Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1904-09-19

sibit--eyen as high up as Ral
Fork. twenty miles above the mouth
cons aaentIy the planters along the
river We're unable to ship out Their
cotton crop and to receive and re-
tlirn plantation supplies from Ne"
able to import goods, wares and mer.
chandise necessary for their business
lowing to this distressing condition OF
affairs. the business men of Pine Bluff
and the planters along the river be-
! low there determined to organize
company for the purpose of construct
ing a railroad whcih would, in the
future. obviate all the difficulty in
landing freight at all seaons of the
year
| In February, 1888. the Arkansas leg
stature granted a charter for COM
pany to arganize to construct rail
road from Little Rock through Pine
Bluff to Napoleon, town at that time
at the mouth of he Arkansas river.
hut at this time at the bottom of the
Mississippi river.
During the year 1858 the Arkansas
river behaved SO well that steamboat
ing was possible as far UP as Fort Glib
son. in the Indian nation. Consequent-
| L. there was no difficulty as to trans
portation of freight and the railroad
project was allowed to slumber. But
IN the spring of 1854 the bottom of the
Arkansas river again came to the sur
| face and the railroad project was re-
vived so that on the fourth day of July
of that year meeting was held at
Pine Bluff and the company organized
Ly electing the following directors:
Solon B. Jones, P. B. Gracey. B. W.
Thomas, Ben johnson of Desha coun-
ity; Cen Sam MITCHELL DIR. Bushrc6
Washington Lee Thomas Douglas, ].
IT,. Goree. Buckley Kimbrough of Ar
kansas county: Ex-Gov. John Sheldon
Roane, Gen. James Yell Nathaniel H.
Fish, Drew White of Jefferson county.
This board of directors on the same
Gay elected DIR. B. w. Lee as president
ard Drew White as treasurer. and ap-
pointed Mr.. R. V. McCracken as sec
retary. the latter then being an at
torney in Pine Bluff. but now engaged
in practicing his profession in Fayette-
vile; and the board authorized the
president to employ competent civil
engineer to make the necessary sur
'vcys and estimates as soon as posi-
BILE
Of the foregoing named board OF
directors there is not now one alive,
Mr.. McCracken being the only sur
vivor of that organization.
In August, 1854, DIR. Lee engaged
the services of Capt Lloyd Tilghman
as chief engineer of the Little Rock
and Napoleon Railroad company, Capt.
/ Tilghman. at that. time, being also
chief engineer Of the Mississippi.
Ouachita and Red River Railroad
tollIpdiiS lllCu DClilS tOHSti uCtCt
from Fergusons landing on the Mis-
sissippi river in Chicot county to Cam
Den On the Ouachita river.
In the early part of September OF
the same year. Capt Tilghman mott
fed me at my home in Georgetown.
Ky, to meet him on the 10th of
No.
company him to Napoleon, Arkansas
for the purpose of taking charge of
the survey of the proposed railroad
F.; line At Cairo, ILL.,, met Capt.
/ 1ilghman. accompanied by my broth
er, Jno. r. Johnson, now living in
st. Joseph, Mo-. and proceeded by
boat to Napoleon. Here my brother
disembarked, together with two young
Iuen from Paducah, KY, Herbert Del
&c by stage to Pine Bluff and awai.
nlv arrival there, while Capt. Thigh
nan and | disembarked at Ferguson's
landing.
On taking leave OF Capt Tilghman
a. Ferguson,s landing on the next day
he gave me an order upon his agert at
Camden for the necessary camp equip
age and surveying instruments and his
parting advice was that | should learn
to take care Of myself and paddle my
own canoe.
rode on horseback from Ferguson's
landing through Camden to Pine Bluff,
employing at Camden a wagon and
team to haul my camping outfit and
engineering Instruments.
Arriving at Pine Bluff 1 found my
brother and Messrs. Dellam and En-