IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) :-'-.^'V' 7: %* .** 7 1.0 1.1 ;S jui 12.0 u Photographic Sdeooes Corporation 33 WCST MAM STRHT wnsnt,N.Y. i4sr/ CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHIVI/ICIVIH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical IMicroraproductions / Institut Canadian da microraproductions historiqutfs :?^?;-' ■■-,-- '^l::K C^ TechnicaS and Bibliographic Notaa/Notes tachniquaa at bibiiographiquaa Tha inatituta haa attamptad to obtain tha baat original copy availabia for filming. 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All othar original copias ara filmad baginning on tha first paga with a r< ">. 1 / t>,'- ' ,.,; ''mra REPORT On the Agricultural, Mineral and other Besourcos, and' the Industrial and Commercial condition^ of Carleton County, with special reference to the q.uestion of Railway Exten- sion. 1' ii To the PtesidHntand Members of the Woodstock Atherueum : ' The Committee appointed under Resolution of the Meeting of tbo Athenseum of the 28th of January last, to prepare a Report embodying all the statistical information attainable as t.o the Resources and Trade of Carleton Cbunty, have during the two past weeks been engaged in that work, and now present to you the result of their labors. Although no 'mention is made in the Resolution under which the Committee was raised of the subject of RailWay extension, it was under- stood at the meeting that the Report was to bear directly upon that, question^ This idea of the extension of our system of Rikilways has been re- cently taken up»in the City of St. John by leading and influential men of our commer(nal metropolis; and has been readily caught up and' welcomed in a number of places on the western side of ' the Province. The proposition, as enunciated in a paper read before a meeting com<>- posed of the members of the St. John Chamber of Commerce, and other gentlemen of that City, is to connect St. John with the St. Andrew's line; to connect by a branch line with Frederictoo) ; and by another branch line with St. Stephen. This movement is in connection with a similar one in the State of Maine, the object of which is to unite the system of Railways of Make with those of New Brunswick and of Nova Scotia ; it being believed that should the union be made between New BZunswick and Maine,^ Nova Scotia would lose little time in boildinj^; s whatever length of road was necessary in order to bring her Hailway§ into connection with ours. This done, we should have the long contem- plated European & North American Railway completed, and a conneC' tion made between the interior of the Province and the principal sea- ports on its Southern and Western sides. The paper read by Mr. Burpee before the St. John Chamber of Commerce has since been published in pamphlet form, and in several of the newspapers, and has thus been widely circulated throughout the Province. The proposed scheme has excited much attention, and met with very general favor in the western and southern sections of the Province. It is even said that it is not unfavorably regarded by some of the members for Westmorland and Kent. Mr. Burpee, having vis- ited Woodstock to ascertain the feelings of our people in the matter, has had an opportunity of explaining his views to a number of our lead- ing men ; and the preliminary steps have been taken to call a public meeting of the people of the County, that a formal expression of their opinion may be had on this important question. , ill jV> Ji 'u .■■■ : - -J ■ Meanwhile the Athenaeum, which has had the subject under its no- tice, has resolved to do what it can to inform the public mind with res- pect to the position which Carleton should take in the matter of Railway Extension ; and with that object has ordered the preparation of this Report, with the intention of publishing the information which it con- tains. ^,_ . ,^_, _.,, ,: ^_. ^,;, ,,__. :, ,^ , :^,,,, .,f^ ,, l,_„.^. Let us now,without further preface, enquire, first, of what value gene- rally the proposed extension of Railways would be to our own County. The Province has expended some five millions of dollars upon the St. John and Shediac Road, which, so far from being of any direct ser- vice to Carleton, has been a positive disadvantage, because it has ena- bled the agriculturists of Prince Edward Island to compete with ours in the markets of this Province. We have been saddled with a heavy annual tax, to assist the people of another colony to drive us out of our legitimate markets. In any further construction of Railways by the Government, or expenditure by Government upon their construction, it becomes us to insist that due regard should be paid to our long neglect- el interests. And if the proposed extension gives a promise of serving those interests, and is feasible in itself, it behoves the people of Carllton to give it a prompt, unanimous and hearty support '^^ w I I eglect- I erving irlltoQ 8 This scliemG carrrcd out, Garlcton County would be united, by its centre of business, Woodstock, by Railway with Fredcricton, St. An- drews, St. Stephen, Calais, St. John. And by St. Andrews, St. John and St. Stephen, it would have connection, in one direction, with all important places in the United States ; and in another direction, with t\ie Northern and