The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-03-02
OHIO TO TEXAS.
Completing the Last Link i'm the
Erlanger Syndicate,s system.

A Cincinnati special dispatch to
the Philadelphia Press says:
The last of the sealed proposals
for the completion of the Vicksburg,
Shreveport and Pacific railroad for
the last torty-eight miles, from Ar
cada to Shreveport, were received
at noon yesterday at the office of
General Manager John Scott, Gin
cinnati, Ohio. The bids are nuIner-
Gus, and most of them are from
eastern contractors. r. G. Huston
IL Co., who built the Erlanger sys-
tenn, have put in bid for grading.
cross-ties and trestling the entire
road. The Union bridge company
also have put in a bid on the bridges
and iron work. Superintendent
and Chief Engineer f. Y. Delaney,
now at Monroe, has orders to en-
ploy all the men he can get,
and at receipt of names secur-
ing bids to turn the entire
force over to them and push
the road along as rapidly as possible.
The road is now completed from
Meridian, the southern terminus of
the Alabama and Great Southern
road (Which is ALSO part of the
great Erlanger SYSTEM to Monroe.
When the line is completed 10
Shr eveport, a northern terminus of
the Texas Pacific, this entire south
ern system will be complete from
Cincinnati.
The following roads now comprise
the system:
Mics.
The Cincinnati Southern, from Cincinnati
The Alabama and Great Southern road. '''
from Chattanooga to Meridian. ....... 295
Vicksburg and Meridian between these
points ......................... l40
pleteo between Vicksburg and Monroe,
Louisiana ...............'.......... %
Incomplete, for which bids are now being
... received Observation-Disclosures. ~
Total mileage. ...................... s91
The Erlanger system, when COM
plete, will have the shortest route
from Cincinnati, and be the direct
competitor with the Louisville and
Nashville and the Huntington sys-
tenn for southern and southwestern
business. Already the Louisville
and Nashville system is feeling the
results of this combination, especial
ly on the Birmingham, Ala, bust
ness, the Erlanger line being twen-
ty-six miles the shortest route to the
point, while on New Orleans traffic
the Louisville and Nashville has had
to reduce their freight tariff ten per
cent.
The Baltimore and Ohio and the
Erlanger system will work in har-
mony on business between Washing
ton, Baltimore and the points south
and southwest. This will be another
competitor with the Danville and
Huntington systems from Richmond
and Baltimore. When the Norfolk
and Western has completed it's ar
rangements, the Shenandoah Valley
will go under its control, and it is
stated on good authority that
the East Virginia, Virginia and
Georgia, and Norfolk and Western
roads will consolidate. Negotia-
tions are now pending. to bring
about this, but all depends upon the
passage of a bill now before the
Virginia legislature. There are sew
eral very important bills before that
body which, if passed, will give
them control Of several roads now in
course of construction in Virginia.
The Huntington meeting in New
York on Tuesday, is for the purpose
of taking action in the matter of the
port facilities and OF the extension
of the Yorktown road to Hampton
Roads, at point opposite Norfork.
This point they propose making an
shipping harbor in oppo-
sition to the Norfolk and Western
road, who are determined to make
Norfolk the most important port, if
possible.