Towards the end of a long and active life, Col. Kelly became by disease incapable of much motion and seldom left his home. He seemed to be retiring from public view, and preparing to leave this world when he should be called. He had that true characteristic of bravery, an indisposition to fight his battles over again, and that feeling of humility, that where a man has only done his duty, boasting has no place. It is in some measure owing to this reserve that our notice of his life must be so brief and so imperfect. He seemed not to know, that other men would have done differently from him; but to believe, that whatever distinguished him from others, arose mainly from the circumstances under which he acted. We are of another generation, and his contemporaries have either gone down to the grave, or through lapse of time failing faculties are unable to give particular details. From himself, but a few gleanings from a life long and full of incidents, have been obtained.

From the Pennsylvania Inquirer.

But your Committee regret to say, to these queries no satisfactory answer could be obtained-it was said Mr. Roderfield, who is the clerk, was sick, and as it was high time the rate of County tax should be fixed for the year 1835, they felt it to be their duty to proceed without delay, and in accordance with this ar rangement, they went into a minute examination of every item set forth, in order to ascertain whether a more economical expenditure could not be recom. mended: And to that end they will notice the estimate submitted, in the order there set down, previous to which they cannot refrain from stating, that the de. mand of one hundred cents in the hundred dollars is not only much larger than could have been anticipated inasmuch as a loan of nearly half a million has recently been allowed, and made for the purpose of paying the debts contracted by the former commissioners, and when it is considered that when the above named sum is raised, there will still be a deficit of upwards of 120,000 dollars for the current expenses of the present year your committee are constrained to say, unless laws be passed checking in a great measure the unre

COUNTY BOARD.

public mey, Real Estate will have to bear still heavier burdens-this however by a judicious policy which it is believed may be adopted, will be avoided. Your committee are not surprised that those who are watch

Present-Messrs. Mller, Hassinger, Spackman, Stokes, Baker, Lewellen, Peltz, Mather, T S. Smith, Handy, Rheiner, Paynter, and J. B. Smith. The County Commissioners laid before the Board an estimate of the county disbursements for 1834. Mr. Mather moved that when an adjournment took place, it should be till Thursday ensuing at three o'clock. Mr. T. S. Smith moved that the County Commissioners furnish the Board with the accounts necessary to ascertain the accuracy of the estimate for 1835. Adopted.

Real Estate, which are subject to and must, under existing laws, bear all the burdens of taxation for county purposes, and turn their attention to stocks and other personal securities, which are free from those onerous exactions. Whilst they acknowledge with pain this state of things, they would recommend that the question as to the amount necessary to be raised and required by the County Commissioners, be met and fairly treated at once.

Item 1. Is $9000 for House of Refuge, agreeably to the provisions of a recent law. This is correct.

Item 2 & 3. $800 for carriages, for courts, roads, and

Adjourned till Thursday afternoon at 3, P. M., when the Board again met.

Present-Messrs. Miller, W. B. Reed, Rheiner, J. B. Smith, Mather, Helfenstein, Hassinger, Paynter, Leston, T. S. Smith, Peltz, and Lewellen. Mr. J. B. Smith from the committee appointed at the previous meeting, made a report, accompanied with a resolution, that the sum of $343,634 28 be raised by tax at the rate of 75 cents on every $100 of the county rates for the year 1835-adopted. A certificate in accordance with the resolution was signed, and filed with the County Commissioners. We subjoin the report: The Committee appointed to examine the estimate submitted to the County Board, by the County ComInissioners, on Monday the 20th day of Apri— REPORT:

That they have had the same under consideration, and that the importance of raising by direct tax nearly $600,000 from our citizens, who are holders of Real Estate, for County purposes, alone, for the present year, has induced them to endeavour to procure such data as were necessary to form a correct opinion as to what amount should be expended on the different items reported to the Board, by the County Commissioners. They accordingly inquired of these gentlemen for the balance sheet for the year 1816, or for any one year from that time, to 1826, the object of which was to ascertain what amount of money had been rais

lowances your committee can find no laws for, and would recommend to the Commissioners to discontinue the practice.

Item 4. Is printing, $500, which they would recom mend to be kept within $250

Item 5. Is Elections, 2000; this seems very high. Item 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, & 14. Relate to the courts, and amount in round numbers to $30,500; this expenditure they think excessive, and earnestly solicit all those who are connected with these disbursements, to do all in their power to keep them down.

Item 15. Is fire proof building $25000,-the erection of this work they would recommend be put off for the present, as many charges fall upon this year that will not be required the next year.

