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WESTON AND ST. LOUIS RAILROAD.

The convention which met at Brunswick, on the 22d inst., adopted Articles of Association-under the General Railroad Law of the State -by which it is proposed to build a railroad from Weston, in Platte county, to a point on the North Missouri Railroad, in Callaway county, passing through the counties of Clay, Ray, Carroll, Chariton, Howard and Boone. The 7th article provides that "said road shall pass through or adjacent to the several county seats along the line of said route, at each of which there shall be a suitable depot, &c."

By the 8th article, it is made "the duty of the Board of Directors to memorialize Congress upon the subject of a grant of a portion of the public lands in aid of said road, and also to memorialize the State Legislature upon the subject of a loan of its credit to said company in aid of the same, &c." A committee was appointed "to memorialize the Directors of the North Missouri railroad on the importance of locating their road as far west as compatable with their charter."

The Weston and St. Louis road when built will constitute an important feature in our system of public improvement, and we are pleased to observe the lively interest which the people along the line have taken in the enterprise; but we are constrained to make a few remarks on the subject of location. By men of experience, it is universally regarded as bad policy to determine by charter or articles of association upon any fixed points between the termini of a railroad. Such provisions embarrass the engineering, and sub`ject the company to the power of land-holders who rarely let an opportunity pass of making as much as they can out of chartered companies. Indeed many seem to think it a virtue to claim and compel the payment of exorbitant damages from corporations notwithstanding the value of their estates may have been doubled by the construction of a road across their land. Again, the friends of this enterprise seem to be careful upon all occasion to speak of a connection with the North Missouri railroad in Callaway county. Now we are persuaded that a location of the North Missouri railroad on a line that would touch Callaway county, would be a blunder in the system of railroads north of the Missouri which would cost millions of dollars to correct.

The Weston and St. Louis railroad is to be classed among the great enterprises of the day; for should the Pacific railroad be located in the valley of the Platte, it will constitute a part of the route from St. Louis to California. But whether this should be the case or not, we regard it to be the true policy of the company to make the location on the nearest and best line from Weston to St. Charles. Such a location would be more profitable to the stockholders, and more useful to the public. The road would cost less, and there would be less difficulty in procuring the means necessary for its

construction.

HICKMAN AND OBION RAILROAD.

We find in the "Hickman Argus," of 24th instant, a report of the Engineer of the road by which it appears that the company are pressing this work forward with extraordinary energy. The engineer, W. M. Johnson, says "I feel confident in asserting that by the first of July every section of this line will be opened, and the work will be completed before 1855." The Hickman and Obion railroad, when completed, will form a connection with the Mobile and Ohio road at its point of junction with the Nashville and Northwestern Road: placing the town of Hickman in communication with the southern and south-eastern systems of public improvement, by the construction of a road of only thirteen miles in length. But to secure to Hickman all the advantages of its location, its citizens should look west of the Mississippi, and lose no time in establishing connections with the Missouri and Arkansas .mprovements. We trust it will not be long before their example will be followed by the people of Southwestern Missouri. Mobile and Ohio railroad company, the Nashville and Northwestern railroad company, and the owners of the lines from Nashville to Charleston and to Savannah, are all deeply interested in establishing connections with the railroads west of the Mississippi, and we imagine that it would not be difficult to bring their influence and their means, if necessary, to aid in establishing a railroad connection between Hickman and St. Louis.

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A gentleman from Mississippi, who reached this city on the cars yesterday, brings the gratifying intelligence that the Mississippi Legislature had finally and fully granted the right of way to the Memphis and Charleston Railroad. The amendments proposed by the House had been concurred in by the Senate; so that the bill only needs the signature of the Governor, (which will not be withheld) to make it a law. This intelligence, says our informant, was received at Holly Springs, from a reliable source, on Friday last. Thus closes an unpleasant and protracted contest on terms which are believed to be honorable and acceptable to both parties; and we hope that the communication soon to be opened up between Mississippi and Tennessee will not only have the tendency to unite more closely the interests of the two States, but also to blend more cordially the hearts of their people together.

GREAT WESTERN [CANADA] RAILROAD.

The opening of this road was celebrated at Detroit on the 16th ultimo. The ceremonies are represented as having been more brilliant and imposing than any that have been exhibited, on similar occasions, in any part of the country.

The Great Western Railway, as we learn from an article in the New York Courier & Enquirer, is 228 miles in length. A distance of 183 miles is either entirely level or exhibits inclinations of less than five feet per mile; and the slopes on the remainder are mostly less than 20 feet per mile. Ninety-five per cent. of the whole distance is perfectly straight, and the curves on the remaining distance are mostly very slight. The road was projected eight years ago. Its cost has been about $8,000,000, about $1,000,000 of which was subscribed in Canada, about $1,000,000 in the United States, and near $1,000,000 by the British Government; the remainder has been raised by the sale of stocks and bonds in Great Britain. The gauge is five feet and a half. The connections and distances between New York and Chicago by this route are as follows:

Hudson River Railroad to Albany...
New York Central Road to Niagara...
Great Western Railroad to Detroit...
Michigan Central Railroad to Chicago..

Total miles......

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.miles 144

3051

228

283

960

Being 44 miles longer than the route by Erie and Cleveland.

