Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-08-16
THE CHARLESTON RAILROAD.
Tour Of Inspection by the President and
a Committee Of DirectOrs-The
Result So Far.
The Maehine-ShOps at Memphis-The
Engines, Passenger-Cars, and
Other RoIIing-St0ok.
The Track, Bridges, CulTerts, Trestle'
Work, Water-Tanks, Ete.-GO0d
Work Everywhere.
rom the Appealrs Commissioned

phis and Charleston railroad, and pTeju.
dieial to the same, were true, your cor
respondent, a self-invited guest, made
one of the party of gentlemen appoint
ed by the board Of directors of the
Memphis end Charleston railroad COM
pany to investigate said charges. 1t be.
ing a question of grave public interest
whether the transfer of the important
highway in question to the Southern
Security company. over which the rail
road king, Mr.. Tom Scott, virtually pre-
sides, was or was not detrimental to the
stockholders, and thereby to Memphis
aud, Tennessee, your correspondent
deemed it well to begin at the begin
ming, and thus, accompanied by one OF
two of said committee, he looked into
the machine-shop of the Memphis and
Charleston railroad, situated near the
Memphis snd Charleston depot in Mem
phis. It was a pleasant sight to south
ern eyes. The busy hum Of industry
sounded on every side, and the substan-
tiaI evidences of mechanical skill and
ingenuity in the shape of rolling
stock in all the varying phases
of construction, from the crude bar OF
beam to the finished and elegant car
and locomotive, clearly indicated that
the substratum of the active and work
ing energies and resources of the road
was sound and healthy. He found here
as many as one hundred and fifty skilled
mechanics at work, and every appliance
OF modern mechanical contrivance to
aid human labor in speedy accomplish
ment of its purposes and designs. Four
teen new-freight cars, averaging eight
tons to the car, were in process of
construction, needing but few finish
ing strokes to be ready for the rails.
These are of home manufacture, of
southern wood-fOr the most part long,
leafed pine-and clasped and bolted with
Tennessee iron. Sundry passenger and
postal cars, were under weigh, and we
have the assurance of Mr.. A. w. Drew,
master car-builder, that his shop can
turn out first and second-class passenger
cars as good as any from Delaware to
Whistler, Alabama. The new "Westing-
house air-brake," one of the best inven-
tions Of the age, is being attached to
every car in heemploy ofthis company.
1t is the design of the lessees Of this road
to make their machine-shops fully up to
the demands of the times. THIS being
done, excellent rolling-stock follows as a
logical sequence. The Memphis and
Charleston railroad shops have turned
out in the last fifteen months four first
class passenger-cars, to-wit the '"Ten-
nessee," "Alabama," Georgia" and
Louisiana" which are equal in
and finish to any manufactured
in the northern States. These cars
were made exclusively of southern
wood, namely ash, oak, walnut and
This latter wood when
worked up is nearly equal in color and
grain to the finest satin wood. We found
the painting evincing taste and artistic
skill, especially the landscapes in the pam
els of the "Alabama," /" all done by hand,
and the hesd-lining of the same coach
creditable. We were not aware
until then that such work could be done
south of the Ohio. Leaving the wood
and entering the smoky environs of the
mschine-sbop, the roar of bellows and
thump of hammers salute the ear. The
ghost Of Joe Margeny is at once con-
jured, and We fsncied we heard the ven
cradle song of that big-hearted black
smith
Beat it out. beat il out, Old Glenn!
With a clink for the stout Old Clem.
This department is presided over by
Mr.. Anthony Ross, master machinist-a
and courteous gentleman.
This establishment recalled to our mind
the machine shops Of Pittsburg, and
gave US heart TO believe in the future of
Memphis. 1t is the region of intelli-
gent labor whence issue the springs,
axles, bolts and bars which form
the skeleton Of our railway trains. We
learned that there were forty-seven
locomotives, forty postal, baggage and
passenger-cars, and seven hundred and
forty freight-cars belonging to the COM
pany whose iron muscles have to be re-
fitted, repaired, replaced or remodeled
in this department. Here we found the
for a new locomotive, which
is to weigh thirty tons, sixteen-ineh
cylinder and twenty-four-inch stroke,
and all the mechanical facilities for per-
feeting this and other works of the kind
that are manufactured in the best ap-
pointed machine-shops. We found a
system of shrewd economy looking to
the interests ofthe company, and making
every edge cut, the order Of the day.
"SuTely," said we to ourselves, sthere is
hope for the country while the brain
and muscle of such institutions as this
are found fourishing in the sunny
SOUTH" But we must leave Memphis,
and so "Al aboardp shouts Conductor
Phelps, and so we jumped Oh the plat
form of the "Alabsma," and were soon
speeding away through the wooded
vista leading through the suburban
homes Of fortunate Memphians. There
is a peculiar feature about this road.
From the time it leaves Memphis until
it reaches the end Of the eastern divi-
sion, at Stevenson, Alabama, distance
Of two hundred and seventy-two miles,
there are but few miles of land bor-
dering the road that are not high, and
dry, and inviting TO permanent resi-
dence. Hence, the traveller east from
Memphis is greeted nearly all the way
out BY houses that speak volumes for the
Of the country and the good
taste Of the builders, and
We'd. nave eN-
Looking inside the coach we find
General John ID. Rather, president of
the Memphis and Charleston railroad
company, Colonel R. C. BrinkIey,
Colonel ]. r. MOsby and Pitser Mil
Ter, Esq, committee of directors,
accompanied by Major Niles MerI-
wether, chief engineer, and Mr.. John
B. Galloway, the affable and efficient
purchasing agent Of the Southern Sc
curity company. The former are the
committee on investigation to investi-
gate the charges alluded to, and of which
was made by the Huntsville