The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1872-12-17
RAILROADS.
ST. LOUIS, CAIRO, MEMPHIS AND
kSBUkG.
PROPOSED NARROW-GACGE ROAD
FROM CAIRO TO NlIksBIR re.

The following letter written by the
builder OF the st. LOUIS and Cairo Mar
row-gauge road, discusses questions oi the
utmost interest TO the people oi the Gull
states. 1t is proposed to extend tins st.
Louis and Cairo road along the river shore
TO Memphis, and hence 10 Helena and
Vicksburg. Light locomotives and cars
will not destroy levee, softened 10y WA
ter resting against IT, AS would
she welghty machinery OF the
broad-gauso roads, and landowners
along the river shore, to escape levee tax
%, can well afford to convey to
she builders of the road one-iouith vi their
estates. II must be remembered that the
country on one side Of the levee railway
will contribute very little 10 the maintc-
nance or construction of the work, and
therefore landowners must make the road
coat ~ its builders the least possible sum
The appended letter tells Of the progress
Of the work north of Cairo;
GESTLEMES IL am pleased to notice
90 active and strong movement ON the
part OF the people OF Tennessee in favor OF
4 narrow-gAge connection with 81. Louis.
The movement Is ia the right direction,
ana perseverance, will secure success.
You ak concerning the prospects Of the
Cairo and st. Louis Narrowgsuge railroad.
The grading and bridging is nearly nll
completed from East st. Louis to Cairo,
and the track Is now laid, and construction
trains running to Waterloo, u distance of
about twenty-five miles from ST. Louis,
and .trAck-laying progressing nj the rate oil
over mile per day. If the weather does
not interfere We will have the road COM
pleied and cars running between ST.
Louis and Cairo within three months. The
The prospect is that the Cairo and ST.
Louis railroad will do as much business
- any road Of its Length coming into st.
Louis.
Narrow-gauge railroads are no longer
experimental. The reports from narrow
gauge railroads already in operation in
Europe, prove them practically n success,
both MS TO capacity and as an investment.
From information that has come to me
In my official capacity, 1 am Of the opin.
ion that not less than fifteen thousand
miles Of narrow-gauge railroad are already
projected in the United States and Cam
ada, and by March l, fully one thousand
miles will le running. They are pro-
lected In nearly every state in the Union.
] am receiving daily inquiries from rail.
road officers and engineers, for intormu-
ton on the subject, and many who are
now constructing and managing broad
gauge railroads inform me that they are
convinced that narrow-gauge railroads
will be the popular roads for the future.
One company is now constructing four
hundred and sixty-seven miles in Cnlifor.
MIA. Most of the branche. of the Union
Pacific are projected gauge. Col.
orado Is rejoicing in the success Of their
rrow-gauge roads.
In Virginia, Kentucky and other
Southern states there is "A strong move.
meht in their favor. Indeed, the, seem
peculiarly adapted to develop those states
as many Of their districts are mountain
districts, valuable in materials, spnrs,Iv
settled and deficient in capital. We're not
some such system furnished for relief they
would be compelled to wait many yeafs
Tor development. But this system will
give almost an energetic community n
chance for railroad development
Ihere is no doub; that the construction
OF the costly broad guage railroads in this
country have exceeded the bounds OF
prudence, and already broad-g mil.
roads are drug in Europe.
Future development, therefore must
depend in great measure on narrow.
guags railroads.
will gladly furnish the friends of IN
y. all Tho information l can.
e.. H. uowLANn