand Trunk, to be led by a succession of auxili- ary branch railways ; and it can admit of no doubt, that in future yearrf, when the northern regions shall have been set- tied and civilized, such a trnnk line, will serve as a channel, for the conveyance of products, gathered hundreds of miles to the north, or collected ou the waters of the great lakes, and borne from Georgian Bay, along the line to this city. A route has already been traced for a railway lino from Bytown to Georgian Bay, on Lake Huron ; and on this (Continent, when the sentiment of tho masses is clearly expressed in favour of any public enterprise, its period of fruition approaches — a glance at the map of North America should convince any person familiar with this continent, that a railway from Montreal to Bytown and thence to Georgian Bay, will enjoy a few years hence the same measure of confidence now extended to the Grand Trunk line from Montreal to Toronto. The following extract from a very admirable report published In 1851 by Mr. P. Fleming, Civil Engineer, of a survey made by him, from Craig street to Bytown, of a railway line ; and its easy adaptation to railway purposes, may be quoted here with advantage, it conveys a concise and lucid view of the character of the country between Montreal and Bytown : — ^^ Report upon a proposed Trunk Line of Railwajf^from the City of Montreal to the City of Kingaton hy Bytown and Perth. " In view of a railway being constructed from Montreal to Kingston, I have examined the intervening country for the route, and I am of the opinion that the line, after leav- ing Montreal, should pass through, or near to the village of St. Ther6se, which may be easily reached, by bridging the Irancljcs of the Ottawa at ihat place, and without any ex- 6 traordinary expense IjovoikI vvli;it i.^ coniriion to such wo^k.^ The line .shouM tlicnce pins to the vill.i;,^! of St. Andrew's, in nearly ono straight line overnn almost perfectly level eoiin- try, and jjasslnfj the villa{]fc of St. KiistiU'lie, at a small dis- t.'inec on the north side. From St. Andrews it n>a/ proceed cither throngh the village of Carillon, at which it would meet the stream navigation of the Lake of Two Mountains, or I)y the rear of that village, and thence across the Ottawa river, hy Struthcr's, (now Watson's), island. Hero tho river on both sides of tho island presents no difTiculty to bridging — and the bridges at this place would bo tho least liable to be injured by ico than they would above or below. From this point, on the Upper Canada side, on tho right bank of the river, the railway would be almost on one level, by Ilawkesbury Mills, L'Orignal, to the Caledonia Springs. At L'Orignal, the railway would meet tbc steam navigation of the Ottawa from Bytown. From the Springs it would be continued by Jessup's Falls to the South Petite Nation river, and thence In a very level and direct line to Bytown. " Throughout the whole of the above route the railway would pass over a general smooth and uniform surface, and be without any special Impediment whatever to its con- struction, which might be made at a minimum expense, compared to any other line of the same length — for through- out, there is abundance of the materials requisite for rail- way formation, namely stone, gravel, sand, and timber. " From Bytown to Perth, the route would vary very little from a straight line, and be almost on a continued level — along which, small excavations or embankings would only be required in its formation, and some culverts or small bridges. ^^ Upon the whole, I am of opinion that, as regards the expense of construction, with the exception of the difference that there might be in bridging the Ottawa, at the Isle Jesus and Watson's island ; and of the same at Yaudreuil, (the expense of the former of which would not exceed double that of the latter,) a railway by the route I have indicated, al ti 15 miles. 30 (C m (( 4G (( woulil cost Ices by trn per cent per niilo than by any nny soutlicr'^ ruutc ; and its grades, from the luveluess of thi- country, bo much less. " An rejjanls the distance between tlio extreme points, from tlic absence, on the northern line of many local wind- ings and curves, which there must be if a more southern ono bo taken, as this latter must pass over a more undulating country ; so that while apparently more direct, it would not be much shorter. '' The distance by the above ronto will stand nearly as follows : — " Montreal to St. Th6resc. ... . " St. TherCsc to St. Andrews, . " St. Andrews to L'Orignal, ... . " L'Orignal to By town, " Total, ... 