m IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) // Y i/ .s ^ <^ y. /a 4 1.0 I.I 11.25 1^ 6" 1= 12.^ 1.8 U 111.6 ^ %4 "^ w Di ^ ajJiuC Scioices Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, M.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 .^V^^ ■^ ^^sy O <» * ^\a «"' ADDRESS OF THE DIRECTORS, TO THE CITIZENS OF HAMILTON, AND THE INHABITANTS OF TOWNS, TOWNSHIPS, ANB VILLAGES, ON THE LINE. HAMILTON: PRINTED AT TUB SPICTATOR OFFICE, COURT-HOC8B S<)UARK. 1866. T^m:^ 5«/V*r eJ'\s^ OlJN£*H£^cX3Ne>''(a^^D(rV£>^(2^^D6NtfJ^e^t)6N^^ itf . HAMILTON AND PORT DOVER RAILWAY. V ADDRESS OP i THE DIEECTOES, TO THE CITIZENS OF HAMILTON, i AND THE INHABITANTS OF TOWNS, TOWNSHIPS, AND VILLAGES, ON THE LINE. HAMILTON: PBINTBD AT THE SPSCFATOR OFFICK, COURT-BOUSK BQUABX. 1855. Si tl M HAMILTON AND PORT DOVER RAILWAY. To the Municipality and Citizens of Hamilton, and the Inhabitants of the localities interested in the construction of the above line of Railway. • GENTLEMEN— The Directors of the Hamilton nnd Port Dover Railway Company, being desirous of securing your individual, as well as corporate aid, in the construction of this undertaking, beg to lay before you such information as they possess, in order to show the importance of an immediate commencement, and vigorous prose- cution of the work. The subject of a South-Western Railway, to open up a communication between the head waters of Lake Ontario at Hamilton, and the extensive and populous country lying South- West of us, as well as to obtain the shortest and best connexion, by railway, between these two great lakes, Ontario and Erie, has of late excited so much attention and been so fully dis- cussed by the press, that the Directors of this Company deem it unnecessary to enter at great length into the merits of their Line. In this City in particular, where the question has perhaps been more fully canvassed than elsewhere, the conviction has gradually spread itself amongst our merchants, mechanics, landed proprietors, and indeed amongst all classes, that the time has arrived when the. work should be commenced. The unanimity and enthusiasm with which the Council voted the credit of this City, for the sum of i)50,000, the Directors of the Hamilton and Port Dover Railway Company, believe to be only fair evidence of the general desire and feeling of onr Citizens. For the information of such as have not given the matter their serious consideration, the Directors beg to state a few of the rea- sons, upon which they base their claims for the general support of the public of this City, and on the proposed route of the line. In the first place they would state, that the present Company was incorporated by an Act of the Legislature, passed in 1853- H II with a capital of £500,000, divided into shares of £26 each. Dur- ing the year 1854 a survey of the line was made, under the direc' tion of R. G. Benedict, Esq., Civil Engineer, but owing to circum- stances which it is unnecessary to refer to, no steps were taken to put the work under contract, or to raise funds for its construction. The expenses thus far incurred for surveys. Secretary's salary, and printing, only amount to about £1,300, which have been paid. The Company is therefore free from liability, and are in a most favourable position for commencing work. The next thing to be noted, is the face that the population of the southern tier of Counties, bordering on Lake Erie, now amounts to nearly 200,000. This tract of country, which is unprovided with railway communication, is over 200 miles long, and of an average breadth of 20 miles. In the fertility of its soil, the mild- ness of its climate, and the industry and energy of its inhabitants, it is equal if not superior to any other given tract of equal extent in the Province. Hitherto, but a small share of the products of this fine section of country, have found their way to our market, for want of means of transit. A small amount of merchandize may have been sup- plied by our merchants ; but limited as our commercial intercourse has been with the shores of Lake Erie, it has been seriously affected by the opening of the Buffalo and Brantford Railway, which has cut us off from much of the business south of the Grand River. The Directors have the strongest reason to believe, that in less than three years, what is called the Southern Railway, will be completed. This line, as everybody knows, will extend from the Niagara to the Detroit River, and will pass through the very heart of the tract of country referred to. It is almost too obvious to need remark, that when this Southern Line shall be completed, the entire commerce of the Southern Counties, with all their nume- rous towns and villages, and a population of 200,000 souls, will be lost to us beyond retrieve, unless we put forth great efforts and construct the line from here to Dover, or to Simcoe, where a con- nection will be had at a favourable point, with the Woodstock and Lake Erie line, and also with its western