The Greenville times., 1910-09-23


tween the chain of hills by tunneling
them at the Refuge Oil Mill to Mat
tingly, thus making an entire new line
of road for six miles
In the summer of 1882 a part of gen
tlemen came down from Vicksburg on
the little train and walked down to the
river front, to where the original line
had run out from the landing through
the railroad cut, ten years before. /
soon knew, from their conversation
that they were connected with the
road, and I remember hearing one of
the party being the subject of consider
able run, when he wanted to know if
the big cottonwood tree that had float
ed up on the bank from the spring over
flow could not be used for making
stringers.
This was the party representing R. T.
Wilson & Company, Of New York, who
were soon to complete the road. The
following evening when we received
the Vicksburg Herall, it announced the
transfer, and stated that the name
would be charged from "Mississippi
Valley & Ship Tsland' to the "Louis-
vile, New Orleans & Texas Railroad,
as a standard gauge and rapidly com
pleted.
After being disappointed so often
the people expressed serious doubts as
to the road ever being completed, but
the rapidity with which the railroad
events moved from that time on, until
the line was finished, soon dispelIed all
doubts, and the entire country was fill
ed with great jOy-they were at last
to have the long-wanted and much-need
ed railroad
If memory serves me correctly, it
was in the spring of 1883 that the
heavy steel arrived at Vicksburg for
It's new road. I recall very distinctly
the evening that it passed Warrenton
in a large ocean barge in charge of a
going tug, and stern wheel steam
er named "Sally Carny'; this barge
was landed at Klinston, and unloaded
ON the bank, where spur tracks were
run to it from the main track when
steel laying commenced.
Shortly after the arrival of the steel
the big locomotives began to arrive.
The No. 8, No. 4, and No. 10, all new
and fine machinery. Railroad build
ing had now commenced in arnest on
the "VaIley"
It win be seen that the steel for the
beginning, and that which was to com
plete it, was transported on the Mis-
sissippi River, whose traffic was doom
ed from the first schedule ever made
when the road was completed.
It will not be amiss to make mention
of some of the facts that I recall of
river transportation, both as to rates
and service: From my home on the
Mississippi River, I hal ample oppOr
tunity of knowing the methods used by
river steamers in their intercourse with
the public. In Mark Twain s 'Life
on the Mississippi, where he describ
es the steam boat captain, before and
after the coming of the railroads, I was
impressed with how true his description
was, for I had very often been a wit
ness to the captain standing on the
hurricane deck refusing to take the
cotton on the landing that was offered
his boat, on account of the shipper Civ
ing the opposition boat the business of
the previous trip, or possibly because
he was already loaded to his boat IS
capacity, or there was a boat just
around the bend and one Of the many
Mississippi River races was on--and it
would never do to get into port behind
EHer'.
The passenger fare from Warrentor
TO Vicksburg, a distance of about tel
miles by river, was $3.50; the same rate
now by rail is twenty-five cents. Ic'
could only be obtained from the boats
which cost $3.50 per hundred pounds
and usually one must have a very sicl
member of his family to get it at ever
that price. Lemons sold at the bar TO
one dollar per dozen, and sell iom wa
a banana seen as high up as the Vicks