Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1873-03-29
Who will Undertake the Task Of
Public BenefceRcef

The attraction of farmers TO this
county and enhancement of local
property values can only be effected
by the construction of cheap rail.
ways. The multiplication. Of me.
chanics and the establishment of in.
dustries which may demand and
make profitable the LABOR, even Of
women and children, cannot be ec
fected uatil cheap fuel is deposited
side by side with cheap labor, cheap
food ana cheap cotton. OF bacon
and bread we will have enough,
when there is a demand for it.
Labor abounds sucn as manufac.
turers would employ. Cotton Is
cheaper here than elsewhere in the
world, and cheap fuel and iron alone
are wanting. Both these may be
brought hither at the least possible
cost by constructing a narrow gauge
road from Macon to Tuscaloosa.
This sort of road is preferred be
cause it will cost, across tho Lowell
portions of this county, not more
than ten thousand dollars per mile.
and because the less the cost of the
road, capable Of meeting the COM
mercial necessities Of the county,
the less the rate of freight charges.
A road that costs only ten thousand
dollars per mile can transport
rsight at one,third the rates charged
by a road costing $4,000 per mile.
The lighter and cheaper road out
lasts the more costly highway. Its
light machinery does not dostroy
the iron rails, which, on broad gauge
roads, is worn out in from six to
twelve years by locomotives weigh.
ing thirty and forty tons. The
cheaper road will ,subserve every
want Of the public. half the cars
that traverse the Mobile & Ohio
road are only half filled. The dead
weight is three or four fold greater
than the paying weight. II fears be
too small, their number OF trains
may be infinitely multiplied, and of
the two descriptions Of road the
cheaper, at the same cost, is to be
preferred, but costing ten or twelve
of thirty thousand dollars
per mile, the cheap road pays divi-.
when the stock of tho broad
guage, in a sparsely populated
country like this, can never be at
par. The means of building a
broad gauge road cannot be secured.
There's hardly wealth enough along
the route between Macon & Tuscs,
loosa. On the contrary, if each
within two miles ofIhe mar
row gauge, will exchange onc.fourth
Of his land at a fair valuation for
and the county will subscribe
eve thousand dollars per mile for
zach mile in the county, the. road
way will be graded and c~rossties
supplied, and then a mortgage will
the iron and rolling stock.
The scheme is p~rscucRble, the re-.
SOURCES Of the county abundant and
there is only, wanting some sctive,
Energetic gentleman deseryng'pub-
10 confidence to inapgurate the I'm.
1t The road be built to
oiokensville it will most certainly
20 extended tothe Alabama system
# roads, and the people Of this
will have a choice ofroutcs
o. the ocean and thus escape the
domination of a terrible monopoly
4 the narrow gauge did nothing
more than reduce freight charges on
as it would, one half, it
would prove an invaluable invest
nent to tho people of this county.
or three routes towards Tasoa-
oosa should DO surveyed, and that
idopted on which the greatest area
i land may DO subscribed. IL there
10 active, intelligent, honest citizen
4 Noxubee 70 undertake this task
I public and private bencfcenps 7
Why may not Capt. JEFF Deupree
hna serve, his people. @. q.