Item 16. House of Correction $17,367 92. This they think is too high and may be curtailed, and they call upon those who have charge of that establishment, to do all in their power to that effect.

Item 17. Is debtors apartment, $1,712 15.

Item 18. Is Arch Street Prison $500. As this is for repairs, they would recommend this expenditure bę kept within $250.

Item 19. New County Prisons $60,000. This being for a permanent improvement, should be borrowed for a term of years, at a rate of interest not exceeding 5 per cent.

Item 20. Eastern Penitentiary is 2,000 dollars; this they think should not exceed $1000.

Item 21, 22, 23, 24 & 25, consisting of criminal apartments 56 80, stationary 455 20, fuel, oil, &c., 320 84, assessments 12,000,horse stealing 68 40. The se cannot be reduced. But item 26, $3,000, being the

Item 32. Commissions to collectors, 18,000; the last year this charge was 12,191 95. Item 33. as last year. Item 34. dollars. Item 35. School fund 60,000. They would recom mend to the board of comptrollers the most rigid economy in this expenditure, not that they wish to retard or obstruct their laudable labors in so good a cause, but that it requires the aid of every good citizen to be zealous in his endeavors to lessen these public burdens, which of late have become so great.

Allowances to collectors 6317 21; same

State tax 10 cents per 100 dollars, 46,000

Item 36. Survey of Penn township 3000 dollars; they would recommend that 2000 dollars be expended on that object.

Item 37. County Court House 1000; they find there was expended last year for repairs, upholstering, &c. 1293 35; they would recommend that no money be expended this year on that item.

Item 38. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 375.
Item 39. Treasurer's salary $1500.
Item 40. Fugitives from justice 50.

Item 41. Interest and discount 7,500; this should not be allowed. The public servants should not be permitted to run the county in debt by borrowing

money.

Item 42. Board of Health 15,000 dollars; this item your committee think is by far too large and should be curtailed by wholesome laws.

Item 43. Public roads, $120,000, which means opening streets; this they would recommend be not allowed, and here your committee must express their entire and unqualified disapprobation of opening and grading streets for the purpose of allowing private companies to make rail roads at the expense of the county; this is another great abuse which the public should frown indignantly upon; an abuse which your committee cannot enforce their objections to in terms sufficiently strong. Item 44. Bridges $40,000; they would recommend that no bridges be built this year.

Item 45. Interest on county loan $23,750; correct. Item 46. Debts due by the Commissioners, $74,916 Item 47. Sinking fund 1-25th part county loan $19,000.

instead of 589,189 94, being required, the sum of 346,208 will be amply sufficient for all the legitimate purposes of the county. If these recommendations are attended to, and economy and management pursued by the public servants, the burdens of the county will be considerably lessened, and their debts put in a train of liquidation. As twenty-five cents in the hundred dollars will leave a balance in the hands of the Treasurer, on the first of January, 1836, and 19,000 besides will be at his disposal, being the 1-25th part of the county loan, which they would recommend be put out in some safe investment, in order to sink the debt from time to time, as the case may be. You committee cannot close this report without urging it upon the County Commissioners, in the most solemn manner, to keep all their expenditures within the provisions of the law, so that those heavy exactions, which they fear real estate will have to bear, may be averted, and the county of Philadelphia once again free from debt. It is true seventy-five cents in the hundred dollars on $45,817,905, the amount assessed, will produce but 343,634 28, instead of 346,208, yet this arrangement includes and will satisfy all claims of debt against the county, to wit, 74,916, now due and unpaid, together with ample provisions for payment of interest on county loan.

As it appears a large amount of money is due and unpaid, on account of taxes for 1834, it is fair to presume when this amount is collected, and the sum raised for 1835, above mentioned, a considerable sum will remain in the hands of the Treasurer, to meet the demands for the year 1836.

Your Committee recommend the adoption of the following resolution:

That the County Commissioners of the county of Philadelphia, be directed to levy a tax of seventy-five in the hundred dollars on all the real estate in the county of Philadelphia to meet the current expenses for the year 1835.

Bloomsburg, Columbia Co. Pa. May 5.

The Season has been so remarkably cold and back. ward inthis part of the country, as to retard the growth of vegetation in a remarkable degree; grass and grain are far behind their usual thrift, the earliest blossoms are only beginning to put forth.

We have seen a gentleman from head of Fishing creek, who informed us that on Wednesday last, the snow (which fell the day before) was two feet deep on the North Mountain.-Visiter.

As it is recommended to reduce the estimate on the following items: 2 and 3

4

senger.

