The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-08-27
EXECUTIVE OFFICE
TEXAS ASD PACIFIC RAILWAY COMPANY,
27J sOUTu Fourth STREET
PHILADELPHIA, PA, August IL, 1875

275 SOUTH FOURTH STREET,
PHILADELPHIA, PA, August IL, 1873
| General Joseph r. anderson. Richmond,
| Dear Sir,-My attention has been called 10
a Letter addressed TO you by Senator john
ston, of your State, pu li,hed in the Rich
mond WhlG giving bis objections to bill
before TIE last Congress authorizing tue
United States TO aid in constructing the
Texas and Pacific railway, on the thirty.se.
coma parallel, 9S Il southern route to tbe Ia
cite. Senator .Johnston's objections are
First. Tia, Memphis is not named as the
terminus OF The road.
Second That the gauge is to be tour feet
.ignr au:i-a III inches, and not five feet.
! Third. Tba. the Atlantic aud Pac ii: Rail-
road Company Originally authorized to con-
.ruct line TO tbc Pacific on the thirty-fifth
psralIeD awe agreed 70 couDect its road with
;ue Texas aud Pacific road at point 10
Texas AZ least Two hundred and fifty miles
cat OF TIE Rio Grande-the western boun-
darr Of Texas; and
Fourth. Because The bill was " presented
ly Il Pennsylvania senator, advocated by
1c0mmerci, bodies in st. Louis, prayed for
by worbmen in Philadelphia, pelitioued for
by cIl,Zens of BetkS cJuuty, Pa NC.
! Believing Senator Johnston to be, what he
says he is, "an earnes: friend OF genuine
| Southern Pacific road" and being DESTROYS
| tba' the fullest investigation Shall be mad3
| into the merits of the bill and the aHyan.
tages of the Texas and Pacific rail way as a
sou bern route, submit the following state
mems covering the objections named by the
honorable senator:
First. The eastern termin or starting
| hn DIniEa ,nilc-or
| Fixed BY its charter aud named ia the bill,
are Shreveport and TeXagkaaa, the two lines
to extend westward, unite at Fort Worth,
and from thence extend to San Diego. The
bill also authorizes branch from Shreveport
to New Orleans, and another from Shreye.
port 10 Nichsburg; but as there is a road
already constructed from TeXarkana Uid
Little Rock to Memphis, and also to Colllln-
bus, Nv, the northern terminus Of the
Mobile aJd Ohio road practically, both OF
those points are as much termni OF the
Texas and Pacific railway as are FickSburg
aud New Orleans. You will perceive, there.
fore, that under this bill every southern Stale
bordering on The Mississippi river has direct
connection from its principal river town with
the T"Xl, and Pacific rOad-LouiSiana from
New Oil"aEs, mississippi from Flcksourg,
| Tennessee from Memphis, and Kentucky
from Columbus; and what is a little rcmlrk-
able is that the routes from these points to
| The point OF connection with the Texas and
Pacific railway are in each case almost an
airline, and they are almos! eqnidistaut from.
the western terminus Oh tie Pacific. Surely
1 more dstlnctiYely southern route across the
continent cannot be selected.
Second. TIE gauge objection The war OF
gauges has been long and bitter, and will
probably never be settled satisfactorily TO
all. In constructing trunk lines, orlginai
cost of construction and economy in opera
tion AZ well rs the gauge of connecting llncs
should determine The gauge 10 be selected.
| Every connecting railroad west oil the DllS
1isslppi river, constructed and under con.
struction, is with one exception OF 4:S3
gauge, or less: one, the Cairo and Fulton,
i feet. TGere can be no question that be.
| tween feet and 4:S3 the narrow gauge is
! the more econJm cal, Us there is no increase
! in the capacity Of trains corresponding to
the increased cost OF wider establishments
and cuts, longer ties, aud heavier equip
meut; and it was for these economical rea-
sons that the 4:S4 gauge was adopted.
The senator Is III error IN assuming that
break Of gauge prevents tue running oil
through trains or cars, aud neces;ltaieS The
breaking OF bulk i'll freight transportation;
as the method Ut changing trucks by q Car
"hoist" or /" li'fi"-such As We have in Use
10 exchanging business at TeXaI kama with
the Cairo and Fulton road, and such as is
used at ButfIlo and DuuhEk, On The Erie
railway, and Oh several other roads-' ff:c.
tu.Ily uvercomts tniS apparent obstruction
to through transportation.
1.-The lmbOden Car.Lifter," AN Invention Of
General lmbouen and manufactured in your
city, one Of which understand is 10 success.
lul operation at the Danvilie ana Petersburg
railroad junction., Is another method OF &C.
comprising the same purpose.
General Imboden claims, and can see no
reason to doubt 1t, hat the trucks under d
train Of thirty cars can be changed by bis
"hft" on the transfer boat While crossing
be Mississippi river; and 10 letter descrp.
tive OF the "llfter" he says, what is ve.;
true, that "neither the vide lower Missis.
sipai nor break OF gauge on its different
shores luterposes any serious barrier to rail-
way transit across tie continent, or between
The great and productive neigaboribs States
that are only separated by this great rivel -;
ard l do not think there is a practical rail-
road man in the South or North !na5 will
question this statement.
The third objection, tbat the Atlantic and
| Pacific railroad connection Is wat be tel ms
Consolidation Of tue two roads, does not
! seem TO be we'll takeD, as there is 10 iuten.
| ton or desire on eliEer side, nor any au-
thority IN their corporate acts, 10 consoli-
Gate the two companies; and | tail to see
what reasonable objections can be made to
The Atlantic aud Pac tic Railway Company
| abantouing tue western end Of its line, Us
| authorized in the thirty. nth parallel, and
| giving back to the Government 30,000,000
sIes Of reserved lands that bad been here
tofore granted te aid 10 its construction, and
Exchanging the business tributary 10 its
road with the Texas and Pacific Rail.
way Company on the same terms as
?!asr connecting c;iipanes shall ex.
cksnse their business aud this is
V hal ne bill authorizes. St. Louis already
nav connection with the Texas and Pacific
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