North Eastern portions of this Province, and with Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. Let us glance, very briefly, at a few of the facilities which wo shall thus have scoured. ; • A resident of Carleton could get into a train at Woodstock. He could be in Fredcricton in say four hours and a half ; or in St. Stephen or Calais in four hours and a quarter ; or in St. Andrews in four hours and a half; or in St. John in six hours. In twelve hours ho would ])0 on the borders of Nova Scotia. To reach St. John now requires two days. At certain seasons of tho year there is a connection by which St. John may be readied in a driy and a night ; but for all practical purposes we cannot call tho journoy less than two days. Next consider the relative cost of travelling by the two modes of con- veyance—that at present available, and that provided by a Railway. Buring the season in which steamers run both above and below Fre- dcricton, the fare through to St. John is generally two dollars fifty cents. As you have two days travel, you must add, at the lowest esti- iiiiite, one dollar fifty cents for other necessary expenses ; making the actual expense four dollars. But for one half the Summer steamers do not run above Fredcricton ; and during this time the only public con- veyance is the stage, with a fare of three dollars between Woodstock and Fredcricton. In winter, say from the fifteenth of November to tho first of May, nearly six months, the whole distance must be travelled by stage.- ''''■■■'■*'''''••'''":'"■ ^' ■ '='■- ' '■ •■ • • > ' ' . By the proposed Railway one could leave Woodstock after a meji], and arrive in St. John in time for the next ; and this at a cost, in Sum- mer and Winter alike, of two dollars fifty cents. To make a trip to St. John at any season would occupy little more time than it now does in Summer to run to Fredcricton and back by steamboat. The mer- chant, lumberer, farmer or mechanic from any part of Carleton would be e4A)led to leav^ his residence any morning, go to St. John, and be back at home in the evening of the next day, having out of the thirty-five or * i forty kours of hifl brief absonco, upwards of twonty hours to bostow upon his business. This facility of travel would alone make, in a few years^ no smt^ll revolution in the County. - : With respect to freights the proposed Railway extension would afford us advantages of still gi-cater importance. Our freight from St. John no-^ comes mostly up the river. Goods arc hauled over to Indiantown; shipped at that place; landed on the wharves at Frederictoa, and perhaps warehoused there ; and again shipped for Woodstock. The cost of transportation is about sixty oent.s per barrel. But traders well understand that the detention, damage of goods, and danger of loss, by this route constitute a draw back which, adds a heavy per centage to the cost. And this is only a portion of the disadvantages under which we labor. Puring the whole winter, nearly one half the year, transport by this route is impossible ; unless resort Is had to the expensive resource of hauling by teams over one hundred and twenty eight miles of road. , , , , . By the proposed Railway, neither Summer nor Winter, higli water nor low water, would affect transportation to any considerable extent. Mr. Burpee, in his calculations, puts the tariff of freight at two cents per ton per mile ; which is actually higher than the tariff on the St. John, and Shcdiac Road. At this rate the transportation of a ton from St. .Tohn to Woodstock would cogt two dollars fifty cents ; and a barrel of flouBfWould cost say twenty five cents. Wo should have the benefit o£ the same proportionate reduction in down freights. A bushel of oats would. bo carried to St. John fox, four and a cjuarter cents; a thousand, of shingles for twenty five cents. . ., , In these illustrations wo have spoken only of St. John, But we sliould have the same facilities of travel and transport to and from St. Andrews, St. Stephen, Calais, Fredoricton,. and other places. Wo- .should have opened for the agricultural, lumbering and mineral produc- tions of Caileton, the markets,, not only of our Province, bui of the sister Colonies, of the United States,, and, of the West India Islands.. The industrial classes of our County would be ensured a prompt, ready and regular sale for their products, and would receive more fos them,; while on the other hand every consumer of imported, goods would have to pay less for these than he does at present. A trip to Boston, to the North Shore, or to Nova Scotia, would scarcely cost more,, either^^ time or money, thtun does now a trip to St., John., tt^y , «; v ;■. ■ ^ , ; ProviJ the sbl $l,4o| until a possibl tensioij Yoi its sur press ried ii necess and of I itself. Having satisfied tbemsclvcs tliat the proposed Railway extension would be an advantage to them, the people of Carlcton should noxc turn their attention to the cost of the work, and the probable receipts from traffic and passengers, in order to ascertain tho amount of tho burden which the construction will impose upon the Provinces, and the paying capa- 'bilities of the lines. Mr. Burpee estimates the cost of tbe extensions at thirty two thou- sand dollars per mile. The whole length of Road necessary to be built to complete tbe. connections