Wilmington daily gazette., 1873-05-13
A DeIawAFean's Operations Al che sou1n,

The New Orleans Sunday Herald, Of May
Ath contains long article headed "Our Rail.
roads" referring to several roads in which.
that city Is deeply interested, from which we
make an extract referring to the operations Of
one of our tOwnsmen lnthat country That
paper says; 50
Next came the JaeksCu, or Great Northern
Railroad. In this, too, the city aud State had
very large interests, represented by bonds, up
on which both governments have been and
are now paying heavy interest. This road
continued for several years after the war in a
weak and lanGulshing condition. This was
not due to the incOmpetency or InefIlciency of
the Directory, but to the general poverty Of
the people and the lack OF credit and capital.
BY and by there came to our city one Of
those great railroad mon Of the North who was
q master OF the whOle comprehensive science
of railroad management on q large scale This
was Henry 8. McCOmb, o remarkable man in
/ deed we may say one Of the leading men OF
our age and country. tanner by trade, born
| in the town Of Wilmington, Delaware, he had
managed by his wonderful energy, sagacity,
| power Of will and fertility Of resources to al
vance himSelft 10 the pOaitI0 Of a great capital
i lst, q most successful administrator and man.
i aRer of largo public works, and q formidable
champion la every contest in which he might
engage. McCOmb had acquired a preponder.
ant interest IN the Mississippi Central. He was
drawn insensibly Into itby loans and advances
to that very dilapidated concern. 1t was on
his hands What could he do with Il? II
began no where and ended no where. Tt
make 1t available it was needful he should
own the jackson Road, which connected this
Mississippi Central with New Orleans.
II But the largest owners Of stock in the Jack
son Railroad were the State OF Louisiana ant
the city of New Orleans, and McCOmb fOunC
it necessary to buy these stocks. There wa
q VIOLENT opposition to this sale. The dog in
the-manger policy was quite fierce and defiant
| xyt olo ofk .
make this road profitable, and thereby saw
our stocks I" But McCOmb was not that man
Sell me the stock, he said, and will max
this great rOad-what 1t ought to be-"
was evidently wise conclusion, though fierct
lly inVoighed against at the time which acceT
ted this proposition. The city and State sol
their stock to MeCOmb for mere song, bu
for moro than 1t would have been worth II tn
city had held on to it. And McCOmb has fu
filled all his pledges. lie has expended man
millions on the road and its equipment, in o.
tensions, and in the application OF every ne'
Improvement which modern railroad sclenC
has suggested. Where tho money came frOI
Ia no concern of ours. 1t certainly was nc
taken from the pockets Of our people. Th
road, In its present condition, would hardly
recognized by any person who passed over
four wears ago. All that fearful crib -WOF
( through the swamps and over the tremblIn
q prairieS which once so greatly disturbed I'll
J. nerves Of travellers has boon converted into
r solid earthwOTk, several feet above overflow
$ from cTeVasSes, and IL now as good and soil
: road as any on this continent.
L All along tho road there are like imprOV
n ments, ensurIng safety and permanenc
/: whilst tho number Of locomotives and ears hi
II been quadrupled. We can not In the cOmpa
Of this article note even the more prOmine
If Of the changes and improvements that hay
+. been made on this road since it fell under Il
n management. OF MIR. MaC0mb. Enormous
M they have been, they all sink into insignfican
o by the side of the great design which this ge
y tleman is now engaged in prosecuting with
W certainty of success. This il the extension
ly the Mississippi Central to Cairo, with vie
Il to connection with tho Central Illinois.
IN McCOmb il man who never fails in any U
d dertaking, and to his resOlute and emerged
X nature tho contamination Of this so vastly i
u pOrtant connection for tins city will be one
aa the easiest and most practicable no ever
he tempted. II only lacks a few months OF res
h 2atiOn. t.ss.- t.sf