The Topeka state journal., 1898-02-08
NEW SOUTHERN ROADS.
Remarkable Activity Shown in Con
struction in That Section.


struction in That, Section.
Washington, D. G.. Feb. S.-A boom in
railroad building seems to have struck
the southern states. The indications
are that the year 1898 will be notable
for the largest increase of mileage
south of the Potomac and Ohio rivers
and more track will be built in the rest
of the United States and Canada. Down
below Mason and Dixon's line the sur
veyOrs, graders and track layers are
Wherever you go there are gangs of
men with triangle and seXtant running
lines through plain and valley, over hills
and across rivers, while closely follow
ing them are graders, track layers and
bridge builders.
a conservative estimate promises g.
coo miles of new track, which is 80 per
cent more than was constructed in the
entire country last year and four times
as much as was built in the south. This
activity is not confined to any particu-
lar section, but includes all the states
south of Mason and DixOn'S line. It is
said that upward of $40, eco 900 in bonds
have recently been f1Oated for new
roads and extension of old ones. Much
of this money has been obtained in Eu-
rope, and more in the financial centers
of the north, where confidence has been
restored in southern enterprises and
sure profits are expected from invest
ments.
While railway building is practically
at an end in the New England and the
northern central states, there are large
areas of rich and undevelOped resources
in the south which have no transpOrta-
tiOn lines.
Each year is increasing the lumber
ing, mining and manufacturing output
of the south. for which such facilities
are absolutely necessary, and in many
cases where northern capital could not
be obtained local interests have been
united and furnished the money in
small sums.
The Southern Improvement company
of Jasper, Tex, is an illustration. In
order to reach market with products, a
branch line 25 miles long to connect
with the nearest railway was necessary
for the people of that place, and. be-
ing unable to induce outsiders to under
take the risk, the community organized
under the direction of their mayor and
did the work themselves. Not a dollars
worth of bonds have been issued. The
citizens of the county, including the
farmers who are to be benefited have
nearly all subscribed for more or less
stock and have worked out" its pay
ment or furnished material in lieu of
money.
They have done their own grading.
cut their own ties for the track and
timber for bridges. Everybody from
the mayor to the village blacksmith has
taken a hand. The superintendent Of
the company has been working for 81
a day. and he is the only salaried Of
ficer. The line has been finished with
out a dollar of debt.
In the same manner the people of
Henrietta, Tex, and the farmers along
the route have recently constructed u
miles of railway to the Oklahoma line
An important influence in southern
railway building is the diversion of ag-
ricultural products for export from the
north to the south Atlantic seapOrts.
The Illinois Central, the Louisville &
Nashville, the Chesapeake & Ohio and
other railways now have their own
lines connecting Chicago with the sea,
and are making connections in Texas,
Mississippi Alabama, Louisiana and
other states.
A branch of the Mobile & Ohio, $50
miles long, now under construction, will
complete a trunk line from near St
Louis to Savannah and make another
channel to convey the export products
of the western states and territories to
tidewater.
The consolidation of railways, which
has been steadily going on in the south
during the last four years, has shut off
competition in many sections and has
made the construction of competing
lines necessary.