108^ miles." It Is a question, however, well worthy of the most seri- ous consideration, whether a railroad carried entirely along the north shore, in a line with the lumber mills, would not combine all the advantages anticipated, and conduce equally to the settlement of th? country. It is asserted by parties of high standing, that as level a line can be found on the north as on the south shore, by making use of the road graded by Government, — that the interests of the commer- cial firms engaged in manufacturing deals are more impor- tant, and better worthy of attention than the traffic to be gathered on the south shore, and that rich and extensive tracts are rapidly settling in the vicinity of the suggested line of railroad. It is obvious from these statements that careful surveys must precede the location of the road, — and it may eventually be discovered that, to reconcile conflicting demands, the road must fork near Grenville, and ascend the Ottawa upon both banks. There are several rivers on the north bank of the Ottawa, which, if a railroad passed in that direction, would demand bridges, but reports have been placed in our bands stating^ s tliat the bridges could be constructed at a moderate cost — certain it is tiiat tlie timber for the constriiclion could be obtained at the very lowest price, inasmuch as it grows on the banks of the rivers requiring bridges. The charter of incorporation, which received the Royal assent on the 23rd of April, 1853, will be found to embody every provision essential for the construction and working of the road. The powers granted to the company include the right to construct branch lines, and lay down rails through any street in Montreal to connect with the contem- plated bridge across the St Lawrence, or to connect with the Grand Trunk for that purpose above the city. The capital stock of the company is £000,000, divided into 24,000 shares of £25 each, and instalments not exceeding ten per cent may be called in on giving one month's notice. The Company may borrow money upon bond, they may unite with any other railroad, and municipal corporations are authorised to take stock in the company. The act incorporating the Bytown and Pembroke railroad likewise received the sanction of the legislature this session. This railway, practically an extension of the Mon- treal and Bytown line, will, according to the programme of its projectors, " unite Bytown with the interior, open up new and lucrative sources of trade, and contribute to in- crease the wealth and revenue of the Province." On the north shore of the Ottawa are situated mills expressly erected to cut and prepare deals and lumber for foreign markets. The whole of this lumber is destined eventually to pass along the Montreal and Bytown Railroad, because floating deals or timber down the Ottawa deterio- rates them in value, and exposes them to damage by the rapids, — forwarding them In boats would be abandoned if a railroad offered to perform the work cheaper. It is within the range of probabilities, that a few years hence, when Lake St. Peter has been deepened, and this railroad con- structed, that the entire export of Ottawa deals and sawed lumber will be conducted by Montreal merchants, in vessels I ~-V fos(— Id be fvs on tojal rking I rails Item- (with Tiie into from (liis jjorf, and that a Iiicrativo romnicrpc may l)c cst.iMislicd with Cuha and tlic West India Islands. To faci- litate the operations of those engaged in such a business, it may hereafter be expedient to erect docks and quays at the Cross, and connect the manufacturing mills by railroad with such docks and quays for the service of the export trade. The following report of the mills in operation, the num- ber of saws at work, the deals cut and men employed lias been placed in our possession, by parties in the trade : Saws. LfiR". Dpttls. Men. Hawkesbury Mills, (Htawa 110 75,(M)0 540,000 300 Bowman's " La. Lievo, 32 40,000 288,000 180 BiffeloWjS <' do 3-2 40,000 Q8.S,(K)0 180 Gilmoiir's <* Gatineau, 45 50,000 360,000 180 Wri<.lit'8 '< do 32 40,000 288,000 180 MvKay&M'Kiiinon's Mills, Bytown, 36 20,000 44,000 109 Blaidell's « do 23 25,000 180,000 90 Euan's Mills, La Cuillon, 16 30,000 216,000 135 M'Martin " Sonth Nation, 16 20,000 144,000 90 Wilson <* Lower Blanche, 1:2 20,000 144,000 90 Perkins « Upper do 16 20,000 144,000 90 Crysler " Lower Nation, 12 20,000 144,000 90 do 12 20,000 144,000 90 Casselraaa do 12 20,000 144,000 90 3,384,000 1,010 The Montreal and Bytown Railroad being the first attempt to enlist railroads in aid of the lumber trade, and connect mannfiicturing mills with a shipping port, no pre- cedent can be cited as applicable to the present case. The only data which offers itself is the fact that in the Quebec District, deals, not superior to those from the Ottawa, pay 3d. per deal for 30 miles cartage. At that rate the carriage of the deals manufactured at the above mentioned mills, would yield an annual revenue to the railroad, of £42,300, but the competition of water carriage will reduce these rates. The