The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1874-06-28
a CITIZEN AND TAX PAYER OF
UNION COUNTY ON THE
BOND QUESTION.
TIE TENN BSSEE RIVER TRADE
ST. LOUIS MUST LOOK TO HER
LAURALS.
THE CAIRO Aap sr. LOUIS NARROW

The Chicago Times OF tie 23d inst,
contains the following communication
from II correspondent who has recently
gono over the line Of tho Cairo and -.
Louis nsrrow-gauge road with n Wow Of
asccTtaihiug thv prsc,icsbility Of tho mar
row-gauge system and the workings Of
this limo. After travcrsing the line from
East -. Louis to Murphysboro and back,
and having had interviews with several
practical railroad men on the subject, the
.pondeut sums up his opinion regard
ing II, rs ionows, whteh no commend 20
the careful consideration of the people Of
Cairo md Alexander county;
Having Just returned from u trip over
tho Cairo and ST. Louis Iarrow-gauge
railroad, ! think some account " my OBJ
sCrvation3 will not bo wholly unintere.t-
ing TO the readers OF The Times. The
route Of the road lies through the coun-
ties of -. Clair, begiuning ut East st.
Louish Monroe, Randolph, jackson,
nioa, and Alexander, to Cairo-the dis.
tsnce from East -. Louis 20 Cairo being
$50 miles. But 90 miles Of the railroad
is completed from Es.t st. Louis to Muir
physborO, tho county sent Of Jackson
county. Tho chief towns touched upon
the alignment after leaving East II
Louis, Are Columbia, Waterloo, Red Bud,
sparta, and Murphyshoro. These sro all
hourishing towns, and backed up with "A
splendid agricultural country. St Clair.
Monroe and Randolph seemed rs if one
continuous whoal Held, which WIS
falling before the sickle. As fact
Illustrating the happy state of
things produced by the cheap
ening Of things through tho instrument
islity of the grange movement, | might
add that the brethren follow the reaper
and bind whest for each other at the low
figure Of 50 % per day.
Ia Jackson county you strike n range
OF timber Of excellent quality hick.
cry, walnut and other varieties, useful for
mechanical purposes. Also, in tho same
county the coal range Is struck, and near
Murphysboro five shafts have been sunk,
at AL average derth Of l20 feet. whom a
siX-foot strata Of coal ia reached, which
is being extensively worked, and tran
spoT.cd TO st. Louis over tho narrow
gauge This coal il in good demand
among tho iron mon, for smelling pur-
poses, outranking the ST. Clair coal,
which has heretofore been the chief re-
lance Of the city.
South Of Murpbysboro no rail has teen
laid, though the work OF grading is we'll
advanced. Tho failure of the municipal
tiles 10 issue their bonds, and the panic,
crippled the company, 20 that work was
suzpsBaaA Cor savarN months bu. uuits
recently satisfactory arrangements have
been made with the bondholders and
other creditors, and the work of con-
s.-uc,ion has boon resumed under q con-
tract that calls for the completion Of tho
road TO Cairo by the lr:t of the coming
November.
The people along the lire express them.
selves well satisfied with the practical
operation Of tho threo-foot gauge, the
only objection TO it being that they arc
thrown out Of the Chicago market, excep.
1T ths delay, trouble aud expense Of 70.
shipping or transferring their produce AZ
EAst ST. Louis, on the broad or standard
gauge
vas not l!ttle surprised TO hear this
| demsnd tor Chicago market from a
| people SO near 50. Louis. But my axam-
instion into the operation Of the road,
though prejudiced against tho system
| Wlen / went on 20 the limo, satisfied no
! that it ia one Of entire prActicability, and
that when this line Is completed TO Cairo
ITS character viii be sufficiently estab-
iished TO lead to the immediate coustruc-
ton Of a line from East ST. Louis to
| Chicago.
| observed the following facts in con-
nectlon with the road
Tho road bed, though built but little 10
excess OF ono year, hss the settled appear
ance and evenness Of roads Of the broad
gauge, double its age. And, further, that
the road bed was kept surfaced up, with
section force one third Of that required
on the broad gauge and that it was abso.
lUtely in first class condition.
Tho speed Of the trains, both passenger
and freight rs scheduled on the tima
card averages with the best roads in tho
state, and the trains run with US much
smOotheness, and Ices lateral motion.
Also that sharper curves and heavier
grades can be- overcome by this systom,
with less prejudice % this tonnage than on
the standard gauge.
On the whole route did not notice,
though tho road has been in use over a
year, q single Rbraded rail.
The passenger coaches are arranged
with single seats on each side OF tbs car,
which are entirely comfortable though
ono cannot but feel, after having left the
ordinary coach Of tho brogd-gauge that
he is under constraint.
From Mr. G. Hamilton, superintendent
OF the road, wo gathered many important
facts concerning tho nRrrow-gsuge sys.
tom, which assures us of its entire prscti-
cability. Mr.. Hamilton has been for the
last fifteen years connected with the
broad. gauge system, Is a civil engineer Of
large experience, and most thorough In
his profession. He understands the sci
once Of rallrusding, both rs TO co1struc-
ton and operating, and / regard his opin-
ion M Of groat weight in the matter. lie
is not nm enthusiast on the narrOw-gRuge,
and told me that lac took hold Of that road
| with very weak faith as TO the ultimate
success Of lines of threo-feet gauge He
said that his experience had taught him
this tho work can DO done IA well and
Ms quickly, and with less expense land
that is the question tho people are asking
to have solved on tho now gauge than on
the old.
Ho also said tho original expense Of
construction is far less--3O to 40 per cent
lG.s--than the standard gauge, and no
thought il tho farming communities
would inform themselves on the compsr-
atiye cost, they would determine that a
competition begottcn by encouraging this
class of roads would more efoctualy
settle tho question OF economical trans
portatlon than any statutory enactments.