New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-09-05
Grand Narrow Gauge Railroad CeIebra-
tiOn in Mississippi.
Secretary.

1
ton in Mississippi.
We copy tie following from the Jackson
Clarion:
On last Thursday, the twenty-eighth
ultimo, the completion and opening Of the
| Ripley narrow gauge railroad was cele-
| brated with great demonstrations of ioy at
Ripley, Tippah county, in this State, by a
concourse of nearly 10000 people This
| event has marked a new era in railroad
| construction in the Southwest, for we be-
! lieve it is the first narrow guage railroad
| which has been constructed and opened for
| business south of the Ohio river, and we
are proud to know and record that NIissis-
| sippi enterprise has been the first to accom-
| plish this grand pioneer undertaking.
| Tie present starting point of the road is
| at Middleton, in Tennessee, on the Mem
! phis and Charleston railroad, about half
! way between Grand Junction and Cornth,
| and the present terminus at Ripley. in
| Tippah county, Mississippi, a distance of
twenty-five miles and due south from Mid
dIet0n. This section, which is now com
pleted, is only the first link in the chain for
grand trunk narrow guage railroad which
is projected to traverse the whole length Of
the State, north and south, from the Ten
| nessee line to the seaboard at Mississippi
City, and penetrating country now entirely
remote from railroad facilities. With the
Cub%A3 VI EttNI pei AhIIG from the state,
which is now secured by the completion of
this Grst link, the enterprise will undoubt-
eddy be pushed forward vigorously. Cap
tain Hardee informs US that he has in course
OF preparation an official paper on. the sub
Ject OF narrow guage railroads, to be adj
dressed to the people of the State, and
showing their complete adaptabilitv to all
the needs and wants Of our people, and we
shall therefore look forward with a great
deal Of interest to this forthcoming produc-
ton.
We can not bestow too much praise on
the indetatigable spirit and energy DISPLAY
ed by Colonel Falkner in carrying forward
his project 10 its present successful point
and especially as we have been informed
that the earth work was commenced about |
the first Of February last, and the road fin
lshed on the tweDtv-eighth day of August.
and more wonderful than all, that the asst
nineteen miles of iron had been lai in |
twenty days.
If the people IN Union Pontotoc Chcka- |
saw, Oktibbeha. Winston, Neshoba, New I
ton, Jasper, Jones. Perry and Harrison
counties will now come forward and avail |
themselves OF Colonel Falkner's energy by
giving him helping hand, it will not be
many months before they will hear the iron
horse snorting through their wild woods. |
developing the now hidden resources of
that section of the State, and thus repay
ing them ten fold for what little assistance
they may be called upon to give They
must remember that this narrow gauge
railroad can be constructed and put III
operation at one-half the cost of other
roads, thus securing a cheaper transpOrta-
hon, and at the same time answering all
the purposes for which a railroad is re-
luired. We wish the Ship Island, Ripley
and Kentucky railroad God-speed. and a
speedy completion by its energetic pres;s
lent, Colonel W. G. Fall1ner, whose re-
cent unlooked-for achievement gives an
earnest that at no distant day the lone
Ooked for road to Mississippi City and Ship
Stand will be an accomplished fact When
t once reaches Mississippi City, an arrange
nent can undoubtedly be made with The |
New Orleans and Mobile railroad to Law
Town an extra rail so as to carry the mar
ow gauge cars right into the city of New
Orleans, and the northern extension of the
cad pushed forward from Middleton to
ONE available point on the Ohio river
From Captain T. S. Hardee, State Engi-
eer, and one Of the board of railway com
lissioners, who examined the work. we
ave gathered the following items OF in
Ormatinn:
The road has a gauge or width between s
he. rails of three feet. This is two feet less I
han the gauges on the other roads already :
established in the State, ami, consequently, /
IL the engines, ears and rplling stock are s
smaller and lighter. The t
ron rail which has been used is similar in i
ut weighs only thirty:;ffve pounds to the o
ara, ana has the iron plate at all the joints. o
known as the fish bar. The road /
e suP fRo oc %i5h the following rolling stock
ght box cars and twenty-eight fiat cars y
The passenger coach is very neatly nm q
and is arranged with dGGnbGfe :,
,ats on one side and single seats on the Il
apostle, and is calculated to transport pas is
myers with as much comfort as anv one one ),
IN desire. z,
On the day of the excursion the train ~
sssed over the road at the rate of twenty "
lies per hour and with scarcely a Jar or a "
1t, and the road was considered by all to Il
a grand success. Vi
Lillian Edgarton is at work on lecture al
female dress-From FigIeaves to Dolly &c
trdens..o 1t good subject, and has the az