THE MOBILE AND CHICAGO RAILROAD.

This is one of the greatest railroad enterprises of the present day. The route of the road as obtained by elaborate surveys, is as follows. It passes through five States, viz. :

62 miles in Alabama, 271 miles in Eastern Mississippi, 119 miles centrally in Western Tennessee, 393 miles in Western Kentucky, and 375 miles centrally in Illinois; making the distance from Mobile to the mouth of the Ohio river 492 miles, and the entire distance, from the Gulf of Mexico to Lake Michigan, 867 miles. Its general course, from Mobile to the Ohio river, is slightly west of north, thence to Chicago about the same degree east of north. It crosses no navigable stream (great or small) in its whole extent, except the Ohio river, at or near its mouth. It is an average distance of ninety miles from the Mississippi river, and not less than fifty miles average distance respectively from the Illinois and Wabash rivers. Unobstructed by the tributaries of the Mississippi river on the west, it is equally clear of those of the Tombecbee, Tennessee, and Wabash rivers on the east. Thus, in its course nearly due north and south, it occupies a belt of country almost entirely destitute of natural channels of communication, and forms at the same time the most direct, cheap, and durable trunk line of railway that can be projected for the great valley of the West. In length it is only 11 per cent. longer than an air line, with no ascending gradient going south steeper than 30 feet per mile, and none going North over 40 per mile; and its highest point of elevation south of the Ohio river above tide, 505 feet. Its position for the intersection of other cross or diverging lines of railway is at all points very favorable.

The total present population, white and black, in counties to be mainly accommodated by this road, is not less than 1,000,000, with an aggregate export and import tonnage of 750,000 tons. The entire present population of States, and parts of States, whose markets are and will continue to be chiefly at the Gulf ports, is upwards of 5,000,000, with an estimated export and import tonnage of 4,908,000 tons. While the whole present population of the Mississippi basin, including the western portions of Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New York, which will be connected with the Gulf by the Mobile and Chicago road, in less distance and time than by any other avenue, is 8,500,000.

The total cost of this road, from Chicago to Mobile, 867 miles, constructed with a heavy iron rail, 65 pounds a yard, and fully stocked with machinery for its opening business, in proportion to the extent and productiveness of the country, will not exceed $20,000 per mile, or an aggregate of $17,340,000; less than onehalf the amount already invested in railways by the city of Bos

ton.

On the 20th September, 1850, an act was passed by the Congress of the United States, "granting the right of way and making a grant of land to the States of Illinois, Mississippi and Alabama in aid of the construction of a railroad from Chicago to Mobile."

A right of way was granted through the public lands not to exceed 100 feet on each side of the length of the road. The grants of lands are as follows:

"That there be, and is hereby, granted to the State of Illinois for the purpose of aiding in making the railroad and branches aforesaid, every alternate section of land designated by even numbers, for six sections in width on each side of said road and branches; but in case it shall appear that the United States have, when the line or route of said road and branches is definitely fixed by the authority aforesaid, sold any part of any section hereby granted, or that the right of pre-emption has attached to the same, then it shall be lawful for any agent or agents to be appointed by the Government of said State, to select subject to the approval aforesaid from the lands of the United States most contiguous to the tier of sections above specified, so much land in alternate sections, or parts of sections, as shall be equal to such lands as the United States have sold, or to which the right of pre-emption has attached as aforesaid, which lands being equal in quantity to one-half of six sections in width on each side of said road and branches, the State of Illinois shall have and hold to and for the use and purpose aforesaid: Provided, That the lands to be so located shall in no case be further than fifteen feet from the line of the road.

And be it further enacted, That in order to aid in the continuation of said central railroad from the mouth of the Ohio river to the city of Mobile, all the rights, privileges, and liabili ties herein before conferred on the State of Illinois shall be granted to the States of Alabama and Mississippi respectively, for the purpose of aiding in the construction of a railroad from said city of Mobile to a point near the mouth of the Ohio river, and that public land of the United States, to the same extent in proportion to the length of the road, on the same terms, limitations, and restrictions in every respect, shall be and is hereby granted to said States of Alabama and Mississippi respectively.

