New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-09-08
The RIPLEY Narrow Gauge Railroad.

The Ripley Narrow Gauge Railroad.
The Jackson Pilot, abiding to the open
ing of the.railroad from Middleton, Tennes
see. to Ripley, Mississippi, says:
The railroad commissioners, composed O
Colonel Hardee, State engineer, the Hons
/ w. Breck, Of Madison, and Fl. G.. Carter, 0
/ Warren, have made the examination of tn
road required by law and we understand
| their report is favorable to the issuance o
/ the subsidy of $4,000 per mile for this com
| pleted section. This is the only road in tn
| State, we believe, which has complied witt
| the provisions Of the subsidy act, and whicl
! has secured thereby the bonus of $4,000 pc
| mile. This will enable the president, w
| q. Falkner, to 90 straight ahead with tn,
| building OF the road to the Gulf coast a
| Mississippi City and thus open up a sec
| ton of country halfway betw cent Mobile
and Ohio railroad on one side, and the New
Orleans, jackson and Great Northern anC
Mississippi Central roads on the other auC
which is now entirely remote from aud de
prived of railroad advantages. No road
projected in the State under the subsidy acr
could be built that would confer greater
advantages than this one through the coun
try designated.
The commissioners report the road in ex
cellent condition for a new road with
full equipments for freight and passengers
and with a capacity to run twenty miles
per hour with safety.
The Pilot continues:
We hail the completion of this first sec
ton of the Ship Island, Ripley and Ken
lucky railroad as inaugurating new and
distinguished era in the history Of railroads
for the State of Missis sippi.
Mr.. Carter, one OF the railroad commits
cir IN, Ia "a Ill .Ic
have taken a deep interest in the success Of
the enterprise, which was expected to be
productive Of incalculable benefit to that
section. Rich and poor alike contributed
Individually to the extent of their means,
and the greatest enthusiasm was mani
tested in urging the work forward to COM
pletion in time to secure the generous pro-
vision OF the State Legislature. The col
ored citizens subscribed and paid $25. 900
toward the road, and wed with the whites
III laboring for its success.
A Ripley correspondent of the Pilot re-
ports at length, and We extract some of his
points:
The line Of the road runs through a fertile
country, abundafntly supplied with timber,
and iDtersects the Memphis and Charleston
road at Middleton, Tennessee, twenty miles
east of Grand Junction, and four miles
State. The distance from Middleton, Ten
nessee, to Ripley, Mississippi, is twenty-four
and three-quarter miles.
There are two stations between Middle
ton and Ripley. The first isrHopkinsvilIe,
nine miles south of Middleton, the other is
named Falkner, by a resolution of the
being named after the presi-
dent, and is nine miles north of Ripley.
The most beautiful and elegantly finished
coach is named the Efie D. FaIk-
ner, after the little daughter Of the presi-
cent. The colored people Of Tippah county
deserve the highest praise for the efficient
aid which they rendered in building the
road. About $4,000 was subscribed by
them, which was paid by labor on the road. |
They sometimes worked nights to pay sub
3CrptiOns
At the opening ceremonies Colonel Hardee
was introduced by Colonel Falkner, and
le made ,well-timed and very appropriate
speech. He spoke of the great advantages |
which the road would be to the State of /
Mississippi, and said that at no distant day
he line wauld be pushed to Mississippi |
City, and that would build up city in Mis-
issippi, which would add greatly to the |
wealth of the State. He thought |
hat Mississippi had made a good invest !
nent by eXtencing aid to this road.
The writer continues his report
While the wide gauge road costs from
$4,000 to $4,000 per mile, this narrow
auge road can be constructed for ST.. 600 /
.er mile. Thus the Ripley road adopted .
he narrow gauge.
But very few persons who pass over a
Dad ever notice the grade: and here we
ill state that about thirtv-six feet to the
lile is the extent of any grade on the Jack
on!and Great Northern road, according to
ur recollection, while on the marrow guage'
Dad under contemplation tAere is a grade |
1875 feet in little over 1900 feet, and vet
le trains, with nine flat cars each, filled
18th people, picnic style. passed up this
cade with but slight checking Of the speed:
his argues also in favor Of the narrow
2ugc.
1t viii be remembered that an engine on
II wide gauge roads weighs from twent-
two to thirty tons, while the engines Of
e narrow gauge weigh only twelve or if
en- tons. Here is saving of over one
III III pressure on the track This has
zen demonstrated to bea great item in the
ear and tear of iron, as these mammoth
glnes destroy the rail by their ponderous
eight, IN proportion to a strong man WELD {
g heavy sledge hammer and a proper I
)nately weak man welding q weapon Of Il
t half the weight.
The fiat cars of this road weigh about t
~ pounds, ana receive an entire load of
n from one OF the ordinary cars of the d
de gauge, which weighs from 10000 to I
QUO pounds. It will be seen that the car u
the wide gauge carries only an equal '
lount OF freight to the weight of the car, r
HIe the narrow gauge car will receive the a
tire freight of the wide gauge car, which G
2 saving OF $4,000 pounds of dead weight D
the road to every car; and say the mar U
v gauge trains consa6 of nine freight Il
8, there is a saving of I08,000 pounds Of t
Id weight on one engine. b
The engine were manufactured by Messrs. ?
wson & Bailey Of ConnelsviIle, Pennsvl- II
Ma. The box and flat cars by BeIlmeyer t
Small, of York, Pennsylvania. The pas ;
ger coaches, by Messrs Jackson & u
trpe, Wilmington, Delaware, are elegant n
furnished, and capable of seating thirty al
r passengers comfortably. -,
he writer descibes Ripley: II
4 the centre OF q fine and fertile cOun- di
i, surrounded by tall and stately pines hs
gnaTled oaks the oldtashioned, quaint tn
queer town of Ripley lies. It's build fo
8, for the most part, have an ancient I'll
earance, with the slanting roofs, high 70
lie ends and dOrmer windows, which th
ak plainly of ante-beIlum DAYS, when N
foretathers of the hamlet put up houses fe
e with an eye to ease and comfort than is
Xterior show. Yet the steady hand of of
rOvement and advancement is visible Sc
:. Many new buildings have been re-
ted, or are in course of erection, on co
ch all modern improvements may be
/, and instead of the old style of portico, M
l its lattice work and creeping vines,
lind the bold and business front Of late
the last census Ripley contained "a In