Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1873-02-08

cure that is now before the public. For |
sale by sll Medicine Dealers.
jams I'm.
RIRMINGHAm ANB JACKSON
RAILROAD.
MEssRs. EDIToRs:-In your pa
per of the 18th, there is letter from |
the Hon. Milton Brown, addressed |
to Rev. a. NJ. johnson, Secretary |
of the Elyton, Corinth and Tennes- |
see River r. r. Co. 1t contains |
statements, which, coming from a |
source of commanding influence, are !
calculated to dampen the ardor of |
our citizens in pushing an enterprise |
which has, in my opinion, more to |
Jackson than any road previously |
projected, including those at pres !
ent in operation.
The direct and positive statement |
is made that under the restriction
of tariff to "three cents per mile for
passengers, and not over five cents
per ton per mile on freight, will,
until changed, prevent the invest.
ment of capital" IL, as it is now
ascertained, this is not merely pro-
vision of this special charter, but is
a provision of the statutes of the
State, this is equivalent TO saying
that the building of this road is i'm
practicable, and that it is conse-
quently not worth while to waste
time, breath or money in the effort.
The fact that railroads have been
built, and are now being built with
in the State, under the same restric-
ton, would, however, seem to con-
tradict the assertion. 1t may be
claimed that they pass through a
better portion of the State, and COM
mand a better class of business, but
to this | will refer hereafter. An
examination of the tariffs of the
Mobile Road, which, l think, will
be admitted, is as high as ordinarily
exacted, would have convinced
Judge Brown that the restriction
was not such a terrible obstacle, af-
ter all. l find that on first class
freight from st. Louis to jackson,
the rate at ten tons per car, is, per
car load, $4,000 for a distance of
290 miles, including a river trans
fer. For fourth class the rate is
1860, and for grain and vegetables
| but $500. But says the agent 81 new
er knew a car load to come through
at the first rate charged" and there
| is seldom ever collected so much as
! 1880, the amount to which the COM
pany would be entitled at ) cts. per
| ton per mile. Taking 4 longer route
| the tariff from st. Louis to Mobile.
! a distance of SO miles for first class
| is 10000 per car, and for fourth class
1 10000, while for grain and vegeta-
| bles, il will not exceed 100.00per car;
whereas it would be entitled to
| $537.50. But il may be answered,
! these are through rates, and are not
a fair test. OUer nineteen tlCeRtietks
hOCcUeT, OF al the freight that
! passes OUeI' the road as at tbrOUOh
| rates; or, at least, upon the north
/ ern section of it, which is, taking
| the year through, the most profita-
| BILE. But lest these figures may not
be fully satisfactory, let US examine
! the local business, (the cotton bust
ness, which is the main dependence
under the present contracted policy
| of management. The rate on cot
| ton from Jackson to Mobile is $3.50,
and to New Orleans, 500 per bale.
Although the actual average is but
24 bales from this point, we will
| base our estimates upon 80 bales to
the car. The distance to Mobile is
! $50 miles, to New Orleans 545 miles.
| The return to which each car would
be entitled, would be 14L27, and
203.S7, respectively, calculating the
load at 500 pounds per bale. AS will
be observed, the price actually col
lected, is but 900 per car TO Mo-
bile, and 5000 to New Orleans, or
but a little over p cents in the one
case, and less than that in the other.
jackson, is, however, a competing
point. From points below Corinth,
the rate viii not average above 400
to Mobile at local rates, or 1900 per
car. For all distances over $50 miles,
which will include a considerable
portion of the cotton moved over
the road, the present mOnOpOlizing
local rate Is less than cents per ton
per mile. The price on cotton from
Mobile to New York over 1900 miles
of railroad is cooper bale, or only
cts. per ton per mile. Int preSUDl-
able that all Of this business is done
at q lOSSP One more illustration,
close at home, and l am done with
this branch OF the subject. The To-
81 miles, is for first class, $1,000,
and for fourth class, 5000 per mile
at the 5 cent rate, il would De 1880.
But | find that coal is hauled at 1900
per car, or less than ? cents. With
passengers, the figures will show il
they are accessible, that the Mobile
road does not realize over s cents
per mile from one half of the pas
sengers travelling.
Again, the provision that the fenc-
ing of the road would be an Obsta-
Gle. To fence with cedar posts,
making fence that would be good |
for at least twenty years, the cost
will not exceed 500 per mile, or
about $40 per mile, per year, $1,000 !
per 100 miles. In reply 10 the ques- |
ton, "dOes il not cost the Mobile /
Company in wrecked trains, killed. |
stock aud delays, more than $4,000 |
per year." an officer of the road, /
who Is good authority, replied I'M I
hesitatingly in the affirmative. With /
the fence 1.-THE local passions and /
prGjudices' excited by the killing 4
of the stock, would not imperil the .
property Of the road and the lives 4
of passengers, by the placing of OBJ I
ulIOlA INT tldChS - has
been several times the case within I
the past year.
The other points in Judge Browns
letter may be we'll taken. The char
ter may need change; but if we are
interested, why NAV we not assist
in securing the change, instead of
demanding it from others, and wait
ing idly their action.
But in your last paper, here comes
another correspondent y, endorsing
Judge Brown in ali his positions,
and especially in these, we have
considered. Now, as we DO not
know who y Gan uuku -wu quaint
ty) may be, and are not appIsed Of
his stand point, it is possible that he
may represent inimical interests
Certainly, he writes well, and pre-
sents arguments like railroad man. !