Southern shield., 1854-03-18

ne Ll1e, the l rutn, the w aY,
 The path prayer myself hast trod;-
 Lord: teach us how to pray!
 
 ES Mr. Hewson, the Chief Engineer and agent the A. M. R. R. Company several days in this city, during last week.-From him we learned, the sur vey of the route of the road from Hele- na to this place is rapidly progressing, and will be completed in a few weeks. At present, the company engaged in the project, design ony to build the road to White river; unless that aid which, they may reasonably expect from the coun, ties of Pulaski and Prairie, is afforded them.
 Hitherto the citizens of those counties have given this road but a small share of their attention,-the Little Rock and Memphis, and the Cairo and Fulton roads, have engrossed their attenton.- As for ourself, we freely confess, that our remisness in the premises. Those schemes, we have always and still regard as feasible, and destined at some not very distant period of time to be complet. ed. But under existing circumstances, we cannot expect 10 see them complet- ed immediately. We are suffering for the want of an outlet 10 the Mississippi river;-this will be afored us by the A. M. R. R., with less cost than any oth- CT means. The engineer of the com. pany, pronounces 1t route over which road can be built with less money than almost any road in the Union.- From Helena to Little Rock, there is not a hill to cut through, or stream to cross of any magnitude except White river, which can bridged at a cost of S40,000. It can be completed before either of the other roads can be got fairly under way.
 The road from Little Rock to White river, would be about fifty-five miles long. Its cost IS estimated at about l S625, ,000. Once at White river, we are in direct communication with the Mississippi river; and fifty miles nearer Memphis: ito that extent 1t is as much the Memphis as the Helena road. The experience ofthe last six months is sui. fcient, one would suppose, to arouse us to exertion. Within one hundred miles of the Mississippi river, every article consumed costs us from twenty-five to fifty per cent. more than 1t costs the peo- rla ha hon af hot bo expense of transportation, to say noth- ing of the inconvenience, on articles con- sumed in Pulaski and Prairie in one year equals the interest on the cost of the road. The road will relieve us from this tax and infuse new life and energy property would be enhanced in value from fifty to one hundred per cent, and corresponding increase of population will follow.
 Not only will these results follow, but the stock will he highly remunerative.- Without extending it beyond this place. the statistics show that the road will pay handsome dividend. It will be profit able investment. The following, based upon reliable information, we think will be sufficient to es stablish that fact:
 There are thirteen boats, constantly engaged in the trade of White river.- Besides, nineteen incidental trips during the year.
 Each of these boats averages a gross receipt of $25,000 year; the nineteen incidental trips are valued at $3l .000.
 The running of boats like the running of railroad trains, costs given sum per mile, and consequently the cost at which freight can be carried is in the exact pro- portion to the distance.
 Of the S2j ,OOO earned by a White river boat, allow in consideration of de lays $l2,OO0 year as the proportion of earnings chargeable in that case to the running between Cache and Memphis.
 This show for the thirteen boats at $I3,OOO a year, $l69,OOO and adding the S3l,00O for the nineteen incidental trips, gives a gross earning for boats carrying freight between Cache and and Memphis of say S200,0UO. We may safely assume $50,O00 to the amount of insurence on the freight, and the gross sum paid by the shippers above Cache is seen to be $250,O0O.- Let us assume that forty-four miles of railroad from Cache to Helena, will carry this freight to the Mississippi, for one-forth the present cost-$6O, GOO and there appears clear annual saving of of Sl9O,OOO to the country above Cache. From S6O,0OO deduct $25, ,0J0 for work ing expenses of the road--a high figure "a balance of $35,00o or 2 per cent. on the cost remains to be paid to the