with St. John, Fredericton, Woodstock and St. Stephen, would be, say one hundred and eigljt miles. At $32,000 per mile the expense of construction would be $3,450,000. He makes an elaborate calculation of the probable receipts, by which he shows that after making all necessary deductions there would be $185,500 a year to meet tbe interest payable upon the money expended in construc- tion. That interest would amount, at six per cent to $207, 'JOO ; leav- ing $21,800 to be provided out of tho Provincial Treasury to meet the surplus interest. As the country ptospors, and industry and trade gro'", the earnings of the Koads would increase, and the amount necessarv to meet surplus interest would decrease. If the Road fell short no more than twenty one or twenty two thousand dollars of paying the "whole interest the first year of its existence, it is as certain as anything can well be that in three years its business would increase to that extent, if not, indeed, to much more. The profits of the St. Andrew's Rail- way for 1863 were probably $40,000 ; this year they are, on good grounds, estimated at $70,000. But if tho amount to be paid by tho Province towards the annual interest should be the sum named above, the share of this County, according to population would be but about $1,400 a year. Surely if our people had to pay this for a few years, until the Road became self-supporting, it would be the cheapest of all possible bargains, considering the inestimable advantages which the ex- tensions would secure to us. ' Your Committee are of opinion that if the County of Carlcton gives its support to the proposed Railway extension it should bo on the ex- press condition that the St. Andrew's line, or a branch thereof, bo car- ried in to tap the River St. John at the Town of "Woodstock. This is necessary not only for the purpose of securing the traffic of the County, and of the Upper St. John, but as a measure of justice to the County itself. Here we have already gathered the rudiments of a city, a home i; ,.' ■\ market, and a manufacturing centre. Woodstock, botU by its natural location and the progress which it has made, is the natural centre of business for the County. If the lower St. John desires these exten- sions, and expects the support of the Upper St. John, we are entitled to demand the line to the St. John lliver at Woodstock as an intogral portion of tlio whole scheme. It is vain to expect that a Rood with a torminus seven miles from the River, and much nearer Iloulton than Woodstock, can secure the trade of this County. If it is desired, in order to secure the Aroostook trade, to make a brawili to Iloulton, let it 80 bo ; but wo should ask, as an indispcnsa))lo jwrtiou of the scheme, tliiit our County should meet the consideration to which it is entitled in fairness to itself, and which Is much less tiian it would have a right to ask in return for the traffic v Inch it could give to the proposed extensioas. In order to show what the County of Carleton can now do, and of what she is capable, in furnishing traffic for tho proposed lines, we pre- .sont some of the statistics uf hei resources and production. » . , Carleton and Victoria occupy a peculiar position on tho Map of the Province. They are further from the seaboard than any other portion of New Brunswick. Out of our fourteen Counties, eight, — Charlotte, St. John, Albert, Westmorland, Kent, Northumberland, Gloucester and Kcstigoucho, — border on tho sea ; and have all the advantages afforded by their proximity to tho great highway of nations. Through four others, — King's, Queen's, Sunbury and York, — runs the St. John lliver, which, though closed in Winter, is navigable in Summer, through- out all these Counties, as far as Fredencton, for large steamers and for schooners. The tide actually makes to a point five miles above Freder- icton. But Carleton and Victoria are far inland — far removed from tho facilities of commerce possessed by the seaboard Counties, and to a less, but still very great, extent by tho lower River Counties. Were our County far in the rear in industrial and commercial progress, we might well adduce this as a more than sufficient excuse. They have at their doors, .be highway of the ocean ; we can only reach that highway by the bye path of one hundred and fifty miles of a River, the upper portion of which is practically unnavigable for seven or eight months of the year. Thei in extent Carleton County is insignificant compared to the area of the Province. It covers perhaps soven hundred thousand acres, or about 4-24 per cent of the 16,500,000 acres of the area of Now Brunswick. , , ,1, . .;, , . / , . n w Yet, with all these disadvantages, what is Cai^ton now industrially V what has it done ? an 1 what has it tho capacity to do ? We shall cite a few facts from the Census Returns of 1861, which may perhaps astonish those who, while they confine their travels, in their own country, prin- cipally to tho expansive districts of the " North Market Wharf" and ** Ohubb's Comer," fancy they know tho Province of New Brunswictc. The population of Carlcton County much exceeds proportionatoly its area, forming 049 per centum of that of the Province. Comparing Carleton with the Province, we find that in 1861 she had 9-17 per centum of the improved lands — more than