The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-02-24

W. p. Dickinson Of Chicago and c.
.. Smith Of Memphis. promoters oc
the Memphis & Pensacola railroad ar
rived In Pensacola yesterday after
neon. Accompanying them was J. NJ
WcBeath, prominent business man Of
Meridian, who Is here 70 look oEGe
the situation
Mr.. Smith is not only one OF ~
members of the board OF oirectoEn Of
the Memphis & Pensacola road a. Ts-
Gently organized, but Is the senior
member OF c. ID. Smith s. Co. railroad
contractors who have the contract
for building the road. Mr.. Smith and
DIR. Dickinson have just returned from
3 visit to some OF the surveying camps
below Meridian, and are here 20 a0-
cept the franchise which the city OF
Pensacola has given to the road. to-
gether with some valuable Waterfront
property for terminal purposes-
While there are q few mi1or
changes which the railroad WIN ask
changed, either npw or later, hEr.
Dickinson says the franchise 'ordk-
nance is acceptable to the road
Surveying Delayed.
Sixty men, divided into thrSs sur-
veying parties, are yet at work max
ing the final lines of the road. said
Mr.. Dickinson. It was thought that
this work could be finished By March
three months have prevented the sur
veyors from doing the work. and as
a consequence the work is practically
sixty days tardy.
Sixty days from now. actual con-
struction work WIN begin. both az
Pensacola and Meridian, unless some
thing worse than the weather which
bas been experienced lately is en-
countered. said Mr.. Dickinson.
There will be nothing to delay the
construction work after Il is once
begun he aid, "ana that part OF the
ordinance which SPECIFICS the time
when certain parts of the road must
be flushed il altogethes aoceptahle 20
u.s.
Is an Air L.ns.
From Memphis to pensacola the resd
will be practically an afr Line with
the exception OF tlia tu-n which goes
into Meridian. the road win not
swerve from the air line more than
three miles at any place. the bend
into Meridian being about twelve
miles.
That the road viii be one Of the
best,. not only In the South, but IN
the entire country, may be readily
realized when ii Is known that the
contract calls for e0-pound rails, with
a grade of one-half of one per cent.
Anticipating an inmense amount Of
export business, the road ie prepar-
ing to haul large trains over the road
with few engines. a. Mr. Dickinson
says the same motive power can haul
nearly so per cent more load over .
road with a grade such as the Mem
phiS to Pensacola win have than over
the average road Of the country.
Grading on the branch OF the road
which leaves the point on the main
line to 80 TO Helena, Ark, has been
completed for forty-seven miles, and
this part Of the road is now ready for
laying the track, although Il IS not
thought that the track-laying WIN be-
gin until the road reaches there from
Memphis.
Plenty Of Money.
No trouble has been encountered by
the promoters to secure funds to
finance the road. Mr. Dickinson says
that three or four concerns have Of
fered to finance the road since the
arrangements have already been made.
Work viii begin just as soon az the
surveying parties finish their work.
which win be within sixty days.
Mr.. Dickinson has become an ardent
Pensacola booster. He says every
where he goes he Is called upon to
tell about the Deep Water City, and
takes pleasure IN giving en- OF the
information he can supply.
OF the other roads which are now
building to Pensacola, Mr. Dickinson
says he hears good reports. He feels
sure that both the Mclaughlin and
Megarel roads win be pushed to rapid
completion.
In Meridian.
OF the railroad men now in PenEa-
cola, the Meridian Dispatch OF yester-
day said:
''Messrs w. P. Dickinson Of ChicaEo
and c. d. Smith Of Memphis, both
prominent officials OF the Memphis &
Pensacola railroad, were In the city
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