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Show Mr:. 1 1 ext. r V. Poor, the railway statistician, in Im volume for the pro-sent pro-sent year, foresees that American roil-way roil-way building will not in the future progresa as rapidly as it has of lato years, and limits his estimate for succeeding suc-ceeding years to 3,000 miles annually. He thinks the progress of the future will be moro in tho direction of reducing re-ducing the transport charges, and bo shews that within the last twenty-five years these have been reduced by i two-thirds. There ia no doubt that this estimate would havo proved approximately correct, had railway building been confined to the brood gauge roads. Tho introduction and successful operation of narrow can gin have revolutionized the entire system, planing the steam engino for purposes of transportation at tho command of most American villages of a few thousand inhabitants. The demand for steam roads in the mining district of the west will bo enormous, nnd tho Pacific coast country can profitably employ thousands of miles of cheap railroads. Steam transportation is the only lacking factor for the profitable profit-able development of hundreds of mines, nnd the settlement of large ivreii of fertile country, which is enHcntiiil to tho full pntpnrity of the went. Can any ono doubt that tlm territory iti whirh exmltt combined I great aKricuUnral and mineral resources re-sources will alwnys ntirnct enlerprinc and capital from llirmo rftnonfl whore agriculture is tho principal indunlry? In time many bnuichf of mainifdo-turing mainifdo-turing will follow, and nhundant railway rail-way communication will ho require! to transport the varied products to the markeU of tho world. Tho pwnibili-tip pwnibili-tip of railway extr-nnion aro iiurmmsd, and with a lair field for cfuniintition, the steam wiiy may ultimately mper-ryijo mper-ryijo thn carriage nmil, nnd tlio loi;o-molivo loi;o-molivo take tlm plan) of tho homo save for pleasure truyol. |