double her proportion according to area; and that the value of her farms was 7-89 per centum, or nearly double the proportion of hor area. In that year she raised 9-19 per centum of tho Hay ; 9-G9 of tho Wheat ; 18-61 per cent., or more than four times the proportion of her area, of tho Oats ; 22 per cent, of the Buckwheat ; and 26 per cent., or more than one quarter, of tho Rye. Follow up the inquiry : she raised 11-51 per cent, of tho Turnips; 22-95 of the Beans ; 15-43 of the Peas ; 22-20 of the Indian Corn ; and 83-26 of the Clover Seed. Only in a few articles of farm produce, — Carrots, Potatoes, Barley, &c., did sho fall short of these ratios. Then proceeding to other productions of the Farm, the Loom, and the Factory, wo find that Carleton pioducod 10-60 ptr cent, of the Butter ; 11-74 of tho Checso ; 11-07 of the Maple Sugar ; 11-05 of the Wool, (an astonishing production considering her large annual exports of Sheep overland to the United States markets) ; 9-18 per cent, of tho Pork ; 9-61 of the Cloth and other Home manufactures. Of Honey, over one third of the production of the Province is in Carleton County — 35-52 per centum. The Carleton Tanneries produce 8 per cent of the Leather; and her shops over 13 per cent, of the Saddlery, and over 9 per cent, of the Boots and Shoes. And nothing speak jtiore strongly of the progress of Carleton than the fact that, insulated and cut off from the outer world as she has been for many long years, only one County has, in the ten years from 1851 to 1861, surpassed her in proportion- ate increase of population, and that she was five per centum above any Other, and 17-35 per cent, above the average of the Province. Albert, owing to the richness of her mines, increased 49-59 per centum ; Car- leton 4740, and Victoria 4240. This wonderful j roportionate production of our County must be at- I 8 tributed in the finit p^|oe to the Barpanung fertility of its soil, and see* ondly to the spirit and enterprise of its people, i,: „ But Garleton would have shown a much more wonderful produclion than this were it not for the barrier drawn across its centre by the Hiver St. John. On the West side are the centres of business, the tdWns and villiages, the principal mail routes and means of comm unica* tion. Tc reach the world the East side rmst cross the River. A great gulf separates East from West. During the winter the ice forms a suff- ficient Bridge. But during summer the only means ef crossing are boat*!! propelled by hand (except one horse boat). One can scarcely, without an actual experience, realise the loss, cost, and vexation arising fr3m the want of t)etter facilities for crossing. In the Spring and Fall, when the ice is running, even these poor substitutes for a Bridge are laid up; and for weeks the River is, for the purposes of ordinary busi- ness, impassable. It follows that the East side is regarded as a sort of forlorn region. Land is of less value — the farmer and laborer's toil is less remunerative, on that side than on this. On this account the settlement of the East side is very much retarded. Nevertheless set- tlement, under all these drawbacks* is proceeding on that side with as- tonishing rapidity. More than one half the surface of Carleton lies on tu , East side of the Kiver St. John. The East has 385,000 acres ; the West 315,000. But the effect which the Kiver has had is sliown in this : on*the Western side there are 81,247 acres improved ; on the Eastern side but 19,983. On the Western side there are in farms un- improved 190,202 acres; on the Eastern side only 70,558 acres. And while on the Eastern side there remains probably some 150,000 acres of ungranted lands, the Crown has scarcely an acre left on the west. ^ Nevertheless ; despite the drawbacks which we have here set out, and our statements respecting which are corroborated by the figures above given, settlement proceeds on the Eastern side with great rapid- ity. The extensive and prosperous settlements of Glassville and John- ville are the work of but a few years. A half dozen years since theu could scarcely be found Pt settler in these regions ; but a year ago even one of them had become so important that the Legislature set it apart as a new parish. If we wish to T-^rm a pretty correct notion of the rate at which settlement is proceeding in the Eastern portion of this County we have but to turn to the lleport of the Crown Land Depart- ment for the year ending 31st October, 1862, and observe the appro- disr vals of applications for Government lands under the Labour Act. It will be easily understood that lands apjjlied for by actual settlers are applied for under the Labour Act ; and that lands which are applied for by payment down, or by instalments, are generally bought for purpc- ses of speculation. Now in the year mentioned, the Crown Land Ke* turns show that of 1,004 approvals of applications under the Labour Act in the Province, there were 234 for lands in Carleton County ; while of the number of acres for which application was thus made, in all 95,955, over a third, — 23,202, — were in Carleton. Had there been a Bridge across tho llivor for the last ten years, at this day the East side would probably have been little, if at all, behind the West side in production. A Bridge would nearly equalize the advantages