Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1879-06-12
ID r. u. r. r.
Mai. w. J. Sykes Letter to the
Marghall Gazette.

Mai. w. J. Sykes Letter to the
Marshall Gazette.
Ed. GAZETTE. 1t was my de-
sire to. address tie people Of
Marshall county in reference to
TO the extension OF the railroad
from Petersburg TO Fayetteville,
but my other engagements and
my physical inability will pre-
vent my doing so. 1 have been
anxious from the beginning that
this road should prove to be Il
pecmiary success and that il
should yield handsome dividends
to the stockholders. / now be-
llieve it viii do so. / propose TO
give briefly my reasons for this
opinion. The eatire cost Of the
road from Columbia to Peters
burg will be 1851, 900. The
gross earnings for the past two
years have averaged $4,000 per
annum. The net earnings fer the
past year were only $4,000, ow-
ing to the road being new and
difficult to be kept in eIder.
The net income for the year end
ing July 2, 1879 will be $4,5G0,
twice as much as in 1878. OF
the 20 miles now in operation s
miles are SO near the n. d ID.
road and run through such a
country as to be Of no value,
thus leaving only II miles of the
road now in operation to bring in
any revenue. When the road is
completed to Petersburg its gross
earnings cannot be less than$25,-
600 per annum and its operating
expenses $4,000, thus leaving
$4,000. Tnis will have to be
paid as interest upon the bonded
debt. If, as many think, the
gloss earnings will be $4,000
the net income, after paying in
tercst ON the bonded debt, will
be $1,000. But it is when it
is extended to Fayetteville that
it will begin to pay and pay well.
The additional cost Of building
it to Fayetteville cannot exceed
at the highest calculation $780,
600 and may be. much less.
This added to $36l 900 will
make the entire cost Of the road
$4S1, 900, but even if it should
be 10000 it will thenspay well.
The business of the road when
completed from Columbia to
Fayetteville will be four times
as much as it now is. The
through business Of the road
from Columbia to Fayetteville
and from Fayetteville to Column
bia between the n. & G. and the
L. & n. roads will be far more
than all the local business. Put
the receipts at a low estimate,
they will not be under $4,000
per annum, and from tins deduct
$4,000 for operating expenses
and this will leave $4,000 with
which to pay interest and divi-
dends. The interest will not be
more than $4,000 per annum,
leaving $4,000 fer dividends
winch winch is 6 FER cent. son $780,
900. If the road can be saved
until it is extended to Huntsville
and is well managed this viii be
the result. The saving to Mar
shall, Maury and Lincoln coun-
ties from the competition be-
tween the great roads with
which our road will connect will
astonish every one. A very
practical and experienced bust
ness man in Lincoln, Mr.. Mall
lernce, puts the amount saved
by Lincoln each year from the
completion Of this road to Fay
etteyille at $4,000, which, he
says, is a low estimate. Mau1y
and Marshall would each save
more than Lincoln. A saving
Of 8 cents a bushel on the wheat
crop of Maury county would be
be $4,000, to say nothing of all
other articles of export and I'M
port. The three counties Of
Maury, Marshall and Lincoln
would then enjoy the advantages
in reduced freight now enjoyed
by Nashville. This is no mag
mary picture but actual fact.
1t is therefore important that this
road should not go into the
hands Of any great Company but
should be friendly to all and pa
tronized by all. Marshall coun-
ty would be placed as near Mem
pllis by the extension Of this
road TO Huntsville as Maury now
is and Lincoln almost, if not
quite, as near as Giles. All that
we have to do is to save the road
and extend it to Fayetteville and
we are safe and the people of
Marshall county and of Column
bia viii be relieved. To this
end ] am now at the instance of