are contributed at this time as an element to aid the public in forming an opinion on the subject of the projected railway, and in gratification of my great desire to do something for its advancement. It seems a treason against mankind and the spirit of progress which marks the age to refuse to put this one completing link to our national prosperity and the civilization of the world. Europe still lies between Asia and America; build this railroad and things will have revolved about; America will lie between Asia and Europe the golden vein which runs through the history of the world will follow the iron track to San Francisco, and the Asiatic trade will finally fall into its last and permanent road, when the new and modern Chryse throw open their gates to the thoroughfare of the world. I am, gentlemen, with much regard, respectfully yours, Washington, June 13, 1854. ARTICLE V. Mobile and Ohio Railroad. To SIDNEY SMITH, ESQ., President of the Mobile and Ohio Railroad Company. For the information of Directors and Stockholders, I have the honor to submit the following report of the Construction Department of their road : It will be recollected that in April, 1853, contracts for graduation had been made for the entire line from Citronelle to the State line of Kentucky, with the exception of a few miles light work in North Mississippi and Tennessee; all of which have been subsequently disposed of, and the remainder of the line through Kentucky, terminating on the Ohio river at Paducah, placed under contract to be completed ready for iron, as follows: fifteen miles next the river by the 1st of April, 1854, and the remainder, to a junction with the main line from the mouth of the Ohio river, by the 1st of November, 1854, simultaneously with the completion of the contracts through Tennessee and Mississippi. Of the main line through Kentucky, that portion only has been contracted which lies in Hickman county, including the Columbus, Kentucky branch; leaving thirty-one and a half miles in Fulton and Ballard counties to be disposed of. This small portion of the line has been postponed, for the purpose of securing the right of way and the required amount of subscription from those counties, who alone, of all the counties on the route of road, have to the close of 1853 been unmindful of their own interest by not advancing the road. Two hundred thousand dollars are required from both counties, fifty from Fulton, and one hundred and fifty from Ballard; and as the road cannot be placed in these two counties respectively, until the required amounts are raised, it is believed active measures will be taken therefor. The Columbus, Mississippi, branch was placed under contract in June of 1853, to be completed in the spring of 1854. Recapitulating, we have in progress of construction, at this time, all of the main road, excepting the two above named, equal to All of the Paducah branch...... All of the Columbus, Ky., branch Total....... PROGRESS OF THE WORK. 462 miles; 59 66 First Division. From Citronelle to the line of Lauderdale county, Mississippi, 933 miles-all the heavy and difficult work is completed, and the remainder so far advanced that no part of it for a day can detain the track, if laid with all practicable speed. Upon the first 50 miles of this distance the value of work done to the 1st of March, is........ ..$282,137 Value of do. to complete the same ready for the tracks. 18,360 Upon the remaining 43 miles, all light work, amount ...... done to 1st of March, is . 111,750 Do. to be done to complete the same ready for the tracks 118,763 Second Division.-Extending through Louderdale and Kemper counties, Mississippi, and 59 miles in length, embracing the heaviest grading of the whole road. During the past year white labor was here relied upon, but not half of it could be obtained to fully man the work; yet, the value of work done to the 1st of March upon the 59 miles, is $134,797, leaving to be done exclusive of timber and tracks, the value of $193,189. This division is now provided with a force of white men, sufficient to complete it in all of this year, and before the tracks can approach it from the South and North as contemplated. Third Division.-Extends through Noxubee, Lowndes, Monroe and Chickasaw counties, Mississippi-length 832 miles. This division is generally light work, and nearly all in the hands of planters, who being allowed two years by their contracts, for the execution of the work, which might be done in one, they have in many instances, postponed a beginning till this spring. The returns, therefore, do not show as much done in proportion as upor the 1st and 2d divisions; yet two-fifths of all the earth-work is now done, with bricks and cement furnished for an equal or greater proportion of the masonry. The determination of all the contractors on this division is to finish their work in all of this year, and as they control three times more men than are required for that purpose, there can be no doubt of their success. From a central point of this division, the branch road puts out to Columbus upon the Bigby river, the graduation of which, including timber for the tracks, is now two thirds done, and all arrangements made for its completion by the first of July next. Iron rails for this branch and for seven miles of the main road have been ordered to Columbus, and preparations made for laying the track thence, as early as the first of June, consequently this branch will be in running order by the 1st of September, and track-laying begun in Lowndes county upon the main line, in both directions from the branch junction. By shipping iron up the Bigby river during all of the next winter, the tracks will be continued South to meet the completed road in Lauderdale county and North to the Pontotoc line. To the latter point, under this arrangement, the road can be completed and cars running by the 1st September, 1855. Fourth Division. Extends from Chickasaw county to the Tennessee State line, 663 miles in length, and was the last work placed under contract in April, 1853. Two-fifths of the earth-work is now done, and preparations made for masonry and bridging. The force designed to be placed on this division, so soon as the spring rains.are over, will complete nine-tenths of it in twelve months, and the heavy points (of which there are three) in eighteen to twenty-four months. Fifth Division.