of the two sides- ; and with a Kailway to Woodstock such an impetus would be given to settlement upon the enormous extent of wild lands on the East side, that in ten years from the time at which the Bridge was completed we should have the productions of the County double those of its West side. With these facilities of communication Carleton would, in a few years drive from the markets the competing produce of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. Iler capacity for agricultural production cannot be judged by what she docs at present produce, both from the want of access to the East side, and because her farmers have no regular and steady market in which to dispose of their surplus produce. The home demand in our villages and in the lumber woods, falls very far short of what is necessitry to draw forth the capa- bilities of the soil. Consequently production is cramped, and kept down to the narrow limits of demand. Of most of the Mineral resources of Carleton little is as yet known. The presence of Copper over a considerable extent of country has been known for years'; and Copper Mines have been opened and worked, but not as yet profitably. Limestone is abundant in several districts. Hydraulic Limestone has been found ; as has also been Antimony and other minerals, besides large quarries of Roofing Slate. To these and other minerals and stones we shall make no further reference '; as they cannot be counted on as of immediate availibility in furnishing trafiic for a Railway. But the developement of the Iron Mines has already . One of the most imi)ortant items which Carloton would furnish as freight for the llailway would bo small lumber. The capacity of this County and Victoria for the production of this description of goods is enor- mous; and while the Railway would produce an immense expansion of the business, the present production is very great. The getting of tamarac and other roots has increased rapidly within a few years. During the present winter the quantities of these which are being got out along the line of the St. Andrew's Railway, and in this (Jounty, are enormous. The Railway is lined with them ; they may be counted by acres. Daily we see load after load-passing through Woodstock to the Houlton Road Station, brought from the upper country and the East side of the River. The production of this County alone for this winter may be safely esti- mated at 10,000. An addition has recently been made to our timber business. It is well known that Hard Pine of a large size is brought from the Southern States to" St. John for ship building purposes. BuJ fi gentleman from Carleton, St. John, has recently engaged a Carloton County lumberer to furnish him with 100 pieces of large Tamarack for the same purposes to which the Hard Pine has been heretofore applied ; and is to pay him $2,400 for the hundred pieces. ^^ **!?. r> r;^/ :: The Sfiingle business has also increased wonderfully within a few years. Mr. Burpee states that the d6wn-river traffic for 1863 was 32,000,000. The Deputy Treasurer at Woodstock informs your com- mittee that in the same year 15,750,000 foreign shingles, (made in the abjoining parts of the State of Maine above Woodstock), were bonded here for exportation from the lower ports. It has been stated on the authority of an extensive lumberer that the production of shingles this winter above the Grand Falls will be 50,000. A leading merchant of Victoria puts the production from Tobique upwards at 60,000,000. We may, therefore, say that at a low estimate 80,000,000 will be made in the St. John valley from Woodstock upwards ; and that with a Bail- way tapping the River St. John 50,000,000 would be sent over it. At 25 cents per thousand this branch of production alone would produce to a Railway $12,500. Immense quantities of other small lumber might bo depended upon a» soon as Railway communication was perfected to the various markets and seaports of the Province. Among the most noticeable of these are 18 the m''"' clapboards and laths. But our wood production is already expanding into other equally profitable branches. We may mention that in the vicin- ity of the Houlton Road Station a manufactory of barrel, cask and hogshead hoops has been recently commenced. The proprietor pays land owners in the vicinity twenty dclhrs a thousand, United States currency, for the small poles from which the hoops are* made, and em- ploys eleven men in making them. Ho states, your committee are informed, that the wood of the County is of a superior quality for this purpose, and talks of establishing factories along the River, in order to afford central points in every section to which farmers and operators may haul in the poles. The market for this description of lumber is exten- sive enough for an enormous business. From hoops we shall proceed to staves ; and having got to furnishing the wood for " heads," we may consider the barrel and cask business perfected. Of course the manu- facture and exportation of all these would form an important branch of our West India trade. On the trade of the County, and the exports and imports generally your Committee do not propose to .dwell at much length, as their extent, importance and rapid increase, must be patent to the most cursory ob- server. In attempting to obtain statistics of the traffic and travel on this River they have met unexpected obstacles. The following figurc55, however, may be relied upon as coming as near the mark as necessary for practical purposes. 