present charge for conveying 100 deals from the Gatineau to Quebec, per barge, is $6^, and if rafted ^4|, consequently, a railroad could not count upon more than $3 per 100 ps. 12 X 9 x 3, conveyed from the mill side to the navigable waters of the St. Lawrence, a rate, however, which would produce an income of £25,380. I 'I i \ i 10 Those mills disclose the importance of onr. ] .cli of com- merce extracted from the boundless forests i . ihe North. The Ottawa country is beyond all comparison the most valuable forest region on this continent ; and in future ages the naval supremacy of the lakes and Atlantic coast, will be- long, of necessity, to the power claiming it as a possession. In extent it fur exceeds the lumber regions of Maine, the Lower Provinces and the North of Europe combined. It is intersected by important rivers and continuous chains of lakes, which olTer every facility for the prosecution- of trade. It includes 80,000 square miles, of which, only 3,000 square miles are partially settled. It contains 37,516 square miles between the waters of the Ottawa and Lake Huron, a large portion of which, when the timber has been removed, is adapted to agricultural purposes, and calculated to sustain a future population of 3,300,000. In a quarter of a cen- tury from this date, the Americans will, under their present system of lumbering, have utterly wasted the forests of Maine, and exhausted those of New Brunswick. The rising cities on the Atlantic border augment each year the demand, and each year advances the hand on the dial of time to that period, when the Ottawa region will be the only quarter East of the Rocky Mountains on North America, where timber can be procured in abundance. The extent and value of the timber trade may be gather- ed from the official report of the timber which passed the Chaudii^re slides at Bytown last year, which, be it remark- ed, is irrespective of the milling business. The following is the official report : 18,967,000 feet White Pine, £474,177 2,217,301 « Red « 83,148 3,153 <* Tamarack 105 129,303 " Oak, 6,387 62,768 « Elm, 2,353 10,122** all other kinda, 253 36,800 *< Spars, 1,840 284,472 <' Floats, 3.555 22,140 pieces 3-inch deals, 1,782 6,184 " 1-inch boards, 124 £572,724 Vi >nq£ iXiJ!rm-i:.~^mSii ising that East ibcr Gr- ille ic- 11 It must be borne in mind that the above oflicial report, only includes those descriptions of timber which passed down the slides of the Chaudiere, which were in fact drawn from the lumber region beyond Bytown on the Ottawa Ilivcr ; but other rivers of no mean magnitude, such as the Gatineau, River du Lievrc, Petite Nation, which fall into the Ottawa below Bytown, swell the volume of the trade, and contribute their full quota of sawn logs or timber fur export. The promoters of the Pembroke and Bytown Railroad, a line which must be viewed rather as a prolongation of the Montreal and Bytown than an isolated project have glean- ed the following statistics for their published report, from whence some idea may be formed of the importance, in an agricultural point of view, of the Ottawa country beyond Bytown. The following is the list they published of the agricultu- ral products drawn from the country beyond Bytown, viz. : 7,000 Barrels Ashes, £ 43,750 85,000 do Flour 89,250 500,000 Bushels Grain 100,000 25,000 do Potatoes, 1,850 2,000 Firkins Butter, 4,000 Value, X238,850 This sum added to the £572,722, the reported value of timber which passed the Chaudierc slides, gives an aggre- gate of £811,574 as the value of exports drawn from a country but recently explored for commercial purposes, and whose importance can only be properly understood, says the report, " when the abundant water power of the streams have been applied to manufacturing purposes, and the iron and other mines, and quarries to be found in every town- ship between Bytown and Pembroke are worked." When dilating upon the vast water power of the Ottawa and its tributaries, it is well worthy of consideration that the construction of this railroad must lead to the introduc- tion of a new form of manufacturing industry — at present > III' I s 18 wc for.varil to tlic United States the raw material — tlie lumber in its rough comlition Aviicrc it is worked up, wc might reverse tlic policy and supply the nianufactiircd article. The water power and the lumber of the Ottawa already cxi.st. A railroad and capital will set the clement^ of manufacturing industry in motion. Canada can then forward to the New York Market lumber prepared for build- ing purposes — boards, laths, window sashes, door frames, floorings, packing cases ; and this export trade can be main- tained during the winter months when our population is chained to idleness. It must be apparent to every person familiar with the topography of this country, that the