Printed every Saturday morning by WILLIAM F. GEDDES, No. 9 Library street.

The publication office of the Register has been removed from Franklin Place, to No. 61, in the Arcade, West Avenue, up stairs.

VOL. XV.--NO. 21.

ALLEGHENY PORTAGE RAIL-WAY.

No. 3.

Report of Samuel Jones, Superintendent.
RAIL-WAY.

TO JAMES CLARK, ESQ.

President of the Board of Canal Commissioners. SIR:-At the period of my last annual communication to the Board, the first track of the Portage railroad was reported as nearly completed; but, owing to the setting in of winter, and the early snows of that season, the use of the rail-way was not practicable until the ensuing spring. At that time however, on the eighteenth of March last, the road was formally opened for public use, and the transportation upon it has continued almost uninterrupted up to this day. With the exception of one death, which was occasioned by the running away of a car on plane No. 1, no accidents of a material character have occurred, whilst the cars were in the charge of the agents of the Commonwealth. Delays and stoppages have been very inconsiderable; and such as have taken place, arose from the necessity of cleansing the boilers of the engines, and making such additions and repairs about the machinery of the planes as experience and utility required. And, in relation to delays, I will here take occasion to say, by way of contradiction to reports which were put in circulation last spring, by some of those interested in transportation, touching the detention of goods on the Portage, that at no time were cars delayed more than one day, and delays even of this kind were very rare.-The whole number of days lost, exclusive of Sundays, during the entire season, do not exceed six or seven. The engines and machinery, from their first trial up to this time, have continued to do their work with great facility, and have fully realized all that was expected from them, as relates to the plan adopted, in the application of stationary steam power upon inclined planes.

The transportation upon the rail way, east and west, has been very extensive, considering that this is the first season, and, comparatively speaking, one of experiment, rather than profit. The results, when communicated to the Board by the proper officer, will doubtless be gratifying, not only to them, but to every citizen of Pennsylvania who feels an interest in the completion of the main line of our internal improve

ments.

A second track of rail way upon the Portage having been authorized by the Legislature, the work, by the direction of the board, was put under contract on the thirty-first of May last. The contracts were allotted to good bidders, generally, and at fair prices; and the work has progressed with great rapidity. Out of the whole forty-six sections allotted, but one has been rendered liable to forfeiture. A great number of the sections are now ready for the iron, and on some of them the rails are now being laid; and I anticipate, if the iron is received in season, the whole of the rail way may be completed this year.

The length of the second track, or that portion of it

VOL. XV.

41

No. 385.

upon which edge rails are now to be laid, is about twenty-eight miles and fourteen hundred yards-the remaining distance, required to make up the entire length of the Portage, (36, 69-100 miles,) having been made under former contracts for laying the first track, and is embraced in the sidings and double tracks on the inclined planes, and at the basins at Johnstown and Hollidaysburg.

The whole of the second track at present under contract, except a small portion of sections Nos. 11, 29, 39, and 42, where there are heavy embankments, and parts of sections Nos. 1 and 46, on the basins, will be laid on stone blocks, similar to those used in the first track. In the curves, however, where the radius is less than 955 feet, stone sills, running across the track of every nine feet, have been adopted. This measure will render the rail way, at the several points of curvature, extremely solid and durable, and prevent the possibility of lateral separation. Upon the embankments above mentioned, the edge rails will be placed upon timber, connected by locust ties. The whole extent of the latter kind of road in the main track, will scarcely exceed six hundred feet.

The following are the quantities of iron materials required for the second track:

The contract for the edge rails was entered into in London, on the 5th of June last, and through the industry and exertions of the manufacturers, the whole quantity required was made and shipped for Philadelphia, as I understand, by the 6th of September. The Iron is of an excellent quality, and owing to the attention of Mr. Snyder the Commonwealth's agent in England, it has been manufactured in the best manner in every respect. The bars are all eighteen feet in length and weigh about thirty-nine and a half pounds per yard.

As much has been said and urged by many intelli. gent and respectable individuals, against the propriety of sending to a foreign country for our Iron, when it is one of the staple commodities of our own State, and where it is manufactured to a greater extent, than in any other part of the Union; it may not be improper to remark here, for the information of those who may not be aware of all the facts connected with the subject, that setting aside the very great difference of cost in favor of English rails, and their exemption from custom house duties, there is no one establishment in the United States, that could manufacture the quantity required for the second track of the Portage in a less time than twenty-four or twenty-seven months-whereas at one house in Wales (Ebervale) the whole amount was fabricated in about twelve weeks.

