The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-03-28
THE MEMPHIS APPEAL THURSDAY. MARCH %, 1889.
TISHOMING0 GRAVEL.
INFINITEsIMAL FIGURING. BUT IT
REACHES A ROUND AGGREGATE.
How the Memphis g. Charleston Rail-
road Company Fills In With Summer
Business-Brief Description Of the
Immvnse Gravel Beds

There Is handsome business for the Mem
ph.s & Charleston Railroad Company, and
a good thing for Memphis and many smaller
cities and towns, in the almost limitless
gravel beds In Tishomingo County, Miss.
For dll.in engagements during the sum-
mer, the Charleston Railroad Company fills
IN It's bank account to the extent of about
$4,000 an"lally, yet us n sample OF close
figuring on the article and freight charges,
il stands out in magnificent relief.
THE ApPEAI, a few days since, chronicled
the fact that the Taxing District authorities
had decided that about 1000 carloads Of
Tishomingo gravel would be used here this
year for foundation purposes. IL also an
nouEc,d that an effort was being made by
them 10 secure n reduction Of price. Super
intcndent Pcgram has replied to the letter,
positively declining 10 make the reduction,
but has entered into an" arrangement whereby
dead weight and cost are definitely fixed.
For a carload OF 10000 pounds, or twenty
tons, the charge will be $50.
When this is figured down the wonder Il
how II could be made TO pay ut all. Indeed,
II could not, but for the fact that IL comes
In the summer, when general freight bust
ness is dull, aud the heavy demand estab-
fishes u very large aggregate. For all gravel
hauled to Memphis, at the rate stated, tho
cost is less than one.half cent per ton per
mile, with no charge for the gravel. The
haul 10 this point Is 40 miles, with little
or no alternative for nothing on the return
trip but empty flats. The charge ut first was
SOS per carload, but has been gradually
brought down 10 the present bedrock level.
The railroad company has also contracted
for 800 carloads Of gravel for T~uscumbia,
800 for Decatur, 500 for Florence and 100 for
Leighton, the shortest haul To these places
being thirty miles, the longest seventy. In
every case the same charge Is made rs that
for this city.
There nre two largo gravel pits being
worked at present by the railroad company.
One Of them IL exclusively for commerce,
the other for ballusting the roadbcd. For
the discovery Of this excellent material the
railroad company Is indebted TO Maj. Miles
Mcriwether, Taxing District engineer. but
who was nj the time chief engineer Of the
Memphis A Charleston Railroad. IL was in
1870. The Major struck the first pick into
the ineXhaustiblc beds, and had the first
gravel brought 10 this city aud placed In the
: yard Of the railroad company. Since 1881 II
has been used extensively for foundation
purposes ON the streets OF the city.
Tho extent Of these gravel beds ran only
be estimated at this end Of the line. First
class workable gravel begins To show at the
ii5-mile post, aud ends at Bear Creek, In
the edge uf Alabama, at the l2l-mile post.
They extend back, Il il supposed, ten or ff-
teen miles. The hills vary la hight from 30
Ia l25 feet.
OF the two pits now being worked. the
largest has n vertical face Of seventy feet.
The product i n pure, clean gravel, with a
little Of the kaolin. or ccmcnting quality,
from which porcelain Is made. some Of this
y very pure aud white, and a fine article Of
the coarscr grade Of porcelain could be made
Of IT,