Montreal and Bytown, the Pembroke and Bytown railroads embody the same idea under different names. We know that the mining regions of Lake Superior and Sault Stc. Marie are 700 miles nearer Montreal by the valley of the Ottawa than by the circuit- ous route of Lakes Ontario, Eric and St. Clair,— that Mon- treal is nearer to Georgian Bay than Toronto — that the measured distance from Montreal to Georgian Bay, via Perth, is 300 miles, the distance from Montreal to Toronto being nearly 400 miles by the Grand Trunk Line, and every mile we ascend the Ottawa valley with a railroad brings us nearer the period when a portion of the western traffic must descend the channel of the Ottawa, and enter this city by the INIontreal and Bytown Railroad. It is impossible to over-estimate the importance, in a political, commercial, or social aspect, of the results which must follow the development of railway enterprise, when applied to a territory which, touches on one hand the waters of a continental ocean, on the other the shores of the Hud- son's Bay, and towards the north Invades the Artie Circle. That it teems with all the elements of mineral wealth may be gathered from the partial and hasty examination of the surface already reported, enough has been disclosed to con- vince reflecting persons that the mountain ranges of the north embrace within their limits iron, copper and precious 13 Itcrfal—die pP'I MJ), wc Jniifacdirc'd j'jc Ottawa |c cIoiiK'nt>( can then for biiiia- >r frames, 1)0 mai/i- J'ation is with the I Cytown, 'a>ne idea S regions Ics nearer le circuif- "lat Mun- -tbat the Bay, via Toronto ^'ne, and railroad ^vestern nd enter d. ce, in a is which e, when waters e Hud- Circle. til may of the to Con- or the •et'ious nietala. The geological history of Canada dates from a very roceiit pcricd, in fact, until Mr. Logan, tiic able geolo- gist, now chief of that department in Canada, was selected for his present ofticc, systematic and persevering attempts to ascertain the nature, extent and value of the local mineral resources were unknown, but to him we are indebted for the knowlcilge that Canada is inferior to no other coun- try in the world for that species of wealth ; and it is but reasonable to infer that eventually the working of mines must contribute a permanent and lucrative source of reve- nue to the Montreal and Bytown Railroad. One instance may be cited of the now dormant mineral wealth of Canada : in the vicinity of Hull, a bed of Iron ore 4.0 feet thick exists, according to the Report of Mr. Logan, which equals in quality, and is identical in character with the ore from which the Swedish iron, so famous as an article of commerce, is produced, and the iron ore on the borders of Lake Champlain, where, under American enter- l)iise, numerous foundries in active operation augment the wealth of the State of New York, and furnish remunerating freights to a fleet of schooners. It is a well known fact that about sixty miles north of this city, a range of hills, fringe the horizon, which can hardly be classed as an agricultural district. ; but on the other hand they are clothed with forests, from whence can be extracted, for endless years, unlimited stores of fuel, to supply the annual increasing demands of the city and environs of Mon- treal. In the rigour of a Canadian winter fuel becomes an article of essential necessity ; and as yet, all modern disco- veries, have failed to provide any substitute combining heat and economy which can supersede firewood, as an article of domestic consumption. The bituminous coal of England, finds its way into the mansions of the wealthy ; and the anthracite coal of Pennsylvania, comes into request, when firewood reaches the famine price ; but the mass of the population in the city and environs of Montreal, purchase firewood, which is rafted down the Ottawa, or brought long ^ilil i u ^i , I'll ,. I I ii i distances overland, whereby the cost is enhanced. Fire- wood which has hi^cn immersed in the water is deteriorated in quality — the rock maple conveyed from the north by rail will always command a preference over every other kind of fuel, if it can bvj delivered in Montreal at 12s. Gd. per cord. There are fully ten thousand families in this city who yearly require a supply of firewood, — the country and its environs contain half as many more, or a total of fifteen thousand tenements, each consuming annually, an average of 15 cords of fire- wood. Maple of the best description sells in winter as high as ^5 per cord, in summer $3| and $4 per cord. Under a railway system, a branch line from the Montreal and Bytown Road, might penetrate the hills, and receive supplies at 6s 6d per cord, delivered at the cars. The carriage calculated at Is. per ten miles, (and assuming the distance from the forest to Montreal at sixty