Washington telegraph., 1854-11-22
For die Teicgrqph.l
A MEMBER
House or REPRESENTATIVES,.
Little Rock, Nov. IL. 1854.

J
MR. EDITOR The desks Of the mem
bers for several days past have been covered
with reports of Railroad Companies One
would think, from the documents exhibited,
and the interest taken in them BY members,
that we are above travelling any longer upon
dirt roads We all seem disposed to cut
dirt-sufiiciently at least for the construc-
tion Of Railroads The question is at what
point we shall begin with the spade, and
what route We shall pursue The survey Of
the Cairo and Fulton Railroad that Of the
Little Rock and Fort Smith Railroad, by
both of the projected routes, and that Of the
Memphis ard Little Rock Railroad have
been completed, under the direction Of engi-
neers of great professional distinction. The
reports Of these engineers exhibit eminently
practical routes, over which first class roads
can be made at lower cost per mile, than
such roads are made at in any other State
in the Union
But one M EUTr HEwsoy," as he de-
lights in writing his name. Chief Engineer
Of the Little Rock and Helena Railroad
who wanted to ~ engineer Of the Memphis
and Louisville Railroad, and could not,
seems TO have taken out rowing commits
sion to engineer a. The go-between Of Rail-
roads in general and has favored Us with q
real spring-freshet Of documents. including
biz editorials for the Helena Shield circn-
lar that could not ind their way into the
columns Of any newspaper, blanks for the re-
linquishrsent Of the right Of way BY persons
living upon the Helena route, blank propo-
sails for road-bed, and a survey Of route
from Helena to Little Rock, and according
TO his facts and figures" bis road viii, when
complete, cost only nine thousand si1 inn
dred dollars per mile. The wonder is
that be did not leave the amount of MS esti-
mate blank Such an ambidextrous genius
has no use for money to build a Railroad
He can Just az easily make something come
from nothing" and most assuredly he viii
make something goto nothing when he gets
Railroad to Helena.
1t is curious to survey the mass Of docu-
ments Of all kinds. with which this very
busy VI. Butt HEwsoN, is annoying US
Some Of them are white, some blue, and
some yellow lie appears to have had a
perfect diarrhea Of documents, &c, when |
say this refer as much to their matter as
to their quantity. His pretence that Rail-
road from Little Rock to Helena would cost
only, nine thousand six hundred dollars per
mile shows how miserably unreliable his
documents are. No matter what may Be the
character Of the country over which the
route to Helena passes, we all know that the
iron rails, the cross ties, the spikes. chairs,
and the locomotives and cars wonld cost up
on the Helena road as much as they do up
on all other roads and every decently in
formed engineer Or other Railroad man
knows, that the actual cost Of these alone,
without taking the earth-work, bridges. cul-
verts, &c, into consideration at all, i always
estimated at much more than Mr. M
Butt HEwsoN sets down as the cost of his
whole road completed and equipped Either
be i very dishonest or he i very stupid
We have no use for the estimates Of such
a parsonage. His estimate of the cost Of
his read is as much too low as his estimate
Of himself i too high. What he says As
to the superior advantage Of Railroad TO
Helena is ridiculous. lie tells US in one of
his circulars that Helena would seem 70 have
been selected Jy a FigM of eagles as tie
terminus Of The road. We think it very
likely Eagles are no doubt very respecta-
bic birds, but We of he Arkansas Legislature
never heard of their having any particular
skill or science in the location of Railroads
/ If ever they should betake themselves to
travelling upon Railroads, they may be bet
ter judges of routes and :ermini At pres
en- they do their travelling in fashion more
satisfactory to themselves and know no
more Of Railroads than NJ. BUTT HEwsoN
does.
We are not aware, Mr. Editor, that YOU
have expressed in your columns any prefer
ference. as to the terminus of the branch
Railroad 70 the Mississippi river, but some