Washington telegraph., 1855-01-03
Memphis and Little Rock Rail-
road Survey.

road survey.
We havebefore us the report of Mr. Ford,
chief engineer of this road We have not
time to give it an extended notice, but make
the following extract:
at is hardly necessary for me TO alludo
to the cost of construction. Before I com
menced the survey, Messrs. John II. Brad
lev & Co had contracted to build the entire
road for twenty-five thousand dollars per
mile This contract provides for first
class road including iron and equipments,
depots, water-tanks, engineering and 9th er
incidental expenses upon basis of $4,000
cubic yards of earth-work per mile. re-
gard this contract as extremely favorable to
the Railroad Company. The Lafayette and
Indiana Railroad was built wholly under my
perntendance, when wages were twenty
five per cent lower than at present, iron ff-
teen per cent cheaper, and the grading, ma
sonry and bridging, less in quantity, mile
for mile, than on your road. That road,
when fully equipped, cost upwards of $685.
600 per mile.
"Of the other projected roads in Arkan-
sas, it does not become me to speak. No
man pretending to be an engineer, who by
consent of his profession, has been allowed
to be, would degrade himself so far as to
depart from his legitimate duties to inter-
meddle with the affairs of another company
1t would be idle to attempt to build Rail-
road any where at the present time, unless
it is connected with other important roads,
and from its locality would, when in opera
ton, become great highway of travel
Such is the stringency of the money mar
ket that not dollar could be re allied from
a sale of the bonds of mere local road
1t is equally certain that Railroad cannot
be built in any of the States east of the Mis-
sssippi river, by individual subscription,
and | pressure it could not be done in Ar
kansas. There are few roads which de-
rive their greatest income from freight
The Philadelphia and Reading Railroad, 95
miles long cost upwards of $17,000,00O,
or nearly s200,000 per mile, and, during
the last fiscal year, paid dividend of per
cent. on its capital stock This road con-
meets the coal fields of Pennsylvania with
tide water at Philadelphia. Supply and
demand are unfailing, hence upon this enor-
nous outlay of capital moderate income is
realized by the stockholders. The Railroad
from New Castle to London is another case
in point. 1t connects the Coleries of the
North of England with the chief market of
the world Although three hundred miles
long. and costing double that of any rail-
road in this country. of equal length, such
is the magnitude of its business in the trans
portation of freight, that coal is carried over
its whole length for IS cents per ton, and at
a profit.
Your road penetrates a country where
the products are carried to market by river
navi cation. The spring and summer are re-
quired to grow them, the autumn to harvest
them, and during the winter they are ship
ped to market. The staple supplies of the
country. such as sugar coffee, molasses, &c,
are brought back during the winter and
spring. These customs are founded in ma
ture, and no railroad can change them. 1t
can add to the population and wealth of
country, multiply its products, but it can
never change the laws which govern produc-
ton and consumption.
Suppose a railroad to he constructed
through cotton planting district for the
purpose Of carrying that staple to a market.
IL "Ouiu pe uScu IKE tne cotton gins until
the crop was sent OF, and rest idly the re-
mainder Of the year. Hence it is that
where there cannot be a constant supply of
freight Railroad to be profitable. must
make up the deficiency by the transportation
of passengers All the railroads east of the
Mississippi river, terminating at Memphis,
are benefited by the construction of YOUR
road and yours by the construction of them.
So mutual is the dependence of one road
upon another that interest draws them to
the support oe each other The Memubis
and Charleston Railroad Company have
pledged themselves to endorse the bonds of
your Company to the extent of 500, 600.
and the Memphis and Ohio Railroad Com
pany for similar amount" L'H
We have heard it broadly asserted that
the Memphis Company have bought up the
lands on the route, at the crossing of White
river, and run the line to suit themselves
Dir. Ford reports the length of the line sur.
,veyed to be l20 l6-lO0 miles, OR l. 9O-1OO
longer than an air line We do not believe
there is parallel case in the United States
"A road l2o miles in length less than two
miles longer than an air line is certainly
very unusual Certainly very few crooks
and trlns have been made to suit the inter
ests ct individuals. Thus another burqa.
boo disappears. TArkansas WIS