extension, which is to form a part of Southren Railway. With such a connection, it can be demonstrated almost to a mathematical certainty, that y,/^arl^r if »if»t nnito all r»f t.hft hfiavv freicrhh traffic of thi'' line must flow to our City. I I In order to oitablish this position and make the matter clearly understood, it is necessary to state tho well-ascertained fact that the bulk of the freight trafiic through tho State of New York, is retained by the Canal, notwithstandimg the active competition of the two great lines of railway, and tho great loss of time by the former as compared with tho latter. Now, as New York has be- come our chief market, tho same rule applies to our commercial intnrcourse with that City. The bulk of our freight consequently passes through the Erie Canal, either by way of Buflalo or Oswego. If by the former ten days are required to go to, or from tide water at Albany ; whilst by tho latter route only five days are consumed. The distance from Hamilton, or Niagara to Oswego, by steam-boat, is now accomplished in a single night, so that these places are, in point of time, fully four days nearer to our chief market than Buf- falo. With such an advantage, it will not be surprising, hereafter to see freight transported from Fort Erie and Port Colborne, to Hamilton or Niagara, by rail, in order to gain time, by taking Lake Ontario. This fact being established, the question, as to the relative claims of Hamilton and Niagara, for becoming the entrep6t for Southern Canadian trade, presents itself. In reference to this point, the facilities of transport being- equal to both places, the superior advantages of Hamilton in size, wealth, and population, and as the established centre of Western Commerce are such, that there would be nothing to fear from the competition ot her would-be rival. But with the Southern Railway built, and the extension from Simcoe to the Suspension Bridge, which is to be made a part of the main line, completed, nearly the entire freight of the Southern Country and of Lake Erie and the Western States, flowing on to the Southern Line, must of necessity centre at Niagara, and none of it could reach Hamilton, unless the Fort Dover Line be constructed. With both these Railways complete, our line intersecting the Southern at one of the points indicated, let us see how the matter will stand. The distance from Simcoe ( supposing that to be the point of intersection) to Niagara, via the Suspension Bridge, is about 80 n^ lies, or nearly the same as by way of this City ; whilst from Simcoe to Hamilton, it is only about 37 miles. The distance in favor of Hamilton will then be 43 miles, and the charges on freight are the same on the Lake, whether to, or from Hamilton, 6 Toronto, or Niagara, and the difference in time by Steamers only two and a half hours. Tho actual cost of carrying freight on the Railways of Now York, to say nothing of tho profit, has been found to be about 80 cents a mile for an ordinary train of lV5 to 200 tons. It would therefore cost $34 40 cts. more, to move an ordinary freight train between Simcoe and Niagara, than between Simcoe and Hamilton. These facts, it is conceived, settle the question as to the superiority of this ,City, as tilt entrepot for South-Western Canada, as well as ^"--r such foreign commerce as may be carried on through this part of the Province. But admitting that only one-half this business was drawn through our City, it would still be an object worthy our ambition to secure it. As to the Grand River business, the same arguments apply with equal force. There is a Railway already in operation 70 or 80 miles long, which is to be extended to Goderich. By tapping this line at Caledonia, or some other convenient point, there is no reason to doubt that all the important freighting business of this fine country, situate in and near the valley of the Grand River, will immediately centre in Hamilton. Here then is another immense source of business both for the City and the Railway, which will benefit alike the inhabitants on the line of road and the City itself — ^for all advantages of this nature are mutual and reciprocal. The Lumber Trade of the Grand River, which centres at the very point likely to be crossed by our Railway, has become of such importance and magnitude, that it merits special notice. The demand for lumber at Chicago, has already had the effect of drawing supplies from the Grand River, so that the manufacturer has the choice of two great markets open to him. By means of the Hamilton and Port Dover line, the great staple product of this section of Canada, may be delivered with equal facility at Hamilton ' where, what is not required for local consumption, may be shipped to Eastern markets by way of Oswego, or at Port Dover, to supply the western demand. In addition to these extensive sources of business, the trade be- tween the two lakes, that will flow over our line, will doubtless be very great. This trade has so increased that the Welland Canal is