-Extending through the State of Tennessee, is 118 miles long, one-third of the earth is nearly done, and two-sevenths of the whole value of all work graduation completed. The work is generally light upon this Division; 18 all, excepting three Divisions, in the hands of planters, who can and will complete it for the iron, within the present year, and furnish timber for the tracks during the first three or four months of 1855. Sixth Division. Consists of the main line in Kentucky, 40 miles in length, and the Paducah and Columbus branches, respectively 59 and 5 miles long; making the total length of the division, main road and branches, 104 miles; of which 72 are in progress. The Paducah branch is all in the hands of cne efficient Company, who have now 15 miles at the Paducah end nearly ready for the tracks, and can complete the whole by the 1st of December next. Thirteen miles and a half in Hickman county, Kentucky, including the Columbus branch, has made some progress to the amount of $5,000, but will be urged rapidly on as soon as the remaining 31 miles in Fulton and Ballard counties can be put under contract. Iron rails have been ordered to Paducah in moderate quantity, that the track-laying may be commenced as early as practicable. With a continued supply of rails at Paducah, the tracks may reach Jackson, Tennessee, by the 1st of October, 1855, and the heavy work in North Mississippi by the time the road reaches there from the south; which with proper diligence by the contractors preparing the road way, and by the Company in furnishing the rails, ought not to extend beyond the 1st of June, 1856. The tracks are now laid about ten miles above Citronelle, and will hereafter be continued uninterruptedly until the whole road shall be completed. The value of all work done on the Road is as follows: Mobile to Citronelle, 33 miles....... $500,000 1st Division to Lauderdale county, Miss........ 394,000 135,000 180,000 53,000 144,000 6th Division to the Ohio river at Paducah, and the Hickman county contract, 723 miles........ 50,000 Total for Grading and 43 miles laid.................................... $1,456,000 450,000 Right of way, Engineering and Contingent Expenses.. 150,000 Making a total of work done, machinery and rails, of $2,056,000 Besides which, there are 8,100 tons of rails now arriving from Messrs. Thompson and Forman, which, with previous purchases, will complete 147 miles of the Columbus and Paducah branches. Notwithstanding the hard times for money, the collections of instalments have invariably kept ahead of the local work, and so long as the present good feeling exists throughout the line, based as it is upon the confidence in the merits of the road as a stock investment, and upon the want of it as a commercial avenue, the Treasurers will not be troubled to meet the requisitions for the work. Stockholders, however, must at all times bear in mind, that to have the work done quickly, they must pay promptly. The planters on the route have lost on an average $8 per bale on their last year's crop of cotton, in cousequence of not getting it to market as soon by three months, as they would have done by the road. At least two hundred thousand bales are grown in counties contiguous to the road, upon which the loss sustained this year is $1,600,000; and this is the second crop in three years, upon which this loss has fallen by late rivers and depressed prices. The subscriptions for the Tennessee River branch are nearly to the amount required. It is now expected that the contracts can be made therefor in May next. The State of Tennessee has given another proof of her wise policy, by amending her Internal Improvement law of 1852, and granting $10,000 per mile to the Mobile and Ohio railroad and several other roads, instead of $8,000 as before. The Tuscaloosa, Gainesville and Mississippi Railroad Company are now seeking a direct line of road from the Warrior coal fields to the Mobile road. When built it will be one of the most valuable tributaries to your road and city. Should this fail, the line chartered from Tuscaloosa, via Eutaw and Livingston, will put you in connection with the same coal fields, but less favorably, on account of greater distance and consequent greater cost of coal transportation. In addition to the connecting roads mentioned in the last annual report, two others are projected and justly merit the confidence and the support of the people to be accommodated by them. The first is from Coffeeville, running near Greensborough and Philadelphia, Miss., to the Mobile and Ohio Railroad, at or near Enterprise, in Clark county. Eventually, this line will be extended via Panola and Hernando to Memphis, Tenn. The second is from Columbus, Miss., to Decatur, Ala., to connect with your Columbus branch. It is represented, by the very competent Engineer, who has examined it, as a cheap and feasible route for construction of a railroad. But this is not the place nor is it my province to discuss the merits of connecting roads. I wish merely to invite the attention of all parties interested for or against the Mobile and Ohio Railroad, to the true reason, why so many railway lines north of the 32d dg. parallel of latitude are converging to a junction with the Mobile road. It is because the Mobile Bay is the natural, nearest and best southern outlet by railway for all men living between the Alleghany Mountains and the Mississippi River north of latitude 32, including also, the States of Missouri and Iowa, and the Mobile presents the shortest and the cheapest trunk line of travel to that Bay. This is proved by three prominent points through which most of the travel must pass. Jackson, Tenn., will be at least 95 miles farther from New Orleans by the Great Northern and Mississippi Central Roads, than from Mobile by the Mobile and Ohio Railroad. Nashville, Tenn., will be 94 miles nearer to Mobile via the bend of the Tennessee River and the Mobile and Ohio Railroad, than to New Orleans via the Chicksaw, Aberdeen and Great Northern Road; and the point of intersection of the two latter roads will be 110 miles nearer Mobile than New Orleans. Take these facts in connection with the superior character of Mobile Bay for accessibility and depth of water, over the largest river entering the Gulf, and no man need loose faith in the success of the Mobile road, let him be ever so timid, or money affairs ever so tight. Allow me the liberty to repeat, what I know to be true, that the Mobile and Ohio Railroad possesses more fully all the leading elements of success, as a stock investment and com |