| Annual Report of the Vicksburg, Shreveport
& Texas RR |
| as of September 1, 1861, |
| Superintendent's Report |
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| Report of W. M. Wadley |
| General Superintendent of the Vicksburg,
Shreveport & Texas Railroad Company |
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| Superintendent's Office V. S. & T.
Railroad |
| Monroe, Louisiana, September 1, 1861 |
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Dr. C. G. Young, President
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| Sir, |
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With the close of our fiscal year on the 31st ult., it
becomes my duty to report to you the result of our operations for the
last six months.
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The earnings have been:
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| For passengers |
west |
$16,453.37 |
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east |
20,715.82 |
| For freight |
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16,415.22 |
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$53,584.41 |
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The expense of maintaining and operating the road for the
same period has been:
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| Actually paid |
$47,613.81 |
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| Unpaid, estimated |
5,742.91 |
$53,356.72 |
| Leaving, as net profit, only the
small amount of |
$227.69 |
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A tabular statement of the earnings of the road is hereto
attached, which will give a very correct idea of the source from which
our revenue is derived. It will be seen that we have only transporte3d
1,548 bales of cotton, 68 of which came into Monroe, the balance to De
Soto; also, a detailed statement of expenses.
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The entire stagnation of the business of the country
during the whole period we have been operating the road, has been the
cause of the very small amount of earnings; for, unlike roads near the
seat of war, we have profited but little by the transportation of
soldiers, while the legitimate business of the road has been almost
entirely suspended. With ordinary prosperity I confidently believe our
earnings would reach $250,000 per annum, without materially increasing
the expenses.
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We have expended a considerable sum that might properly
have been carried to "construction." I allude to the work
done in the Lafourche swamp, but I thought it best to err upon what I
consider the safe side, and have let it go into "expense"
account.
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The road has been considerably improved by the use of
8,150 cross-ties. These have all been put into the road east of
Dallas; and, to have done full justice to the track, at least twice as
many should have been put in. Nearly all the original ties in this
part of the road ought to be removed as early as practicable, either
on account of their being decayed, or because they are too small to
hold the track up on the rich and porous soil upon which the road-bed
is formed -- in fact, to keep the road up so as to prevent undue
deterioration of rolling stock, it will require not less than 36,ooo
ties per annum for some years to come.
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We have renewed three trestle bridges, one between Lake
One and Tallulah, one at Tallulah, and one in Zigler & Marcy's
field. There are a number of others that require early attention, and
I have contracted with Mr. W. R. Gordon for their renewal as fast as
we can find means to pay him for them.
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On the more recently built part of the road there is
quite a number of openings that were cribbed in order to get the track
through. These should be crossed by trestles as early as possible.
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Our engines, except the Madison, are all in good order.
The John Ray will want new tire before running much longer. The
Madison has for some time been undergoing repairs, and will soon be
ready to leave the shop, in good order. The wood-work of the first lot
of fifteen freight cars put upon the road by Fannin, Grant & Co.,
is almost worthless, and will have to be renewed before performing
much more service. With this exception, and slight damage to one of
the new box cars, our stock of cars is in good condition. Fannin,
Grant & Co. had contracted with Mr. G. T. Raoul, of Independence,
in this State, for two passenger cars of the same pattern of the one
now on the road; this contract we inherited by virtue of the
termination of Messrs. F., G. & Co.'s contract with this company.
One of these cars, it is expected, will be ready for the track within
the next two months.
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A warehouse has been built at Monroe, and another nearly
completed at Girard. At both of these places cotton platforms will be
wanted, whenever cotton is moved. At Quebec a warehouse and platform
will be very much needed as soon as any business offers.
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The bridge across the Ouachita has progressed very
slowly. The foundations, however, are all in; the trestle-work
approach on the west bank is up, and the bents forming the support at
each end, and one bent of the support for the centre of the two spans
of How-Truss on the west side of the river, is also up. This is nearly
all that is done on what may be called the foundations of the
superstructure of How-Truss and draw. The timber necessary for the
four spans of How-Truss are framed and ready to go up, and the draw
well advanced. The want of the necessary irons and foundations or
supports for How-Truss and draw, will now retard the work; the want of
means to pay our contractors and to purchase irons for cash, has been
the cause of delay. That this structure will prove a good investment,
even if only for the purpose of reaching the west bank of the river, I
cannot doubt; but could we have foreseen the financial difficulties
through which we are now passing, I should never have advocated
commencing it.
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The very small amount of business done upon the road for
the last six months, and no prospect of its being better until the
close of the war, render it absolutely necessary for the Company to
reduce its expenses to the smallest possible sum; and, to do this, it
appears to me to be necessary to diminish the number of officers. I
therefore propose to leave the service of the Company so soon as the
Board of Directors, now about to be elected, shall be able to organize
the road upon a more economical basis. In leaving your service, I
desire to acknowledge to you and your Board of Directors, the kind
consideration that has marked our intercourse.
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In the hope that our country may soon enjoy peace, and a
return of prosperity to all branches of industry,
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I am, very respectfully,
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Wm. M. Wadley
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General Superintendent
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