'Importation of goods into Woodstock for retail trade, say $350,000 00 Freight paid on goods upwards from Fredcricton, by steamer and towboat, say ^ - 50,000 00 Passengers fare on same route both ways, say - - 25,000 00 The imports into port of Woodstock, (as given by Deputy Treasurer) for |»ar ending 31st December, 1863, were 147,123 G9 The exports from same port for 1862 were - - 50,017 87 While for the year 1863 they had increased to - - 122,069 60 Of course these amounts are but what appears on the Custom House 1x)oks ; but they convey some notion of the extent of the business now done at tbis port. An iinportant export from Carleton is that of Cattle and Sheep for the United States markets. Large numbers of cattle and immense flocks of sheep and lambs, are collected by drovers who pass through the County, from farm to farm. These arc now driven over the Road to 1' 1 ;■■■. I .: ■14 Bangor, and thience forward to tbe Biigbton and other markets. Sheep in droves of from one to five handred pass through Woodstock during the summer. This trade has existed for many years, and is on the increase. In 1863 probably some 7,000 sheep were thus expor- ted ; notwithstanding this great and reguUir annual exportation such has boon the prodviction that while the increase of sheep in the whole Pro- vince, from 1851 to 1801, was about 27 per centum, the increase in Carleton was over 36 per centum. Wore there a communication tho whole distance by Railway, the whole of these sheep and cattle would be sent thus to market ; and their freight would form an important item in the receipts of a Railway. Put tho rate from Woodstock to St. Stephen at 25 cents each ; and the 7000 sheep]would produce annnally for the Road $1750. Cheapness and facility of transport would increase the business ; and with the proposed Rail way extension tho export would be doubled in a few years. We have entered at some length upon the various "productions and resources of Carleton County in order to show what business we could immediately furnish to a Railway ; what increase in that business wo might reasonably expect. We desired -also to place Carleton County before tho public in a light somewhat more consistent with her actual importance than that in which she is generally viewed. In other por- tions of tho Province, more particularly in the commercial metropolis, no adequate notion of what Carleton is, and of what she is capable, exists. True she has a high reputation as an agricultural district, and her people are favorably known for their intelligence and enterprise J but that reputation is rather a shadowy one ; and if people abroad were asked to give facts and figures to substantiate the popular opinion con- cerning us, they would probably be puzzled to do so ofC-hand. Many of the facts and figures which are given in this Ropoft may be found in oflScial and other documents ; but these are little studied. And it must be recollected that Carleton cannot bo fairly judged by her pre- sent actual production, magnificent proportionately as that is. What she now does is ])ut a trifle to what she can do under favorable circum- stances. As we have already stated, the inland position Which she occupies, and the consequent difficulty and expense of reaching markets, have beon a fearful clog to her advance; not only keeping down produc- tion in the branches of industry already opened, but preventing most eifectively tho opening of others which might be made equally remune- u leep [ring the cpor. has IPro- rative. With proper facilities of Railways and Bridges, not only would her present production be probably quadrupled in ten years ; but nume- rous new openings would be made for industry; and b ' production would increase in kind not less than in quantity. Whatever she has as yet been enabled to accomplish, has been accomplished in spite of difl5- cultics and drawbacks the most disheartening. Everything has been against her except the richness of her resources and the enterprise of her people. For more than half the year she has been shut in from the outside world ; what her people produced for sale ,could bo got to mar- ket but for a brief time in the year, and that time the very one at which their attention was most required to their work at homo. During the remainder of the season, her farmers could dispose of their produce only by^hawking around the streets of a few villages and hamlets. With beef at three or four cents a pound, and oats at twenty-five to thirty cents a bu&hel, — as has often been the case, — the agriculturist has little incitement to the expenditure of skill and capital upon his soil. But open to them the markets of the Province, the United States and the West Indies, and the effect upon production, both in kind, and quantity, would be marvellous. Our fields and muics and forests have but to bo called upon in order to make a response in production that would build up the county at Railway speed. It is not so much higher prices that our farmers need as a regular, ivady and always open cash market. This has been the chief want — and the great and crying necessity. That want has chilled our energies — has dampened enterprise — has checked production. Give tu an opening !