The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1849-11-09
Correspondence of the Journal
LOUISVILLE, KY, Nov. 5, 1919.

Dedr Sir:-Having spent day or two at
New Albany gaining statistical information
for the use of our Evansville and Illinois
Railroad, Ihave thought it might not be unac-
ceptable to our people to get some of the re-
suits of my observations and enquiries thro'
your paper.
The "New Albany and Salem Railroad"
was got up much in the same manner that
we are getting our road up. 1t is now but
little over two years since the company was
organized In May. 1s48. ground was first
broken in its construction. The community
which is building it was but little more
wealthy than our community, whilst the bro
ken character of the country through which
much ofthe road passes opposed obstacles to
its construction which our people happily have
not to encounter The distance from New
Albany to Salem, the termini of the road, as
Originally projected, is IS miles; and now let
US see what progress our enterprlslng friends
have made. A stranger there walking cut
to the depot at the terminus. will be surprised
to see an extensive brick engine house now
being covered informing the half of a circle
whose diameter is about 200 feet containing
twelve stalls for sheltering twelve locomo-
tives Adjoining this building is spacious
machine shop completed, and in it, together
with much local machinery, stands the verita-
bic Iron horse, a medium sized Locomotive
of the best workmanship weighing With its
tender upwards of 16 tons, and costing as it
stands $500, (eight thousand four hundred
dollars) Its cost in Philadelphia, when made,
was but $500. The transportation cost the
remaining $500 There being no rail road
yet connecting Philadelphia with the Ohio
river, this iron horse, which otherwise would
publicly have travelled through the mountains
on his own legs and taken water on an up
river boat for New Albany, had to go by sea
to New Orleans and thence by steam boat
up. more ungainly lump of freight Jack
tars or stevedores scarce ever handled, I'M
less peradventure it was an Egyptian obelisk,
and this unwieldly monster is destined IN a
few weeks 10 course its way at race horse
speed through the forests of Indiana. where
but the other day there was no other lcdy,
and No other horse, but the Indian pORey and
the Indian trail Along side Of the machine
shop of this company is a handsome foundry
building just completed, and h lrd by are the
foundation walls of an extensive freight de-
pot 410 feet long by 45 feet wide. Near to
the engine house and exposed to the weather
for want of SHELTER, stand two beautiful first
class passenger cars-one freight and two
platform cars. The cars were built at Gin
cinnati, the passenger cars costing $4,000 a
piece, the freight car $3.50, and the two
others $685. each. exclusive of transportation,
Most of the iron to complete the road Is in
the warehouse of the company at their depot
The road is nearly ready for the timbers all the
way to Salem, and the superstructure is now
being laid down. 1t was expected that the
first 90 miles would be in operation this fall,
but unexpected delays have retarded the
work. and the iron will probaly not be laid
far enough out before spring to enable the
road fairly to open, but next season the cars
will run from New Albany to Salem, over a
road 50 miles in leHgth, and that road con-
structed in a little over two years from the
time when the first shovel full of earth was
moved. But this is not all. An extension of
this road has long been making and now
60 miles in the Interior miles Of the extern
sion are ready for the TIMBER cleared grub
bed and graded, and the Engineers cannot
prepare the wood fast enough for the citizens
along the route to do it. By the rules of the
board of directors every man through whose
land the road is to run, has a presumption
right to clear, grub and grade, the road thro'
his own land at as low rates as others will do
it. and it is being done on private contract at
the Engineers estimates, 40 per cent payable
in county bonds or other stock in the road
Stock has been subscribed already enough to
finish the road ready for the cars far beyond
where these contracts are being made. The
people of the country through which it runs
stand ready with willing hearts and strong
hands to do the work themselves and at the
rate that the road is now progressing it will
reach Lafayette as soon as the Wabash and
Erie Canal will be completed to Evansville,
or directly after it. The effects of the road
upon real estate both at New Albany and
in all the towns through which any work has
been done upon the road as well as upon the
| farms aIonrr tho limo are CLEARLY faIt and