miles,) would raise the cost of carriage to 6s. per cord ; the two sums amount to 12s. 6d., which sum would represent the first cost and the freight for each cord. Now any railway which would under- take to deliver first quality maple at 12s. 6d. per cord would perform an important service to the community, save this city a profitless expenditure of £50,000 per annum, being the excess of the ordinary price beyond the rate at which it could be delivered by a railroad ; and relieve the charitable associations, in some measure, from the pressing demands made upon them iu winter to furnish fuel to the poor. The capacity of a railway to convey firewood to market, would be only limited by the demand ; and assuming that demand to be 225,000 cords, which cost the road 6s. 6d. per cord, and sold at 12s 6d per cord, the income from this source would be £67,500 per annum. This calculation deals with a subject familiar to every citizen, and every man of education is competent to pronounce upon its merits. It is a self-evident proposition appealing to facts. Persons unacquainted with Canada might fancy that other railroads could compete with the Montreal and Bytown in this traffic. No rivalry can ensue, the c rcne( Atb the 1 Moi T enci moi anr opi r of cit Is 01] C( d< ti q £ 1 M »fik«i«iu>sy rail will ind of fuel, ord. There arly require •ons contain tenements, Tds of fire- winter as cord. e Montreal nd receive he carriage [lie distance lid raise the amount to lost and the ould under- • cord would > save this lum, being at which it > charitable ? demands poor. to market, filing that Gs. 6d. per Ills source to every etent to oposition Canada with the n ensue, 15 tiic only line that could pretend to compete is the St Law- rence and rortland ; but the day that line is open to the Atlantic seaboard, the citizens of Boston and Portland and the towns along the route will enter the market and outbid Montreal. The assumed Income may appear excessive, yet, experi- ence will prove the reverse. The purchasers will bo found more numerous than calculated, — the population increases annually, and the price of 12s. 6d. per curd will vanquish opposition and secure a ready sale. The City Council deemed it their duty to secure a supply of water to the citizens, though a river runs in front of the city ; is fuel less a necessity, remembering our arctic winters? Is it a wiser policy, to employ our own people, and consume our own fuel ; or wander away to Ohio or Pennsylvania for coal thus furnishing to foreigners, while Canadians are deprived for five months, each year, of agricultural occupa- tions? There is no doubt that, as a social and economic question, the City Council would be justified in constructing a railroad, to bring supplies of fuel to Montreal, if the Montreal and Bytowu railroad had not been projected. A review of the population directly interested in the construction of this road, and the area of country (now so sparsely settled) to be stirred by its influence, claims consideration. Under the census returns of 1850 the following localities were described as follows : — Acres. Population. Renfrew, 671,000 9,975 Lanark, 574,000 22,901 Carlton, 674,000 20,152 Bytown, 6,616 Prescottj 242,400 1,847 Prescotc, 305 620 9,487 2,367,540 70,978 In Lower Canada the census returns for 1852, furnishes us with the following figures : — u lii ii Ottfiwn, 2'2,902 Two Mountains, 30,470 Terrebonne, 2fi,791 Moutroal, 77,:«1 157,541 The experience of stallcians in tiic United States, lias led them to assign an income of two dollars and onc-lialf as the annual income dcrivcable from each inhabitant >vithin the circle of railway influence. The projectors of the Grand Trunk Company, have lowered the rate for this Province, to two dollars per annum for each Inhabitant ; and inasmuch as the gentlemen connected with that national enterprise, are conspicuous for their intelligence, and qualified from mature experience, to pronounce a sound opinion upon thor question ; the Montreal and Bytown Company may reason- ably assume, as a reliable source of income, a revenue calculated upon like data ; but being reluctant to nourish expectations which experience might dissolve they reduce the anticipated income to one dollar for each inhabi- tant. The combined population, as above particu- larised, amounts to 228,522 inhabitants, and the in- come, estimated at one dollar for each, would amount to £57,130 10s. per annum. The icremer.t of popula- tion is that of doubling every 12^ years, the proo;res3 in some sections of the country has been more rapid, as the returns prove that the population has doubled within 10 years; but accepting 12^ years as a guide, it follows, that the counties above mentioned will, in fifty years, contain a population of 3,656,532 inhabitants, — hence, it must be obvious, thataraih'oad