— ^s our cry ; in some direction ; in any direction. If o xv own sea ports will not aid us in finding an opening for our surplus production and for our trade, we must search for it elsewhere. If wo cannot have it by way of St. John, we will be driven to look for it by way of Bangor. Carle- ton desires the prosperity of St. John, and of every portion of the Pro- vince ; the people of Carleton would prefer to have such a Railway com- munication as would enable them to make St. John their medium of communication with the world, because while their own ends would be accomplished they would assist in building up our own Province, rather than the cities of a foreign State. But our people cannot but feel, and do keenly feel, that very little has ever been done to supply our great want ; that five millions of dollars have been spent to build a Railway coast wise from St. John to Shediac, to the disadvantage of our agricul- |. i\ it turistfl ; while upon our only highway to the sea, the St. John Rirer, we have heen grudged the few thousand pounds that have been expended. That Carleton and Victoria, with their immense resources, and their great production, could do more towards building up St. John than three or four coast Railways we fully believe. Last year the Province imported to the value of 1,900,000 dollars of agricultural pro- duce. With proper Railway communication Carleton and Victoria could frOra their surplus supply this want, and that at a cheaper rate than St. John now buys., And it must be recollected that while Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, whence a large proportion of these exports come, take mainly in exchange money, Carleton and Victoria, dealing with St. John, would expend in that City almost the whole of the amount received for their farm stuffs sold there. We should supply the St- John markets at lower prices than-lboso which at present rule there r and wo should leave in St. John the very money with which we were paid. We should supply her with lumber for her shipbuilding and manu' facturcs at lower rates than she could otherwise obtain it ; and we should give to her merchants and manufacturers the supplying of our greatly increased wants. In every way they would gain. Let not the people of St. John delude themselves with the flattering idea that the St. John River secures to them under any circumstances the trade of Carleton and Victoria. The River serves us for five montlis out of the year passably well ; for the other seven it is either partially or entirely useless. That this state of things can last let those believe who will ; the people of Carleton do not. A gradual fermentation of public opinion has been going on ; if an outlet cannot be found in the direction which they might wish, they will accept it in any other direction which offers. Already their eyes are directed west, ward. The St. Andrews line is doing service, notwithstanding the un- fortunate location of the Station at its upper terminus. Already no in- considerable portion of the trade of Carleton and Victoria have been di- rected, through moans of this Road, from our commercial metropolis. — Almost all of the goods sent in bond to Woolstock came by way of St- John ; of the $147,000 imports of this j)ort for 1863 over $131,000 came from United States over the St. Andrews Railway If the merchantg of our own seaports underate the importance of our trade, the shrewd and enterprising men of the State of Maine understand well its value, look to it with longing eyes, and are feeling after, and handling it with the tenacious grasp of the " Down East" Yankee. They bring over New m ore It shfi I IT England waggons and aleiglis, and fill our County with thorn, in ezchangt for cattle and sheep, and sheep skins. They send agents who sweep our butter off by wholesalu for their own. markets. They evidently de- sire the benefit of our trade ; and instead of following the plan of somo that we can name, of sitting at hon-o with folded hands expecting it. to como, they are sending out their emissaries in every direction. Should the long projected Bangor and Aroostook Railway be carried out, and nn extension bo made to tap the St. John River at Woodstock, as is proposed, our trade would as surely flow through the outlet thus mado as does the water down the valley of the St. John. Still anotlier point is worthy of consideration. Tho people of St.. John wish Railway oommunication with tho Un'^ed States. They de* sire it both for tho purpose of the additional brsinosfj which it may bring their city, and as an extension which vill n -xkc tho Shediao Road more profitable, or less of a dead loss. To have tho western extension a, profitable work is therefore a matter of tho utmost importance. Should the western extension bo built it would bo found that the fow miles of the branch from tho St. Andrews lino in to tap the St. John River at Woodstock would bo tho best paying portion of the whole line. Comn potent authorities have calculated that after paying expenses it would give a dividend of eight to ten per cent, per annum upon the amount necessary to build it. The additional business which it would furnish the main lines might make all the