The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1850-10-22
Hxanax,l,a R.,lraaa.

addressed by Mr. Geo. d. Hay Of Vincennes.
asking information relative to the Evansville
and Princeton Railroad. Mr.. H. enclosed the
same to John Inele, ESQ., with a note asking
him as one of the orr glnators of the road, and
a member of The Board of Directors, to reply.
The following able and practical letter was
addressed by Mr.. Ingle to Mr.. Rathbone, and
by him enclosed to Mr.. Hay, who published 1t
in the Vincennes Gazette. 1t will be found
to contain valuable information relative to
this important road, &C.:
l-~,90 EVANSVILLE, Oct. 10th, 1850.
! G. w. RATHBoNE, ESQ.,
Dear Sn: In answer to your favor of this
morning, accompanied by a communication
from Mr.. Geo. ID. Hay, Of Vincennes, re-
questing Information relative to the require
ments OF the Evansville and Illinois Railroad
1 Company, Of the citizens OF Knox county, in
order to an extension OF the road TO Vncen-
nes would respectfully reply, that as Sec
rotary Of the Company, and as a working
Director Of this road from its organization
until now, am toIerably well informed as TO
the views OF the Company, with regard TO its
extension to Vincennes, as well as OF the abil
ity Of the Company to aid in its extension.
From my association with the President,
Judge Hall, in our negotiations for iron for
the road, in the city OF New York, the past
summer, have had an opportunity as to
what must &c done by Railroad at home to
entitle the Company to credit abroad for rails
and machinery.
Having made these remarks to show what
my means OF information are, l would beg
leave to state, that it is only necessary Of
more cannot be done) that enough money
should be raised at home, to prepare the road
for the iron from Princeton to Vincennes.--
That means being raised-the work let out
and in a favorable state OF progression, the
Company could then, by all issue OF the bonds
. Of the Company. payable in ten to fifteen
years. procure the rails and all the machine
ry 10 run The road
The means raised at home, in this case,
should be an available cash subscription, pay
able in calls as the work should progress. No
bonds of the Borough Of Vincennes, or of the
county Of Knox, would, in that case, be need
: ed.
, County bonds, rs far West as Indiana, are
not marketable in New York, except at ruin
Gus discounts; though they sometimes avail
as c0llaterals tot per cent. railroad bonds,
which must always be payable sem-annual-
iy in New York.
As an indication of the amount of means
Irequired 10 prepare the road from Princeton
to Vinccnnes for the iron, will give you a
cost of the same work from Evansville to
Princeton, say q niles as shown b. the en-
gineer's estimates, and the contracts made
D and now being carried out Tor the perform
ance Of the work.
Cost of preparing road from Evansville to
Y prtp sft-t Tor fhs.i riz
I Stewards contract, clubbing,
: grading and bridging, sT.126 90
: GriiiiL&Co., for superstructure, 20.457 SO
Laying down tuck, $500 per mile, 10000 w
Contract Tor gravel, 5000 GO
q Engineering aud contingencies, o,Ai6 90
rUtaf, SrU-,uvu w
Say one hundred and FIVE thousand dol
, lars. And Of this sum neariy ten thousand
dollars is payable IN county bonds and stock
IN the road, and might as well have been stock
as county bonds.
We shall have to make some further con-
tracts yet for graveing the road bed, but that
will be light affair, and can be done chiefly
alter the road is in operation, and carrying
the means to do it. Now the distai ce from
. Princeton to Vincennes, is, somewhat less
than the distance from Evansville to Prince
ton. But the bridging will be more. Almost
the half OF our grading occurs in one section
, nine miles from Evansville, at the summit
level. Almost the hay Of tia Thoie cost.
No such heavy work will be found between
Princeton and Vincennes, unless, indeed. il
be the White river embankment. suppose
we should not attempt 10 bridge White river
at such height as TO clear the chinneys OF
steamboats,; or that very durable siructui e
. for bridge would be 1T first advisable. ]
should think that $4,000 90 at most would
build such bridge at White river as we
ought to put up at first, having a draw bridge
, III the channel for the passage OF boats.
We cross Pigeon creek (about one half as
wide as White river) at point where the
; water is at lowest, twenty feet deep, at a cost
$ Of three thousand six hundred and fifty dol
i lars. ! think three times the amount will
:. bridge White river.
am of the opinion that We could prepare
!, the road Tor the iron from Princeton to Vim
= cennes for one hundred thousand dollars
. Leaving clothing but the iron and machinery
to run the road, to be bought with the bonds
n Of the Company.
8 1t may take ten thousand dollars less by
paying per centage of the work in the stock
e OF the Company, and the inducement 10 take
J, stock in payment for work on the road will
be, from It's increased length, about double
d what it was when we let out our contracts
II from Evansville TO Princeton. There cannot
n be any doubt but what the stock would pay
well, Immediately on the completion OF the
road to Vincennes.
We, then, would not want Knox county to
I build any particular portion oil the road, but
, to add certain amount TO the stock oil the
f company, on condition that it shoald be ex-
pended from Vincennes to Princeton. This
done, the Company would procure the iron
, and cars to run il. The Company would 90