which is built to endure for ages, may, in a young and rising country like Canada, count upon a certain and rapid augmentation in its income, from the natural increase of the population, even if emigration were suddenly arrested. The admirable quality of building stone which is depo- sited in masses, to the north of this city, renders it a a favorite material, in the construction of private dwellings andt of CO the p The rout( tho8< cste labo thai rcdi of I of^ pri wo 2s ar is tt fi c pO'2 M70 p'as Jed }hiiU as Grand fncc, (o smuch Trfse, from on ihff cason- venue Ornish educe ' iliabi- irlicu- le in- lount !)ula- ss in i the 30 that lain be 3}', a he re >- 1 and public edifices, and favors its extensive use. Qnarries of considerable ntagnitude have long been worked to meet the present demand, which last year rose to G0,000 tons. The Montreal and Bytown Railroad, will traverse in its route, the limestone beds of the Island of Montreal, and those of Isle Jesus and Terrebonne, which are held in high esteem. This line will perform, with more economy, the labor of conveying the stone from the quarries to the city, than can be attained by employing horse-power; the reduced cost of the article, must encourage an extended nse of stone for building purposes, and the prospective growth of Montreal ; the variety and magnitude of the public enter- prises contemplated, warrant the opinion, that 100,000 tons would be conveyed by railroad if the carriage was reduced to 28. per ton. Lime and sand, would likewise enter into the list of articles, which would contribute their quota of revenue. An important article of downward freight to be noticed, is farm produce, but It is utterly impossible to arrive at tho truthj as regards the amount to be anticipated. Parties familiar with the country assert, that once a railroad is opened, and a certain market at the command of tho farmer, he could raise abundant supplies, for the use of this city, of root crops, grain, forage, butter and cattle. The operation of the railroad, on the south shore of the St. Lawrence, connecting with New \V>rk, Boston, and the chief cities of the Atlan- tic seaboard, Is to drain the supplies, from that section of the country, (from Montreal) and convey them to markets where the average price of farm produce is higher than in Montreal. To this cause, we must attribute the gradual and steady rise in the price of farm products brought to our markets, hertce it becomes an object of serious impor- tance — to open up a new country, and restore the market prices to their normal condition. The proposed railroad, with its Oiture branches, will enable the occupants of at least ten thousand farms to cultivate, with profit, those pro- ducts deuin^nded here. The expense of carriage now para- B tt lyses their industry ; but placo them in contact with this populous city, and tho only barrier to their progress is re- moved ; this object can only be realised by a railroad, which once in operation, it will impart fresh vigor to the industry of the agriculturists, and contribute a revenue of fifty thousand dollars a year to the lino. That this estimate Is exceedingly moderate, may be inferred from tho fact, that Mr. {Sinclair, of Point Fortune, in his address to the inha- bitants of Two Mountains, calculates the railroad income derivcable from the ''travel and carting" of that county at £12,320, being a larger sum than has been set down for tho whole route ; Mr. Sinclair takes the tolls as the basis of his calculation. The quantity of Ashes conveyed by tho Grenville Canal, from the Ottawa country, last season, amounted to above 7,000 barrels, this quantity being independant of the sup- plies conveyed by the farmers in their own vehicles. We must now turn to the upward freight which would be limited in comparison to the downward. The article of salt, not required for the use of cattle in the saline atmos- where of Great Britain, is a necessary article in constant use, and imperiously demanded to keep cattle healthy in the dry climate of the American continent. The present price in the Ottawa country is 3s. and 3s 6d per bushel, but this high rate checks consumption. Under the proposed tariff on imports, salt will enter free, and might be delivered, by railroad, at little over Is. per bushel, along the line of the road. The quantity shipped via tho Grenville Canal, for that quarter, last year, was nearly 2,000 tons, but that quantity forms only a portion of the actual consumption ; inasmuch as the country merchants, convey their stocks from this city, during the winter, by sleighs. The supplies of flour, beef and pork for the lumber regions, drawn from the far west, would be conveyed by the Montreal and By town Road, for the use of the men engaged in the business of cutting and preparing timber for market. ThI indicj cons) rai Ih of tr !