difference between a paying and a non-paying Road. At all events, to divert to it from the St. John Rives such portion, of the Woodstock freight as would naturally take the Rail-t way wore it extended to the St. John at Woodstock, would swell tho receipts of tho Road, and in a few years make it a paying and not a. losing speculation. Now, clearly, if this will be tho effect it is tho interest of St. John to support the Woodstock branch. It is not a question be- tween River and Railway. The River will remain where it is if tha Railway be built not less than if no. Railwiiy ever joined Woodstock and St. John. What does it matter to St. John whether its goods be carried up the country by River or Railway, except that in sending them by Railway they may furnish it with such an amount of freight as will justify tho undertaking of its construction ? Your Committee, before closing this Report desire to add a few words on the Woodstock branch. They have already endeavored to show that in order to complete the extension Sbheme thai branch must be built. It should be built in order to draw the traffic not only of Cailcton^ « I i 4 y 18 vhicli centres at Woodstock, but of the trhole valley of the St. John Kiver, above Woodstock. . So long as there is no Railway communica- tion farther up, the St. John will be used to carry the freight and pas- sengers of the upper county down to and up from the Railway. But to effect this the Railway must touch the River. And Woodstock is the point at which it would naturally tap the St. John, for the reasons which wo have already given. Rut our town is not only the point at which the trade of the county concentrates, and at which the trade of the upper districts would concentre, in order to reach the Railway ; but Woodstock is the point at which in a few years a Bridge must be built to accommodate the much neglected Eastern side, and to dcvolope its resources and promote its settlement. Further, Woodstock is not tho centre of our county alone ; a large portion of York County lies in such a position as to be most accessible through our Town. The boundary line of York is but seven or eight miles from Woodstock, while it is some forty from Fredericton. If you draw a line through the county of York at every point equi-distant from the capital and our own Town, you will find that from one-third to one-half of the unsettled lands in York,are nearer us than they are to Fredericton. Woodstock is as nat- urally the maAet and the centre of business for this portion of York as it is of any part of the County of Carleton itself. The cost of this branch, say from DeBeck's Mill to the Town, would not be greater per mile than that of the extension westward from St. John. The distance is variously estimated at 7, 7^ and 8 miles.-^ Taking the latter estimate, at «£8,000 per mile, it would add to the cost of the whole work $256,000. It would pay probably as well as any por- tion of the proposed extension of the same length, and much better than the average of the whole line. We will only add that to get goods car- ried between Woodstock and the present station of the St. Andrews Railway on the Houlton Road, seven miles, costs on an average half as much as the freight of them ovCr the eighty-eight miles between that station and St. Andrews. We leave it to tho public to infer from this fact the inconvenience and annoyance and expense which are entailed upon the community ; and to decide whether this fact of itself does not furnish a sufficient justification for the people of Carleton making the building of these seven or eight miles an indispensible part of tho scheme. In submitting this Report yOur committee must express their regret that the circumstaneeB did not admit of the expenditure of moro tone in 19 obtaining the information respecting the resources and condition of the County required by the Athonocum. The tacts and figures of tvhich the Report is mainly composed had to bo hastily collected from a vast rariety of sources ; and from the necessary hawto with which the work has been done.your committee have not been able to make it as elaborate, reliable and satisfactory, as they could have desired. Your committee suggest that though it be now necessary to put it in print in its present form, in order to aid in the accomplishment of a certain purpose, yet to obtain and publish the fullest and most reliable information possible re. specting our County is a matter not of temporary but of permanent interest. This Report might bo taken as the basis of more searching and extended researches ; and the Athcnooum, taking a sufficiency of time for the purpose, and applying to the task the varied information and experience, and the energy and application of its various members, might produce such a full and reliable account of the condition, resour- ces, trade and prospects of Carleton, as would place it before the world in the position to which by the richness of its natural resources, the developemcnt of its industry, and the intelligence and enterprise of its people, it is justly entitled. Such a work would be of immense benefit to the County, and would worthily employ the labors ofour young but spirited association. Respectfully submitted. JAMES EDGAR, Chairman of CotnmitCee. Woodstock, February 11th, 1864. UJ :|; ii ^1 1- ■