The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1875-05-20

l came here for the purpose of all that
was said in favor of the narrow gauge
system of railroads was true or whether
the benefits had not been exaggerated. /
propose to give you the actual results, so
far as they have been developed on the
Cairo and st. Louis (three feet gauge)
road. The road has been finished this
winter to this place from st. Louis, dis
tance of one hundred and forty eight
miles The road from this place to Muir
freesboro, distance of fifty-eight miles,
has been finished this winter, and as the
winter was very severe at the time the
track was laid, the road; as far as Muir
freesboro, is not in a good condition, but
soon will be, as they are busily at work
ballasting it. The road has been run
ming from st. Louis to Murfreesboro, a
distance of ninety miles, more than a
year. That is the portion upon which
passenger coaches and freight cars have
been regularly run, although it was in an
unfinished condition, not having any out
let to Cairo. The road has been very
successful thus far upon these ninety
miles The gross earnings of the road
were thirty-two thousand three hundred
and forty-six dollars during the month
of October, 1874. The expenses of the
road during that same month, including
ordinary and extraordinary, were seven
teen thousand seven hundred and twen-
ty-fve dollars per month, or one hun
dred and seventy-fve thousand four hun
dred and fifty-two dollars per annum,
upon cost of two millions of dollars, or
a little oyer eight and half per cent
upon the entire cost of that part of the
road During the week ending the 8th
of April, 1875, that portion of the road
received as gross earnings six thousand
five hundred and eighty-nin dollars, or
three hundred and forty-two thousand
six hundred and twenty-eight dollars for
the whole year. These are the results
when only ninety miles of the road were
in operation. On next Monday they will
commence running the cars regularly
through from Cairo to ST. Louis, and af-
ter the road is repaired they will make
the trip in seven hours, which will be
little more than twenty miles an hour.
Tie Ttse passenger trains have 55aen running
from st. Louis to Murfreesboro at the
rate of twenty miles an hour, the passen-
ger coaches carry comfortably thirty two
passengers to the coach; the freight cars
carry eight tons, or sixteen thousand
pounds, to the car. No serious accident
or loss of life has occurred on the road.
The largest locomotive weighs twenty
two tons, and the smallest eleven tons.
The road has been newly ironed and has
expensive equipmints, because it will
have very heavy business. Roads of
the same gauge in Tennessee will not
cost more than halt what this has done.
Coal mines have been opened on this
road which furnish coal equal to Pitts
burg coal, which can be used and is now
being used in making iron without being
coked. This coal has no sulphur and no
slate in it. This is the source from
whence Memphis must draw her supply
of coal. The President of this Cairo and |
st. Louis Company, Colonel S. S. Taylor,
is one of the most energetic, able and |
men in Illinois To his ex-
ertions, aided by an able board of direc- |
tors, does this road owe its success. So |
confident are they of its success tnat they |
are anxious for it to be examined by all |
who doubt the practicability of the mar
row gauge system. 1t is in contempla- |
ton to extend this road through Browns
VILE and Memphis down the Mississippi |
to Vicksburg, and perhaps to New Or
leans. The money to build this compa-
ny's road has been furnished by capital |
lists from Amsterdam, who are deeply in /
in narrow gauge roads, includ- /
ing the Denver and Rio Grande, and St
Louis. They have great confidence in
The narrow gauge system as paying in
7estment and | understand are willing
% aid in building them where the peo
pie manifest local Interest