Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-06-23
THE RAILROAD hOBk IN Az
KANSAW.
Branches to be Speedily Built by
the Iron Mountain Railway.

Little Rock Gazette.l
From Col. A. w. Soper, general
manager o the Iron Mountain railroad,
a Gazette representative learned yes
terday OF the proposed construction of
branches Of the Iron Mountain rail-
road in various parts of Arkansaw.
The plans have been maturing for
some time, and the full extent OF the
new lines will open up the state in dis,
tricts that have heretofore remained
undeveloped.
The capital stock of the company
was increased for the purpose OF car
rying into effect the new branches,
and they will be pushed forward to
completion as rapidly as possible,
and be in running order within one
year. Engineering corps are now at
work on the proposed lines, and active
operations will be commenced as Dol
as practicable. :
The eastern portion Of the state will
be tapped by two of the new branches,
and Col. Paramore's narrow guage will
be obliged to get up early in the morn
ing to compete with its formidable
rival. The system will benefit st.
Louis, but it will be one OF the most
active influences in the development
of ArkaUsaw that has ever yet been
contemplated.
The Railway Register gives a sum-
mary Of the locations of the different
branches, aud they are as follows;
"The first and longest will leave the
main line at Corning, run southeast
wardly to GAINESVILLE, and thencesouth-
wardly through the towns of JoResbo-
re, Harrisburg, and Wittsburg, to
Forrest City, on the line of the Mem
phis and Little Rock railway. This
part of the road, together with the por-
ton of the Memphis and Little Rock
between Forrest City and Memphis,
and the main line of the Iron Noun
tain, will make the shortest and most
direct line to Memphis. From For
rest City this branch passes on south
wardly, crossing the Pine Bluff road
at Duncan, through Dewitt to the
state line, thence on through north
eastern Louisiana, and opens up that
rich country to st. Louis. So hat the
products of all that section, instead of
going to New Orleans, will be carried
to this city. The Iron Mountain will
also build a line from Dexter, Mo-, on
the Poplar Bluff and Birds Point
division of its road, down to meet this
proposed branch at GAINESVILLE.
Another branch will start from
Gurdon on the main line and run
southwesterly through the thriving
cities of Camden and Ell Dorado, Ark,
and Farmersville, Vernon, Winfield
and Colfax La, to a junction with the
New Orleans Pacific at Alexandria.
This branch will pass through a very
fertile country and will form part Of
the new through line between New
Orleans and st. Louis.
A third branch will leave the main
line at 0'Kean and run the northern
tier of counties in Arkansaw, touch
ing the towns Of Pocahontas, Salem,
Mountain Home, Sherman and Harri,
son, to Carrollton in Carroll county.
This part of Arkansaw is a rich wheat
and tobacco country, Astounding in
fine timber and extensive deposits of
minerals and will rapidly improve
when the railroad is opened.
The fourth branch leaves the main
line at Traskwood, a short distance
south of Little Rock, and runs south
westwardly through Sherman, Mt. Ell
ba, Warren and Hamburg, to the
state line, and will penetrate into a
valuable cotton country. The Mem
phis and Little Rock will also build a
feeder from Duvall's Bluff to Pine
Bluff.
All these branches will be cOnstruc-
the at once. will be completed in a
year, and will pay from the first day
they r opened. Their value will be
immense, both to the state of Arkan-
saw, the city Of st. Louis and the Iron
Mountain railroad, making that sys.
TEN one of the largest and most i'm
portant Of all those which center at
st. Iouis."