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New Zealand Mail, Issue 13, 22 April 1871, Page 14

Rajj.way.—A wooden railway has been undertaken for connecting the district of Lake St. John with Quebec. The length of the Jine will be about 150 miles, of which 26 miles have been completed, at an actual cost of 5,000 dollars per mile. The total cost of the whole line from Lake St John, including rolling stock, stations, telegraphs, &e, (estimated on the actual cost of the 26 miles already constructed), is set down at 1 000,000 dols. The line will pass through nearly 100 miles of the public domain, on which consideration f lie Government, is expected by the company that have built the first 26 miles to take stock equal to one-half of the cost of the extension, payable in debentures bearing 6 per cent, to be issued as the work progresses. As the city of Quebec is also expected to benefit, the council is to be asked to take stock to the amount of 150,000 dol. The line will open a large tract of good agricultural and heavily timbered laud, and will induce rapid settlement. The peculiarity of construction of this line is its cheapness, from the fact that not a particle of iron is used, the whole material being wood. The rails are of maple-wood, fastened in notched sleepers with* maple wedges ; the wood is obtained on the line and sawn by machinery. The carriages,, springs, wheels, and other parts of the rolling stock are Hiade in Quebec, while the locomotives are imported. The whole distance (150 miles) will be performed in twelve hours, and this wooden railway %s the first pf, th© kind ttndeiN taken in the Jhmlmmh - '■■'■