The cost of the edge rails per ton, of two thousand two hundred and forty pounds, as per contract, is eight pounds sterling-being seventeen shillings and six

pence more per ton, than the cost of that for the first track. This advance in price was owing to the in creased demand for Rail road Iron in the United States. I have been told that a short time previous to making our contract, rails had been sold in England at eleven pounds,

The cost of a ton of edge rails delivered on the Portage, including all the incidental charges, is estimated at about sixty eight dollars and nineteen cents.

Of the sixteen thousand nine hundred and fifty bars of edge rails contracted for, fourteen thousand five hundred and eighty-six, have arrived at Philadelphia, and as arrangements have been made for the transportation of the rails from the Delaware, thirteen thousand nine hundred and ninety-eight bars have been ordered for delivery upon the Portage, a great part of which is already delivered, and the balance in the hands of the carriers, and on the way. Should the remaining two thousand three hundred and sixty-four bars now at sea arrive, as expected, in the early part of November, there is no doubt but that we shall have the entire quantity, delivered, distributed and laid on the several sections of the road in good season. The whole cost of the edge rails when delivered on the road, is estimated at one hundred and twenty-two thousand and three hundred dollars.

The cast iron chairs for the second track, have all been made in this country, as they can now be afforded by the manufacturer at a price not exceeding that attendant upon the purchase of those made in England. The average contract price which I now pay for American chairs is about fifty-five dollars and ninety-three cents per ton of two thousand two hundred and forty pounds. These chains are made at Blairsville, Johnstown, Jack son Furnace in Bedford county, and at Lewistown. A large portion of the chairs have been cast and delivered. The eitimated cost of the whole number required for the second track, is thirty-two thousand nine hundred and fifty dollars.

The pins and wedges have been contracted for at Pittsburgh. The pins are delivered on the road at five seven-eights cents per pound-and the wedges at six cents per pound. These prices are somewhat less than those of similar materials from England, when delivered. The estimated cost of the pins and wedges, is ten thousand seven hundred and fifty-two dollars.

have been erected upon the Portage-one at Johnstown, and one at Hollidaysburg. The platform of each scale is calculated to suspend four cars. Any amount, however, from five pounds to sixty thousand, can be weighed with equal facility and with great accuracy, They cost five hundred dollars each, and were erected by E. T. Fairbanks & Co. of Pittsburgh. These scales are of immense advantage to the Commonwealth, as they not only enable the collectors to ascertain the exact weight of the articles transporsed, but they serve as an effectual check upon any infringement that might be attempted on the revenue.

At the instance of the principal engineer, I have purchased during the present year, eight new ropes for the inclined planes. These, therefore, with the two extra ones procured last year, will constitute a new set, which will enable us to meet any emergency during the ensuing season, when the two tracks shall be in operation. Having received information of the great superiority and durability of ropes, now in use upon some of the English rail ways, made of New Zealand flax and saturated with a solution of India rubber or gum elastic, I have ordered one of the eight ropes above mentioned, from London, as a matter of experiment. It is now in Philadelphia, and when brought upon the Portage, will be put into use as soon as practicable in order to test its qualities. Should ropes of this character prove, as represented, to be of superior strength and durability to those now used, it will be of great advantage to the Commonwealth to purchase them in future, as they can be delivered in Philadelphia at about twelve and a fourth cents per pound including all charges.

In accordance with a resolution of the board, adopter for the purpose of rendering the rail way more usefal and perfect, and to prevent delays which might occur from accidents accruing to any of the steam machinery now in use, ten new engines have been contracted for during the past summer. They are now completed and ready to be put up. All the incidental work connected with the second track, is now principally under contract, and in a forward state, and I have reason to ex pect that the two tracks of rail way will be ready for transportation by the 15th of March next.

mation of the board, the various kinds of work conI shall now proceed to state in detail, for the infortracted for on the rail way since its commence. ment, with the present estimated cost of each, the amount paid on them, and the sums yet required to complete the entire road:

GRADING AND MASONRY,

Cost of grading as per esti

mates,

$472,349 03

Add amount allowed Snodgrass and Durno, on section No. 11, by authority of the Legislature,

Real cost of grading
Amount paid contractors

Leaving a sum yet due of
Cost of viaducts as per esti-
Amount paid contractors

mates

Balance due

Cost of culverts per estimates

5,436 43

477,785 46

2,845 10

474,940 36 474,797 48

$142 87

79,755 801 79,655 291

100 51

34,319 39