The Tupelo journal., 1903-06-26
Alabama Mississippi Line.
flatterine Prospects for the Helena,
Tupel0 and Decatur Railroad.

NEW DECATUR, Ala, June 20,
Especial. 1.-The Helena, Tupelo
Il Decatur railroad was chartered
in Alabama and Mississippi in
1883 with terminal points at De-
catur, Ala, and Helena, Ark. In
1900 by an act of the Mississippi
Legislature the terminal point in
Arkansas was extended to Arkan-,
sas City. In 1889 T.. G. Finle1,
a competent and enthusiastic civil
engineer and railroad surveyor,
made a careful survey of the en-
tire route, in many places cutting
out the right of way and blazing
the trail. Mr.. Finley is at this
time chief of the engineering de-
partment at the st. Louis Expo
sition. After mach work had
been done on this survey the dis.
asterOus panic of 1898 discourag-
ed the promoters and for several
years nothing was done. In 1897
Maj. Medford of Tupelo, Miss,
yice-presideut of the road, entered
into a correspondence with l..
Ray Nelson of New Decatur re-
garding its possibilities. From
that initial correspondence the
present work has resulted. w.
D. Anderson, Mayor of Tupelo,
Miss, is the president and l.. Ray
Nelson of New Decatur is the
secretary, and the actual work of
organization Of construction is
now entirely in their hands, Maj.
Medford having died last year at
the very time when his life work
was about to be accomplished.
The officers Of the Helena, rupelo
e. Decatur have now completed
arrangements with IA construction
company of New York, aud the
final survey and other preliminary
work is being completed and there
is a prospect of every difficulty
being overcome. The people all
along the route are enthusiastic
and the right of way is promised
and many donations of land aud
money have been offered to L
Ray Nelson, the secretary in
charge at New Decatur, Ala.
From Decatur westward to the
Mississippi State line there is no
railroad. Moulton, the county
seat of Lawrence county, is com
pletely isolated and discharged,
having nc outlook for their pro-
duets. a railroad will be the
greatest boon this part of the
country a be given. 1t is rather
Il surprise that this part of the
country, which is so rich in miner
al and timbar and stone, and
which is sucn Il great fruit aud
c0ttOn-prOduclng section. should
have remained So long in a help
less condition from lack of rail-
roads. Some of the most promi-
nent men of the States of Alabama
and Mississippi are pushing
the work On the Helena, Tupelo
& Decatur railroad and there is
no doubt of it's successful com
pletion and being a paying road
from the start. One feature about
the building of this road is the
fact that while the company will
| gladly receive voluntary contribu-
tions of land aud money, no beg
ging has been done. The bonds
of the company are on sale and
those who wish to forward the
building of the road are being
offered the bonds of the company
in exchange for their contribu-
tons. The road will run west
ward from Decatur through Nor
gan, Lawrence, corner of Frank
lin and Winston counties and
Marion county to the State line,
through ltawamba county, Miss,
to Tupelo. w. ID. Anderson, the
president of the Helena, Tupelo,
& Decatur, was in Decatur this
week and met a large delegation of
the most prominent men Of this
city. He was most gratiied at
the state Of affairs and promised
to leave no stone unturned for
completing the road.
A young man at Canova took
his hest Uirl ont for q ride She