New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-07-26
WHAT OUR NEIGHBOR IS DOING.


The State of Arkansas, under Repub-
lican administration, is being rapidly de-
veloped in resources, as her system of in
ternal improvements is being carried
into execution. Thirty-three years of
Democratic rule and domination in that
State put only forty-fve miles of railroad
into operation, while Republican party
scarcely seated, and there is now COM
pleted line of one hundred and forty
miles, with one thousand miles of track
in rapid progress of construction.
The Memphis and Little Rock railroad
is now completed and running, thus for
for the first time connecting the capital of
the State with the outside world. Under
the old order of things it would take a
small steamer from two to four days, ac-
cording to the stage of water, making a
circuit of about four hundred miles
through the White or Arkansas rivers, to
accomplish journey of one hundred and
forty miles, which is now made in ten
hours. This road is looked upon as the
centre of the railroad system in that State,
and is to be the outlet of all the other
roads in the State, as we'll as the Southern
Pacific. The Memphis and Louisville
company, that has the control of this
road, is constructing another from Du-
wallis Bluff, at the crossing of the
wv Hra or
of Little Rock, which is to run to
Marshall, in Texas. The st. Louis
and Iron Mountain Railroad Company
is rapidly pushing an extension south
ward to connection near the Arkansas
line with the Cairo and Fulton road, the
charter for the Missouri terminus of which
is now understood to be owned by the
president and chief owner of the Iron
Mountain road. At or near Commerce,
some distance above Cairo, is the only
feasible point between st. Louis and the
Gulf of Mexico for crossing the Missis-
sippi with bridge. Here, as at no other
point on the lower Mississippi, are high,
bluff banks with a rocky bottom. 1t is
understood that prominent railroad capt.
talists have charter for a road from this
point to an intersection with the Cairo
and Fulton and ST. Louis and Iron Noun
tain roads on the Arkansas line. If the
guage of the Ohio and Mississippi be
changed as intended, and if direct line
\ two ID
Central, or from point on the line Of the
st. Louis, Vandalia and Indianapolis road
to Commerce, and continued along the
Cairo and Fulton diagonally across the
State of Arkansas to a point on the South
ern Pacific, at or near Dallas in Texas,
the result is seen as an unbroken line
from Indianapolis, Cincinnati and ST.
Louis via Little Rock to the Southern
Pacific; and even through Texas into
Mexico via the International. The line
of the Cairo and Fulton International for
its entire length through the State of Ar
kansas, some three hundred miles, is I'M
der contract to contractors well known to
Jut IdllIodu WOIiu, Udcheu IuduCIdlly ny
the capitalists of New York and Boston.
By the terms of the contract, the northern
portion of the road, from Little Rock to
an intersection with the St. Louis and Iron
Mountain, is to be completed and in
working order by the first Of July, 1872.
Some twenty miles of rail are already laid
from Little Rock northward and some
eighty miles or more of the route are
graded in addition. From Kansas City a
line of road is rapidly pushing south
ward through the Indian Territory.
From Fort Smith, on the line of the Ter
tory, and on the Arkansas river, charter
has been granted for a road to run north
ward, which is to intersect and will most
probably be consolidated with the Kan
sas road From Fort Smith, again fol-
lowing the valley of the Arkansas, extends
the Little Rock and Fort Smith road.
This road, from Little Rock westward to
Lewisburg. distance of fifty miles, is
completed and running, while of the re-
naming one hundred miles, seventy-fve
or more are graded, with the ties upon
the ground, and the company have large
amount of iron on hand ready to be laid.
From Little Rock, as a direct continuation |