The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-10-14
TESTIMONY OF AN EXPERIENCED
RAILROAD MANAGER,

Col, i. d. Frost Is universally known
throughout the Southwest and. we may say
throughout the whole country. as one of th.
most experienced, successful and practical O
our railroad managers. He was the superin
tendent OF the Mississippi Central from its
establishment and when that road was
merged and combined with the Jackson he
became the superintendent Of the whole rail
road line from this city to Kentucky. His ad.
ministration gave great satisfaction to the
| company and to the public. No man ever
discharged so difficult, responsible and
iaborious trust with more fidelity, better
| judgment and greater success.
We make these personal references to Col.
Frost with the view Of informing those of
our citizens who desire further light and
weight of opinion relative to the great value
and certainty of the investment in the New
Orleans Pacific The opinions of gentle
man of such great experience, having no
relations to the enterprise which could create
any bias or influence in it's favor save that of
citizen of large stake in the community and
of rare knowledge and enlightenment on the
subject OF railroads In the Southwest, are
entitled to respectful confidence and accept
ance by our citizens which would hardly be
demanded Of them to the same degree of any
other person in the State.
Col. Frost, In response to inquiries adj
dressed by ourselves, states with great en-
phasis that In his opinion the investment in
the New Orleans Pacific ON the terms and
plan proposed by the company, is the best
now offered to capitalists in the United
States With the most careful and thor
ough examination of all the facts and
figures, he places the probable net in
come from the receipts on this road, when
1t lis completed, at over twenty per cent. He
shows that with the present great reduction
in the costs OF all material, the cost of the
construction OF the road to the Texas line will
not exceed $4,000 per mile. If the road had
been undertaken at the time the jackson and
Opelousas road was this cost would have
reached $4,000 per mile.
The business which will be done on this
road, when completed, he thinks, will exceed
that on the jackson road hitherto, and will
largely increase the business of the latter
that the amount of produce and of trade pass
ing over this road will exceed, in fact. the
large estimates heretofore given, and will
embrace two-thirds of the immense amount
now carried on the three roads which
terminate at st. Louis and divert the vast
amount Of produce from this port its natural
and profitable direction. Col. Frost cannot
Imagine how there can be any doubt on
this subject, or on the part of capitalists,
rs to the great profitableness Of invest |
ment in the stock. If he could command four
millions of dollars he does not know where he |
could place 1t with greater confidence that he |
would double his capital in few years than |
n the stock of this road This testimony |
rom man of great caution and fore
light noted for his calm Judgment and |
borough knowledge of railroad matters
nd of the resources of the Southwest, ought
o carry conviction to the mind of our lethar-
'ic, skeptical and so marvelously inert and
property holders and capitalists.