The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1876-04-22
The &. and r., Ig. Il. n,

Hon. William sykes, Of Memphis. de-
livercd an address on the subject of the
proposed Cairo and Tennessee River
railroada the council chamber last even
ing. There was but small assembly
present. In the course of his speech,
Mr.. Sykes said
This road can be built cheaper than
any road has been built in the whole
country. The cost of the local work. in
GLIDING grading and bridging, will be
from Cairo TO Mayiield. distance OF
forty miles, 100000; from Mayiield to
the Tennessee river, distance OF seventy
miles, Sls5,OOO, making the entire cost OF
the local work, from Cairo to the Ten
ncssee river, to point near Jacksonville,
distance of one hundred and ten miles,
S3i5. 900.
1t will cost S550,OOO to iron and equip
the road from Cairo 10 the Tennessee
river, making the whole cost $685., 600.
This is u large estimate. and the actual
cost will probably be less than the amount
here stated. The most difficult and costly
portion OF the road will be be-
tween Cairo and Mayiield, with
in the first six miles from
Cairo, across the bottom. After running
through the bottom the grading will be
very light all the way to the Tennessee
river. The whole cost of this road from
Cairo to the Tennessee river will beANN
than million of dollars, and the
of farm products in the counties thro
which it is to run exceeds five millio'
dollars per annum.
The road would bring to Cairo
40 ;adc than all the railroads viii,
, a, BE here. You have railroad,
}, ..,ost every direction-one running
easterly into Arkansas and Texas
in southern direction to Mobile
Chicago; and one, the Cairo and 49,
cennes road. running in northeast
direction. You have no road rum
southeast, toward Columbia, Tennessee,
Huntsville, Alabama, and Savannah
Georgia. This road will fill that gap.
Ii it can be built from Cairo to Mayfeld.
there will be no difficulty in extending il
through West and Middle Tennessee in
TO North Alabama, and thence to the At
lantic ocean. The difficult point is in
making the start.
II is lS5 miles to Columbia,
and two hundred and sixty to Huntsville.
Alabama, from Cairo. This road will
run through the best tobacco and grain
regions in West Tennessee and Kentucky;
and after il crosses the Tennessee river
1t will run through the finest iron region
in Middle Tennessee, Hickman county,
from which place iron ore can be deiv-
cred in Cairo ut three dollars per ton,
which ore is equal to any in America.
The value OF farm products between Cairo
and Huntsville. Alabama, is greater than
in any other two hundred aud sixty
miles from Cairo.
At present, very little of any of this
| trade reaches you. Counties within
twenty and fourty miles Of this place find
a market elsewhere Oh account Of not
having road.
1t is tor your people who are so deeply
interested to devise the ways and means
to build 1t. am aware that you have
been terribly embarrassed. that you have
been exceedingly liberal in building
roads, which as yet have not done you
much good. Onc-fourth of the money
spent on o.hr roads would secure the
building OF this road, which would. rs
before remarked, bring you more trade
than all OF them now do.
The cheapness OF this road would,
am satisfied, make 1t good Investment
for capital. 1t would take in as
gross earnings at least $4,000 per
mile each year, and allowing one
half for running expenses would leave
81, 900 per mile as net earnings, which
would be more than ten per cent upon
its cost.
All railroads built by the llberality Of
city or town should be run as far rs
possible In the interest OF that city or
town. Is that the case here In Cairo?
Are they not run, IN fact, SO us to iniure
rather than benefit the place.