Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1872-01-11
Marrow Gauge Roads.

Va ehS NOuasHlsoAObSAS vi luo LUCK
River Valley Railroad
"Narrow gauge ROADS for local
purposes fret, and subsequently
for important, trunk lines, scM be
bttit, and will successfully CON-
pete with the old system. The
capacity Of the narrow gauge can
at present not be called iiimited, rs
It is plain, upon thorough inyesti-
cation, that gauge of SIT. Gin,
and even a gauge 8 # can do tho
'cork OF the Ave foot gauge in
Tennessee and the South general.
9y, that is, can move the same q.
mount of pas 'engers and freight,
vhichour five feet gauge railroads
now move, or will move in this
generation. Any one can take
the reportsof our railroads in op.
Grafton and can find for himself,
that the narrow gauge can do all
they now do.
A gauge of s #. 6 inches is at
present brosd enough for any of
our trunk lines, and a still more
marrow gauge, proportioft0teiy suit
ed 10 the traffic of The locality, is
broad enough for a local or branch
road. '-'
At present, in the incipient
state Of settlement, when popula.
ton is sparse in our State, aud
traffic comparatively light, no 9th.
er gauge but the narrow gauge
ought to be advocated for new
roads Of any character, because the
marrow gauge is the mos: suitable
to our condition. II in future
ages, some of the narrow gauge
rOads should prove too narrow for
the demands of traffic of a dense
ly populated country as ours may
be, the increased wealth of such q
country will prove adequate TO the
expense of widening such gauge.
1t is sufficient for US TO know,
that the most eminent authorities
in England, Russia, Sweden aid
Norway, and several States Of the
Union, have caused powerful gov
ernmrnts, after mature delibera-
tion, to adopt he ndrTotc gauge
for future railroado in their vast
countries, dominions and colonies.
lin the case of the East Indies the
narrow gauge of 3ft. 8 in, covers
at least ten thousand miles of pro
;scted and partly butt roads,l
that such narrow gauge roads are
built and in operation, and are
pronounced a success by official
reports OF tho highest respectable.
ty and authority in several coun'
tries that the narrow gauge rail
roads, built and operated on this
continent, are pronounced a sue.
cess that thousands Of miles of
narrow gauge roads are projected
and in prpgress Of construction in
the United States and Canada
that the most eminent engineers
IN the country, If not the open
advocates of the system, at least
unanimously admit IT'S great ddran
tegs; and finally that common
sense dictates Its adoption.
Railway construction, like all
branches of engineering has been
progressive, and is expected tc
continue to be go. Continual
search after Improvement, practi
cal trials, Investigations of every
conceivable scheme devised e
perfect, and reduce the cost Of
railways, from the very wide 7 #.
gauge Of the Great Western to the
no gauge, or one rail system, have
brought about very satisfactory
results, and today the same a.
mount of capital builds larger and
better roads than were formerly
built. The increase of knowl.
edge in this particular demon.
strates the great field Of improve.
ment yet before US, and how lit
tie we really know about railroads.
Assuming this constant pro-
gress, wisdom commands US to q.
dept the benefits of any new sys.
tenn, after full investigation, nc
matter what changes they may
bring about, and hoto much Il mds
clash ,ciM old time opinions and e.
tablished syStems, and it would be
worse than folly to deny and dis
card the benefits of any new sys.
tenn, when such are Enthusiastically
essablisked.
The continued agitation Of the
new narrow gauge system, has, of
course, greatly increased the in
terest in the same, and to-day
companies for the construction OF
marrow gauge railroads, mainly fol
local traffic, are formed in mos,
States and foreign countries. It is
pain chat the narrow gauge, hav
ing the great advantage of eoono
my ofoosstrssctiOn, with The same