Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1875-07-15
FR0MTHECrNCINNAH RAILROAD.
How the Work PrOsresses The qgn-
tractOrs-HOw Near Theyare U
Through.


ROCKwOOD, Tenn, July s, 1873.
81 cill Correspondence Wing and Chronicle.
THE life of the average team driver
on the railroad can not be very at
tractive one, if the little incident l
saw this morning was fair sample or
his experience. The huge rock in his
wagon would weigh about ton the
pine tree against which he was 'stove"
was about three feet in thickness, ana
stood on the lower side of the nil.
You can imagine the situation" Inc
curses of the reckless driver were not
loud. but deep. He was down on his
knees, trying to cut away portion OF
that tree. so that he could pass.
mildly asked him what was the mat
ter. Looking up with a shade of in
tense disgust on his face, he vouch-
safed no direct answer, but emphat-
icaly remarked, " dammit" A smell
of birthstone was in the air, and left
him.
I came to the line of the Cincinnati
Southern about seven miles south
| of Wartburg, on the. lower
end of the contract originally taken
by Fitzgerald Mallory & Flynn. L
came first to the camp of Mr.. A.
Clark, sub-cOntractOr under the
above named gentlemen, for sections
I72 and 173. Section 172 is about fin
ished, and was, perhaps, as easily grad
ed as any mile upon the line. lie lies
along the "bottoms y of the Emory,
which, at this place are almost per-
fectly level. Section 173 will be fin
ished in about two months. 1t in
cludes the bridge on " Mud-Lick
Branch" which was commenced this
morning. Mr.. Clark reports every
thing as working harmonioUsly, bu
saws he is not making any money
He saws the work was all taken too
low for any one to make anything OF
it, but that he is going to put hi
through.
Next, came to the work of Mr.
James Hayes. He is working tn
upper half of section ia, original.
taken by Wigglesworth d Gordon, |
includes a tunnel, two HUNDRED
g heading in about sixty feet, am
will get done in about four months
He is working a force of about on,
hundred hands. The material of hi
tnnnel is a very hard, white sand
: stone. Mr.. Hayes has good reputa
(. ton as a railroad man and will bid TO
. more work on this line. He is ahl
D.. assisted by his gentlemanly foreman
Mr.. E. M. Fitzgerald.
I came next to the work of Henl
. & Laughorne, who have the lower Ell
of Section ia. This work includes
tunnel, some seventeen hundred fee
| hoxyn driven in at h
! upper end, some four hundred feel
e and are working about one hundre
3 hands. They will get done about tn
/ end of the year. This firm is com
: posed of practical railroad men, VIII
: have risen from the pick and shove
g to their present position. At thei
: commissary L was agreebly surprise
: to find John Cooper, Esq, busily en-
4 gagged in running that part of the bu:
e iness.
t Section IT'S was worked by MI
e Mcqueen, and is about finished.
Section 176 was taken by Mr.. Hayes
s and will be finished in two or thre
t j. Condor, and 1ncluues Une pr1Gg
!, over the river at Emory Gap. 1t e1
tends some half mile down into Roam
g county, and is nearly finished, excer
? some work at the lower end.
f Next 1 came to the tunnel taken b.
: Mr.. Keegan, in Roane county, aboU
o nineteen hundred feet in length. Th
approaches are being made at tn
lower end, and two driving shaft
have been sunk from the toy.
Col. r. K. Byrd, of Roane county
has subbed " portion of Keegan'
work, and is driving away at it witt
his usual energy. He also has tn
contract to furnish the cross-ties TO
some twenty-five miles of the road
commencing at the lower end of tn
letting, and extending to "Triplett'
Gap" opposite Wartburg.
The great bulk of this labor, on tn
c: above named contracts, has been per
formed by negroes. They appear to be
, jovial, light-hearted company, anC
don't quarrel and fight half as mucl
as would be pleasing to certain Gallon
youths.
To him who chambers around the
face of the mountain, from Hayes
works to Emory Gap, L would drop 6
word of advice Hold fast to your val
uables if you don't want them to tum-
BILE into the river. With cliff tower
ing above, and the river roaring be-
meath, the travellers spirits would be
sure to go down, if his saddle bags
should chance to tumble. r -s -
Leaving behind me the busy scenes
along the line" a ride of seven miles
from Byrd's camp, brings. me to the
fires of Yours truly,
| T,arpaCt Stoolr XUou Dorop n, E,.t