New Jersey Railroad Charter manuscript Stock Prospectus.
1842. Manuscript. A two page handwritten account of the Liabilities, Assets and Revenues for the New Jersey Railroad, extending from Jersey City to the city of New Brunswick in New Jersey. It appears to be a stock prospectus issued in 1842 to encourage further investment. The New Jersey Rail Road and Transportation Company was incorporated on March 7, 1832, to build a line from Jersey City, New Jersey, to New Brunswick....The line opened to Newark in 1834; Elizabeth in 1835; Rahway and East Brunswick in 1836. The Raritan River was finally bridged in 1837. The completion of the Camden and Amboy 's branch line from Trenton to New Brunswick on January 1, 1839, created the first through route between Philadelphia and New York City (Wikipedia).
It begins: "The New Jersey Railroad extends from Jersey City on the Hudson River opposite New York 34 1/2 miles to the city of New Brunswick in New Jersey and is located through the most populous towns and counties of that state, extensively engaged in agricultural, mechanical and manufacturing .... It is so connected as to furnish the shortest most expeditious and most certain line of communications between New York and Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington and other southern and western cities furnishing a necessary link to the great mail lines under contract with the department and is so secured by legislative and other protections as to prevent the possibility of a rival road for at least half a century... The whole cost of the road right of way, bridges, depots, work shops etc which is now complete is the entire amount of the capital stock. Dollars $ 2,000,000.
The cost of other assets include the purchase of the stock of Bridge & Turnpike Company; real estate in New Jersey not used for the purpose of roads; a dock property in New York used for for ferry purposes as a termination of the line in the city. These costs total $397,925.98. Receipts are listed as $285,592.12; Charges $140,485.68. There follows a comparison of Gross Receipts for 5 months for each of 1840, 1841 and 1842 which show a steady increase, to $99,137.59 in 1842.
Foolscap folio, 15 1/2 x 10", 2 pages written in ink with Paper folio size, watermarked J.W. Whatman 1838. Period folds, very good condition. Very good condition. Item #27746
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