The European and North American Railway Company, which was incorporated in the State of Maine last year, will receive a charter from the New Brunswick Legislature. The company has also petitioned the Legislature of Massachusetts for a grant of public lands owned by that Commonwealth in the State of Maine. The capital of the Company is to be £1,500,000 currency, 60,000 shares of £25 each. The line of railway is to run

from the Nova Scotia boundary, through New Brunswick to the eastern boundary of Maine, and the company may unite with other companies in Maine and Nova Scotia. It may run branches from the Maine line to any part of New Brunswick, and may own steamers in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and the Bay of Fundy.

Railroad Progress.-At a recent meeting of the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, Mr. G. W. Smith, a gentleman well versed in railroad statistics, presented a very interesting account of the average extent of all the railroads in the United States, including those which will be completed during the year 1851. They amount in all to no less than ten thousand six hundred and eighteen miles. Adding those which will be entirely completed next year, the total extent will exceed twelve thousand six hundred miles; more than sufficient, as Mr. S. justly said, if extended in one line, to reach round half the circumference of the globe. This aggregate goes beyond that of the railways in all the rest of the world.*

PLANK ROADS.

Among the many improvements in the means of communication which have been prosecuted in the last few years, plank roads are assuming a very important rank. It appears that the first plank road in Canada was laid down in 1836, and in New York in 1837, but it is only within the last four years that they have been much prosecuted.

Very nearly four millions of dollars have been expended in New York upon these roads, and the resulting advantages are immense. The roads have all been subscribed for by individuals, and all pay handsome dividends. For instance, the Troy and Lansingburgh road pays 10 per cent. semi-annual; the Utica and Burlington 20 per cent., and we believe none in operation pay less than 10 per cent., and none of the stocks can be bought in

the market.

The importance of plank roads in farming regions becomes self-evident, when it is stated that on the Salina road a two horse team drew six tons of iron twelve miles without unusual strain. Four and a half tons is an ordinary load, and a team will travel

It is stated that the total mileage of railways in Great Britain is 6,257 miles, the aggregate cost of which has been £219,752,700.

with it eighty miles per day, four miles an hour, day after day. A farmer, in a heavy country, stated that the tolls paid saved themselves in the labor of cleaning horses.

In all localities where these roads are in operation, land rises greatly in value. On the Salina road, farm land rose from $9 to $19 per acre; on the Syracuse road the increase was $10 per acre. It will be observed that an amount of property equal to $4,000,000, bearing a high rate of interest, has been created, and that property has added in addition several millions to the value of the land through which it runs, and that all this property is mere saving from the old cost of transportation. As the exist ence and operation of these roads is but little known out of their localities, we append the statistics :-

After the war of the revolution, the several States ceded to the general government all claim to unappropriated territory. The subsequent purchase of Louisiana from France, the acquisition of Florida from Spain, and of New Mexico and Upper California, have made the national estate equal to fifteen hundred and eighty-four millions of acres. Of these one hundred and thirtyfour millions have already been definitely appropriated, and there remain for disposal, including appropriations not yet perfected, more than fourteen hundred and fifty millions of acres. The aggregate quantity of this domain was distributed in round numbers, among the States and territories, as follows:

Up to 1820 these lands were sold on credit at two dollars per acre; and afterwards at one dollar and twenty-five cents, for cash. In 1833 a pre-emption right was insured to actual settlers, which system still remains in force. But Congress has also made other dispositions of the public lands. The following have been appropriated for purposes of internal improvement, for saline reservations, seats of government and public buildings, institutions of education, &c., besides 79,000,000 for soldiers' bounties.

The annual average revenue from these lands, since the system of sales was adopted, has been a million and a quarter of dollars.

TERRITORIES.

The following statement, showing the estimated surface of the Territories of the United States, north and west of the regularly