The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-04-18
THE JACKSON RAILROAD.

The report OF the president OF the Jackson
Railroad Company, to the Board OF Directors
is a document we'll worth the attentive con-
sideration of the public. We think that no
impartial person can read it without coming
to the conclusion that, under the admlnistra-
ton which has controlled it during the last
four years, the affairs of the company have
been sagaciously, skilfully and judiclous.y
managed. Had it not been for the extIaor-
binary depression, both agricultural and conn.,
mercial, attending the seasons Of 1867 and
1868 the road would now be in a fourishing
condition. As it is, it has been thoroughly
renovated ard supplied with new rolling
stock without mourning dollar of additional
debt and financial embarassments, under
which it labored, have been, 10 great extent,
cleared away. The report says:
During che past year, to February esth, 1852
the FREIGHT end pas-enger earniDgs have been
$l,l42l3 81, averaging s95 ,35l Is per month. not
witbsts ,ding the unusually wet weather of the
last winter. which has materially Affected the re-
ceipts Of the road.
The lowest earnings for any one month (June)
ives s57 500 25. and the highest was flor Decem-
ber) sl46,l0s %. The mail earnings for the
twelve months have amounted TO s25,24S l6.
The cost OF operating the road IS 6 10 per cent.
of the gross earnings, will compare favorsbly
with that OF any road of the same length, COG
miles,) and which is usually over so per cent.
The total Indebtedness of the company
Floating and bonded, including all estimated
interests on personal accounts and bills paya-
bic, cannot now exceed "a, 75O, 900. which can
be readily managed with the receipts of the
road, estimated at 81. 5000 per annum.
One of the greatest impediments to the
g n~l,. =. Al
posed by drayages, rendered necessary by
the want of a thorough connection. 1t is
known that the compsny have been trying
for some months to obtain the right of way
for connecting their depot with the Pont-
| chartrain depot-a work which would be of
| vast Importance and benefit. On this SUBJ
| ject the president says
A dray load of fourth class freights from the
river 10 the railroad depot Ia distance of about Ii
| mie) costs about as much as the freight on the
| railroad from New Orleans to Pontchstoula as
miles, which is nearly eQua. TO one quarter COS.
| of transportation over the whole length If the
road, and drayage on fractional loads (Which con-
stitute generally the orders of planters and pri-
| waite famies) is nearly equal TO the freight from
| New Orleans TO Canton.
The public will be glad to know that the
attention of the company is again directed to
the extension of the road according to its orr
ginal plan. Decatur has been selected as the
| objective point of the extension on the Ten
nessee river, and, for the construction of this
new line of 242 SIP miles which, we may
remark, has already been surveyed-an indie
| pendent company, under the style of the
Decatur Branch Railroad" is to be organized.
| The president believes that besides consid-
cradle subscription of cash, labor, and mate
rails, in the counties through which the line
passes there will be obtained land subscrip-
ton of from 25 to so per cent. of the area of
the country traversed which will be a suffi.
| cient basis for the issue of bonds to iron the
whole road, and meet the cash outlay re-
| quired.
But, perhaps, the most interesting portion
of the report is that which refers to the course
pursued by the directors in reference to the
progressive reduction of freights and fares
1t will be seen, from this part of the report,
which we give in full below, that the directors
have ae..e al, That could reasonably bs
pected of them, and that their policy has been
dictated by regard for the interests of the
public, as well as for the advantages of the
company. Rightly considered, indeed, these
are inseparable, and the directors have evil
IDENTIFY recognized and acted on this principle
To show more clearly what reductions have
been made in the tariff rates of the road, we
repeat here the statement of those made in
cotton and passengers:
In 1865 the freight on cotton from Canton 1.-THE
northern terminus Of the rosd) to New Orleans
was 81 per bale. In 1866, s. per bale. In 1867
bale.
During that period the total receipts of cotton
per the road were as follows:
In 1861, 80 $50 bales-s407 ,906 OF; average
rate per haze, 81 IL.
In ls67-s, log SO7 bales-sss7 1888 81; averrge
rate per bale, So 81.
In 1868, los 99l bsles-s2s6 ,1l6 l3; average
rate per bale, 81 20.
The decrease in rate Of freight per bale, be.
tween 1867 and lS67-8 is 80 rs.
The decrease in amount earned same period il
/ $50 907 81.
The decrease In rate of freight per bale between
l567-s and ls6S-9is so 81.
The decrease in amount earned same period IS
ISL $50 6S. showing clearly that decrease in
freight rates only produced greater decrease in
the earnings
On the LIST OF April, 1869, the rates will be re.
duced still more as follows:
First class, 50 10 81 40 per 100 pounds
Second class, from 81 so to 50 80 per 100
pounds.
Third class, from 81 90 to so 70 per 100
pounds.
Fourth class, from so so to 50 SO per 100
pounds.
The reduction of passenger rates produced
about the same results Is the change of freight