, 1908-09-05

ton Of cone one mile on any one Of these mar
row gauge roads !?
What is supposed to be the limit of dis
tnnce OF then successful operation
What IS the relative cost of operating with
mules and with steam?
II Hou have no information on the subject
ct hand, Is 1t not one which might be profit
ably discussed by the Louisiana Sugar
Planters Association ?
COUNTRY Cousin.
The inquiries Of our Country Cousin are
for data that have not yet been definitely
determined, at least not along all Of the line
Of his inquiries Plantation tri mways using
a light rail IN this State began generally tn
n 24-inch gauge, because that had been
adopted by those who used the Fowler road,
IN the beginning Of its use, about 1880. The
Fowler road was intended to be portable in
tn fields and permanent part Of the way.
Hon. Duncan 4. KAnner, in negotiating with
them for this road in Leeds, England, found
that they gave great attention to the rnrta-
bility Of tie tracG and were disposed to re-
mmcu gauges as narrow as 20 inches and
even down to Ia inches, aud wore reluctant
about admitting the dtsirability Of a 24-inch
gauge. Mr.. Kenner, for use Of his own pro
perty IN Ascension arsh, got the 24Inch
gauge and some English cars, as Tic also Mir
o"il" a Morris, on the Ashton plantation
a year or two later, Governor Warmoth for
hls Magnolia plantation, Hon. John Dymond
tor his Belair plantation, and Mr.. FIN. AHnes
for the Southside plantation, opposite New
Orleans, al bought the Fowler road OF a.
inch gauge. These purchases Of The English
road set the pace nj that date, as had pnt-
ylously MIR. Dymond's use Of the Pcfo5er
Wooden road Of a 2-foot gQuge in 1870.
The portable feature OF the Fowler road
h"s nearly passed ont Of use. There is merit
III II, but hardly sufficient to induce epy one
10 90 INTO q new installation Of portable
track. The moment that it comes to q per-
maneht way, then it is found that.the track
should be at least 80 inches, and preferably
80 inches. We have made many inaui,ies.
and the concensus of opinion is that Dlanta-
ton railways should be 36-inch canoe as it
costs but little more than 30 inches, and "a
inches IS too marrow. To follow the line Of
our correspondents inquiry, necessarily the
Z4lhch gauge road must be the cheapest.
BECAUSE the road9bed would be the narrow
esq., ohe croSS-tles the shortest, and even if
the MINIMUM iron now generally used 1G
pounds, were used for the "A, 80 or 3G-jnch
gauge, these other costs would diminish the
cost of the building Of the road The i1btor
tue IRON the more nearly together should
the cross-ties be placed, aud hence thn,o
would be an increased nun bor of cross ties
uSto' us well as an Increased number of
spikes.
IN operation as a tram road, we are inc}in-
ca TO th1nk that the 24-inch gauge should 30
cut ont entirely and believe that u 30-jpcb
Tram rond, with mule power, would be mole
che"PIy handled than a 24-inch, ut TINT if
1t oe contemplated at once, or in the future,
70 use locomotives, then the gauge should
go 36 inches.
Onr correspondents inquiry as TO the cost
OF moving one ton of cane one mile on these
narrow gauge roads we presume can only be
answered 10y saying that such data has not
h1en coIlated. In q general way we would
naz"ld the statement that tbs operating OK
penses OF he road, with n fairly good amount
ol traihc done on it, would cost at least 25
cents per ton, without considering the re-
pairs of the road OF the money invested
therein.
The limit Of distance for successful opera
tlon Is determlnate. If carried on by mule
power, the location of mule stations away
rom home and supplies of feed, etc, for
them, make the matter rather annoying and
expensive, and the wear and tear on the
mules ls quite great. If the work be done
with locomotives, then it just becomes a