*• anal, [above sup. Id he ie of moa- itant Yin 6(1 tier M , ^ \i Y The following statistics have nlrcady hcen puhllshcd, as Inilicaling the numhcr of men and cattle cmployeil, and the consumption of food, in the lumber district— 10,800 men, 4,320 horse trains, 1,080 yoke oxen. Consumption of food : — 39,700 barrels flour, 27,000 " pork, 2,700 chests tea. The above articles of food would, necessarily, select a railroad conveyance ; and the men engaged in conveying the rafts of squared timber to Quebec, would, as a matter of course, prefer, on their return, the cheap and rapid transit of a railroad. The following articles arc forwarded in considerable quantities to the Ottawa country -.—Gypsum, amount moderate ; Coal, moderate, possibly 300 tons ; Iron, manu- factured and pig, 3000 tons ; Fish, 1,200 tons ; Sugar, 700 tons; Merchandise, 9000 tons; earthenware, 400 tons. These are merely approximate calculations founded upon a reference to the returns from St. Ann^s Lock, and a statement of the actual consumption of some articles. The probable quantity of food required for the lumber men and the service of the milling establishments may be calculated to be 6000 tons ; and all these items added together, present an aggregate of 28,100 tons, from whicli £7000 per annum might be assumed as the probable revenue. Having thus investigated the various phases in which the revenue of the contemplated railroad will develope itself, a recapitulation of the anticipated income will exhibit, in a condensed form, the remunerative character of the enterprise. It may be asserted with truth, that from purely local causes, this railway will pay a larger dividend than any similar investment in the Province ; and it is a satis- factory consideration, that it will draw its traffic from a circle so remote from other lines, that no rivalry can ensue, while (liut Irairic will coiulii' t to Montreal precisely Ihu products wliicit lliu citizens ici((iii'C. Distatico f>f n Minimal in Hytowii by roaJ ViO (]nii)r'l by a uuiirnail 12 1()8 Kstimulu cost £ 00,000 KCVKNUIC li ifflr. In tho i iiiMiaiiL'd as :i<. )|)t UU. pur Incomo (lorivsiblo from pnssonxer Uiiilt'il StaUm, I'-is. Cd., jr ii • ■ till! iiieoiiH.'. Tlio (Irnij 1 J lal, hoail, as thu muasiiM* T inrome (lrriVabl<> from thu populutinii, witli'u t) " circio uf railway iiifluuiico. For I'll' Moiitrt'iil ami Bytowii Uouci, tho nslitnaie hri ' ii lowyrt'cl 50 por ot'iit., in ortlcr to allow u l.iivitli Montreal. I For ihcso reasons a numerous and opulent body of citizens warmly advocate tho enterprise, and it U well u/tderstood, that \n en the proper moment arrives, tlio Town CouT"'' will aid b ' their credit, tho construction of the ai road. The Municipa 'ties of Terrebonne, and Two Moun- I' taing, I avo intimated their willingness to encourage a railway traversing their cou: ties, by a loan of their credit. An important question i.<; whether the rivers to bo bridged arc formidable "trearns. On the banks of tho Otta\ a bcl>veen tho Isl iid o, Mon real and Isle Jesus several bridges now exist, tho d tanci from bank to bank varies. It may be assumid at 1< '^0 to ',200 feet, and the cost of < )nstructing a r.'iilwaybn hM been estimated at £12, )0 sterling. The braneh of the Ottawa bctweer Fsk Jesus and Terre- bonne la narrow, tho stream 8h% )W. jCG,500 sterling it Is estii lated would build a brf^^c over this branch. Several lo alities are named as favor, ^le for abridge, across the main I >dy of the Ottawa, such Point Fortune and Watson's Inland, near Grcnvillei tht u:jkof abridge would be some £2 *,000 sterling at that poin A surve) of the whole of the proposed route daring the deep snow of our winter season was impracticable. Mr. Smith, Civil Engineer and Provincial F and Surveyor, was employed to trace a line from Montreal lo St. Andrews, for railwaypurposes, to ascertain its comparative distance as con- trasted with the route via Lachine. Mr. Smith's report as- serts that the direct route is level and practicable, and shorter by 5 miles, 3,540 feet, than the line via Lachine. Mr. Fleming's survey from Montreal to Bytown, executed two years since and already quoted, swells the amount of proof that the route Is level and unbroken. The annexed report of Messrs. Renaud and Hamilton, the engineers selected to ascertain the practicability of constructing a railroad, starting from some point in the vicinity of St. Denis b2 Street, will] Ic perused with satisfaction, as setting finally at rest a mooted qucstiun. It has been a subject of sincere regret to the promoters of this road, that parties in charge of Engineers in the interest of a rival line, have violated the rights of private property, as if for the express purpose of creating a feeling in the French Canadian Parishes against all