The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1915-11-13
HISTORY Of THE OLD WEST FELC|ANA RAILROAD

I'M cents" (From Bishop FitzgeraId,s "ce
lc' tenary Cameos.")
w. on account of various difficulties Il
IL, ROAD was not completed to Woodvil
OF until 1897. probably incorrect date
en- see note). AS soon as it was in wor
C. aole operation, our subject followe
81 MS usual custom of leaving it. to
" large extent in the hands of other
v WINE ne went into new enterprises
" out during the war it was partially d,
70 stroyed and practically abandoned am
10 IN order to rehabilitate it afterward,
e II was necessary to negotiate a loan q
B. $4,000. This he advanced takin
9 nrstmortgage bonds, which were onl
q 'iquidated when the road was finall,
o sold out in 1888 At the latter sail
y lto the Yazoo & Mississippi Vale,
i Railroad Company, for slight excess,
over the bonded debit a diligent ant
: faithful search was made for ever,
stockholder, and all who could be fouof
were paid their pro rata. Afterwards
the road was finally closed out. in orde,
TO perfect title to the new owners.
ihat we may properly realize the
scope OF the work undertaken by Judge
McGehee in this connection, we must
bear in mind that, though the idea had
been quite we'll developed, on the other
hand, the methods practically had not
lat ALL The writer has been told. but
has had no means of verifying it. that
the grades of the South Carolina Rail.
road were originally obtained by bridg-
ing the depressions, instead of the
present method of cuts and embank-
ments. When the West Feliciana Rail-
road was first put in operation the
rails consisted of parallel wooden
beams about six inches square, laid
iengthwise across ties four or FIVE feet
apart. On the parallel beams were laid
bars cut out wedge-shaped so that the
point would fit into the V of the next
rail. They were fastened to the parallel
beams by nails driven through them
directly down from the top, the head
OF the nails fitting into the counter.
sinks in the iron. Of course the pound.
Ing OF the wheels over these rails drove
the nails on through the fiat iron. and
quite frequently, as one wheel passed
over joint, it would curl up the end
OF the rail so that it would strike the
next wheel above the center, and, the
length of the bar being fifteen or six
teen feet, 1t would be driven up through
the floor of the car and sometimes {
through the ceiling also. Such accidents /
quite frequently happened, but fortu-
lately there is no record of any damage n
n this way to passengers, though there S
we're many narrow escapes. t
Railways at that time did not fence Ii
n the right.of.way, which ran through o
ields and pastures promiscuously The a
llfficulty was overcome by an inven. r.
lon Of the subject of our sketch, who II
vas the first to dig pit from one side "
L the road-bed to the other, at the g
Intersection of the fences, which pits N
we're first called cow-pits and after
ards cattle-guards.
A brief review of the beginning OF x
is of interest at this point m
S FAR as we can ascertain, what were n,
allied tramWays were in use In Eng n,
IND as far back as 1916, the first di
IMPLY being plank laid down edge to as
age across a dirt road, making loose W
lank highway for wagons to traverse. ro
ne next step was to spike parallel mr.
cams about three inches thick by four vi
ches wide to these planks, the planks Y
good footing for the horses. ha
hfch were-the only motive power, and, L.
stead OF wagons, cars were used, th
finished with double-flanged wheels III
inning on the parallel beams. 1t was tn
1t short step to add a bar of fiat -
On and to improve the wheels by hav.
only one fiange, which was on the
side.
The first steam train was the one run
George Stephenson over the Stock.
G Darlington Railway in England ~,
September, 1925 (this road was char ha
red In 1921, composed of thirty-four ~,
hicles, carrying ninety tons and hav- ~,
signalman on horseback in adj h.,
nee. The speed attained ranged from 10,
to fifteen miles an hour. The Monk n1,,
Ids Railway in Scotland followed in :. !,
26, and soon thereafter several other II.
all lines were put In operation In =. :
eat Britain. What really impressed ou,
mind Of men with the revolution in ~ :
thods of transportation and travel do,
ought about by the steam railway. h..
Wever, was the operation of the hoo
'erpool & Manchester Railway in nlo
20, this being the first operation Gov
- y