Loudon free press. (Loudon, Tenn.) 1852-1855, 1854-01-17

subjected In Tennessee, by vexatOns law suits.
1t is both Just and proper that they should be
protected from such interruption inthe running
of their road in Tennessee, and of course cor
responding indemni6cation extended to ours in
the limits of Georgia. A more expeditions
and perhaps better way may be substituted
for settling equitaby just claims against, Rail.
roads, and we suggest that this subject be prop
erly brought to the notice of both Legislatures,
and with this, that, also of the inconvenience
which has to some extent been experienced in
our relations with the Western and Atlantic
railroad in the arrangement of Tariff of Freights.
We conceive that an undue Importance is given
to carrying of freights to its nothern terminus,
when perhaps its interests would have been best
subserved by permitting them to take their le-
gitimate channel at Dalton. IF corresponding
remuneration for the labor were charged, and
| goods and produce to and from upper East
lean.sss@see see tannd their way via Chattarss.es
then there would De no just rorv~.f vorIp pfalnt
but while discrimination is made against us
and the State Road not pro6ting thereby, it will
continue to be a source of growing strife and
Inconvenience, and we may deem it our duty
to urge the importance of this evil corrected,
if possible, during the present session of the
| Legislatures of the two States. Georgia should
not be unmindful of the fact, that as feeder,
both in freights and in passengers, we are dai-
| ly becoming of more and more Importance to
her numerous Railroads, and that true policy
would indicate fostering intercourse rather
than one of unfair discrimination against u.s.
The East Tennessee and Georgia Railroad,
with its present trade and prospective increase,
should not be estimated by the freight on few
bags of grain or boxes of goods that may pos.
sibly be diverted from their legitimate channel
| by discrimination in favor Of one end of so mag
nifceat work as the Weastern and Atlantic
Railway. When Griffin connects with the Ten
nessee river at Decatur, and thence to the
Ohio and Mississippi via Nashville and Mem
phis and Chattanooga shall have became uni
ted with the Rabun Gap, and the iron rails
have been placed between Dalton and Jack
sonville, more liberal policy may be adopted to-
wards us,and an improper retcliative spirit be
then manifested on our part; hence to guard a.
gainst all such inconvenent contingencies
ga the necessity of legislative action by Geor
and Tennessee, placing at once and for all
time to come these delicate and important in
terests beyond the incompetency, whim or Gu
pidity of Roilroad officials, and removing all
temptation to improper combinations between
them and individual enterprise. The true WEI
| fare of the Western and Atlantic Railroad surely
is not consulted when she is made to favor
terminus on the Tennessee river, at the ex-
pense of the East Tennes see and Georgia
Railroad, when in fact her most profitable one
must ever be at Dalton. In thus publicly and
plainly presenting this subject for your consde-
ration, we distinctly disclaim any desire or in
tention to arraign the act or impugn the mo-
tives Of those who have had, or now have the
management of the Western and Atlantic
Railroad, nor do we for moment, call in ques-
tion the ability integrity or honorable bearing
it is the princpIe-the- fS&3H!ro S39!!r its Interests
"Tariff of Freights" is made out to which 'ie
object and against which we shall ever protest.
" e contend only for fair consideration of our
rights as al important connecting ROad,-
ask nothing more-will be content with nothing
| less.
We respectfully suggest the propriety of
steps being taken to procure the appointment:
bv the Legislature of Georgia, now in session,
of a commissioner, or some State officer, whose
duty itShnll be to examine and audit the account
of this Company, for expences incurred in en-
forcing our charter privileges in the limits of
that State, against the claims and operations
of the "Union Branch Railroad Company"
The charter for contracting the Cleveland
and Chattanooga Railroad being our property,
it becomes our duty as good citizens, as well
as our interest as Shareholders, at an early day
to institute active measures for building that
Road. The completion of the Nashville and
Chattanooga Railroad and the rapid progress
now making by the East Tennessee and Vir-
ginia Company, and the Charleston and Mem
phis Company, for terminating their works on
our extremes demand that this very impor
tant link from Cleveland to Chattanooga should
he located and placed in the hands of efficient
contractors without delay. The time is close at
hand when our main trunk will be complete
Il -
quire any great effort to consumate ample ar
raneements for carrying through successfully
this branch to Chattanooga. The growing cit
les of Nashville and Memphis, would by the
building of this short link be brought into direct
communication with an Industrious enterpris-
ing. thrifty population of half million, and
every Shareholder in every Railroad from the
counties of Sullivan and Washington to David
son and Shelby are deeply interested in its early
construction, and it needs but a fair presenta-
ton ofits bearings and benefits to elicit an
interest sufficient to place it at once on per-
manent basis, and we trust this hint may reach
Nashville in time to remind some friend of his
duty to cast this charter astride of the "Omni-
bus" as it passed round.
1t is noticed with regret, that some appre-
tensions are entertained by Stockholders and
others interested in the prosperity of the East
Tennessee and Georgia Railroad, that the build
ing of the Blue Ridge Railroad and its extern
sion to Knoxville, almost of necessity, induces
its prolongation to the Ohio river. 1t might
he admitted that were this Road to stop at
Knoxville it would certainly drain no incon-
siderable portion of products, which must nee
essarily otherwise find their outlet to market
over our Road, without any compensating adj
vantages. But the increase of travel and trade
from Kentucky and the region of Ohio, conse,
quent on the extension of this great national
highway, will surely more than counterbaiancte
the drainage by means of the Rabun Gap fsaii-
road, These two enterprises have been intimately
blended-they have been all the time considered
as mutually dependent on each other. one
probab'y would not have been undertaken
without confident expectation that The otner
would follow. Now, no one can reasonably
doubt that the East Tennessee and georgia
Railroad, with its connections and the markets
to which it leads, will command its fair propo-
ton ofthis immense trade and travel opened
up by the Kentucky Road. We have only to
look at any map of the Southern States and
cast our eyes over the statistics of population
of those States, to become satisfied that the
Rabun Gap Railroad will never prove an lnu!-
rious competitor with ours The area OF terri
tory embacing the State of South Carolina to
; which the Rabun Gap Road will distribute
products, is $4,000 square miles, with pop