railways. It will hardly be credited that pro- prietors have seen valued fruit trees deliberately cut down by a set of strangers, calling themselves a surveying party. It is to be presumed that these individuals trusted for impunity, to the proverbial amenity of the French Canadian character — on the score of public morality it would have been dcsircable that they had been arrested on the spot, and compelled to rc-imburse the proprietors the damage which they inflicted. The tendency of the public sentiment in the French Parishes is to push the work forward. The wealthier " Habitants" all look forward to taking contracts for the road to the extent which it may traverse their respective farms, and accept payment for their labor and materials (such as timber and stone) in stock subscriptions. The public are thus furnished with a faithful and impartial picture of the character of the country which the Montreal and Bytown road will traverse : The natural difficulties to be encountered and overcome — the vast area of territory now comparatively dormant, awaiting the civilising influences of a railroad to disclose its mineral and agricultural capabilities. The magnitude of the interests involved in the manufacture of lumber. The boundless forests of the Ottawa and the unexplored north, so vast and interminable, that in future ages they hold forth to Canada the certainty of an unques- tioned monopoly of that branch of commerce. The even- tual creation of an interior line of Railroads following rapidly upon the construction of this road. The stimulus it will impart to farming operations by securing a ready sale for agricultural products — the consequent expansion of commercial dealings — and the rich rewards the merchants of * ts jre |ian ive Montreal ^vill reap wlien the population of tlic interior can resort to the city to exchange the farm products for mer- chandise. The introduction of a continuous and abundant supply of fuel, without which the growth of a dense popula- tion would be impossible on this Island. The certain increase in the value of landed estate, arid the new forms of industry to attract and renumcrato the labourer and artisan. These ideas but reflect the sentiments which animate the community, and every educated and reflecting man who has devoted any consideration to the subject, has not hesitated to assert that a northern railroad must prove a source of wealth to Montreal and a profitable investment to the Stockholders. The whole respectfully submitted, A. M. DELISLE, President. SYDNEY BELLINGIIAM, Secretary and Treasurer. H Eztract from the Report published hy Mr. Renaud of his Survey f I5th February^ 1853 : — " I, the undersigned, Francois Victor Renaud, Provin- cial Surveyor and Civil Engineer, residing at Montreal, certify, that having been requested by Alexander M. Delisie, Esq., and other citizens and proprietors, residing in the said city, to examine, in my aforesaid capacity, if it were possible to trace and lay a line of railroad starting from Craig street to reach Coteau St. Louis, in such a manner as to continue such railroad from Craig street aforesaid, to any giveu point on the River des Prairies, and leading to the same by the line v^hich would o£fer the least difficulties, to reach St. Eustache, in the County of Two Mountains, and crossing Isle Jesus. " Although I have had but little time to examine the ques- tion and visit the ground, I do not hesitate to answer a£Sr- matively, yes, by means of certain segments (arcs on courbes), and taking a point of departure from Craig street to reach the road of Petite Cute de la Visitation by the usual means of embankments and excavations, every obstacle which that hill (Coteau) seems to offer by its height can bo readily overcome, and in no wise embarrass the Engineer charged with overcoming that obstacle. '' I measured a distance, starting from Craig street, of three thousand nine hundred and sixty feet to reach a point on Mr. Logan's property, and I found that the difference of level is but sixty feet, or one sixty-sixth part. But this sixty-sixth part, by means of the segments of which I have spoken above, could be so reduced as to offer but a very slight declivity. This place, however, is the one which offers the greatest difficulty to surmount. Going from Coteau St. Louis to reach the banks of the River des Prairies, the shorter route, and that which offers the least difficulties to overcome, is that which leads in a direct line to the Viau bridge. I indicate that point because a bridge already exists there, and that in case a company became if compelled to erect another, in consequence of the owner of that bridge declining to sell it, that point is, without con- tradiction, one of the most eligible for the erection of a bridge on the River dcs Prairies." Montreal, 4<7i /««