The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1883-02-04
ST, LOUIS & CAIRO X. r.
(st, Louis Republican. 26th inst


home is in Amsterdam, Holland, are max.
lug stay of few days in the city, and
are stopping at the Southern. They are
both young men, very progressing, and
altogether cosmopolitan in their depart.
ment and knowledge. In conversation
with them last night Republican reporter
learned that they are making tour of the
United States, combining business with
pleasure Holding very large number of
the bonds of the st. Louis aud Cairo mar.
row gauge road and hearing contradictory
reports as to its management, they desired
70 make an inspection for themselves, and
incidentally to obtain some general infor-
nation concerning other roads whose are
offered in the European markets.
"You would be surprised" said one of
the gentlemeB. Ito know the immense
number Of American railroad securities
which are held in Holland by capitalists.
In fact, tell you the truth, know more
about American railroads than do about
those of Europe, merely because our busi.
ness makes that knowledge necessary"
"Your roads over there are not represent.
ed in the markets as ours2'
ooh, NJ. You see the roads over there
are asa rule under government control,
there being only three in Holland, for iu-
stance, which are owned by private indi-
viduals."
"Have you laws governing railroad rates
and preventing discrimination therel'
"Not exactly that, but every private road
iscompeled to submits schedule OF freight
aud passenger tariffs to the authorities each
year, and if the rates are in any case exces-
sive the government has a right to modify
them. We hLar no complaints there OF
distortion or unjust discrimination how.
ever"
"How about accidents on your roadln
ave have very few, indeed, AL or nearly
ALL Of our roads have double tracks and
are better bsllasted than the majority Of
American roadsl'
"Do they make as fast timer"
"Just about the same as here---say about
80 miles an hour"
"Have you inspected the st. Louis &
Cairo narrow-gauge"
Eyes. When we arrived in Cairo, SUI
perintendent Hamilton furnished us q
special car snd we made trip over the
road. We found it to be in excellent con.
dition, and although the rails are of iron,
they are not much worn. It is Mr. Ham
ilton's intention, as fast as the earnings will
admit of it, to lay In stock Of steel rails,
and he is specially anxious to take advan.
tage OF the present low market. We think
that the fact that they lave not had wheel
of the track 10 year speaks very well for
both the road and the management"
allow is it for an investment"
"That is difficult as yet to say, but we
think 1t will pay five per cent, and as it
derives its support from way business
chiefly, it must always improve because
the country through which it passes is
rapidly opening up, II it once gets sufi.
cient local business to pay, then it is safe,
because there is no probability that it will
ever have any more competition than now"
"Was there not proposition at one time
20 make it the connecting link between the
Texas narrow.gauge and st. LouisM
YES, but the negotiations failed. 1t
seems to me that the Tex,s narrow-gauge
people would have served their own inter.
ests best by etfectiug the arrangement, be.
cause shipping over the Illinois Central
and Cairo Short Line, as they do now, they
have to change the trucks of every car
from narrow to standard gauge. OF
course it is quite drawback tothe marrow.
gauge that it cannot cross the bridge; but
that, we think, will be overcome before a
great while,
The information that bill for new
bridge over the Mississippi at Chain of
Rocks is pending in Congress proved very
interesting to the gentlemen, as il created
one more possibility for crossing, which
may sJrvo II present plans fail.