CHICAGO AND ROCK ISLAND RAILROAD.

This road was opened through to Rock Island on the 22d inst. A large number of people, about 10,000, were present at the ceremonies, which are represented as having been remarkably imposing and highly pleasing to all present.

We see it stated that the tariff of charges on first class freight from Rock Island to Chicago has been fixed at 35 cents, and on 2d class at 30 cents per 100 lbs.

JOURNAL OF MANUFACTURES.

MANUFACTURE OF MISSOURI IRON.

The State of Missouri is destined to be the "Iron State," and its iron a strong bond of the Union, although in its infancy it caused an alarm of disunion.

In the last number of the Journal we published the statistics of the quantity of iron, derived from the region of the Iron Mountain, and shipped from Ste. Genevieve, during the six months preceding the 1st of December last, showing the amount to be 2,436 tuns of pig metal, and 15,185 blooms weighing 2,005,780 lbs..

Desiring to obtain further information relative to the iron business in the region of the Iron Mountain, we applied to Mr. H. T. BAILEY, an iron master of St. Francois county, intimately acquainted with this business in the Iron Mountain region, who has kindly furnished us with additional items.

The Pilot Knob, Shepherd Mountain and Iron Mountain are the principal deposites of iron now being worked. The Iron Mountain ore, is, for the manufacture of iron alone, one of the best in the United States, if there is another as good, for making wrought iron direct from the ore.

The Messrs. Prewitt & Patterson, at Vallé Forge, situated 25 miles from Ste. Genevieve, on the Plank-road leading to the Iron Mountain, have a forge now in operation, working six of the Catalan fires, making iron direct from the ore, and turning out from 20 to 24 tons of blooms per week; also four fires working from the-pig made from the Iron Mountain ore, which is called the refined or Knobbled Bloom. This forge has been in operation since June 1853, making at this time about forty tons per week.

The Madison Iron and Mining Co. at Pilot Knob, own the Pilot Knok, Shepherd Mountain, Bogy Ore Bank; also the Shutin, Christy, Pratt and Russell Banks, all of which Banks are within six miles of the Pilot Knob, the Shepherd Mountain being only a mile distant. The Shepherd, Bogy, Christy and Shut-in ores are all of the first quality for making iron direct from the ore in the Catalan fire. That of the Shepherd Mountain is peculiarly adapted to the manufacture of steel, of all kinds; it is one of the most valuable ores in Missouri, and fully equal to the Denamora ores of Sweden, from which the best English cast-steel is made. The Bogy and Christy ores partake of the same nature with the Shepherd Mountain ore, and are very valuable for steel

on.

This Company have a forge of six Catalan fires making iron diect from the ore at Pilot Knob, capable of turning out 1200 tons of blooms per year. It has been in operation for the last three

years, and all its products have been used for steel, manufactured at Pittsburgh, Pa. There are also large beds of hematite ore on the lands of this Company, which, taken with the Pilot Knob ore and worked in the Blast Furnace, will produce the best quality of pig iron. The property of the above Company is the most valuable of any for the manufacture of iron and steel in South-East Missouri, in consequence of the great variety of iron ores which are found on their lands.

They have also one Blast furnace now in operation, and have made during the last six months, something over 1,000 tuns of pig metal of first quality for foundry uses. They are now erecting another furnace of large size which will turn out 3,000 tuns of metal annually.

The American Iron Mountain Co. have two Blast Furnaces, running on cold blast, producing the last year 4,300 tons of pig metal. They are now building another furnace, which will be in operation in June next to work on warm or hot blast. This furnace will make an addition of 2,500 tons to their annual production. They are also hauling to Ste. Genevieve, for shipment upon the Ohio River to Cincinnati, Wheeling and Pittsburg, a large amount of ore. Now, in the month of February, 1854, there are about 25 teams engaged in hauling ore from the Iron Mountain region to the Mississippi river. The demand heretofore has been greater than the supply, on account of the want of teams. The average weight of loads hauled by the teams is abeut 5,000 lbs., and the distance about 42 miles. The plank-road is completed all the way.

During the year 1853 about 1200 tons of blooms were sent to Messrs. McKelvy & Blairs, and to Singer, Hartman & Co, of Pittsburgh, to be converted by the former firm into cast-steel, and by the latter into plough and spring steel.

We would here add that in the spring of 1848, Mr. E. Mead of St. Louis, shipped metal from the Iron Mountain of Missouri to England; and in the following spring received it back manufactured into razors and pocket and table cutlery by Jos. RODGERS & SONS, Sheffield, and it proved to be well adapted to the manufacture of fine steel cutlery.

We would also add that within the year 1853 Messrs. Child, Pratt & Co, of St. Louis, shipped about ten tons of metal from the Iron Mountain ore to Messrs. Edwards, Morris & Co., and to Livingston, Roggen & Co., of Pittsburgh, to be manufactured into lock-cases; and large quantities of Missouri iron lock-cases are imported from abroad, and are found to be superior to those made from any other iron.

We hope to obtain additional facts regarding the manufacture of Missouri iron, and present them soon with arguments in favor of concentrating millions of capital in the manufacture of Missouri iron at St. Louis.

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