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

hiaoaina, and also of Florida having an ap
gresate area OF 168, 400 square miles in terrific
y, and a. population of I,68OO0 Inhabitants
10 10 TINS many also be contingently added the
Dates OF Mississippi and Louisiana, containing
an area OF $500 square miles, and population
| OF i,lz5,00O people. Here there is presented
! an area OF territory of more than quarter of a
nliiion ofsquare miles, with a population OF
iatie less than three millions, inhabiting these
f9ch and growing States, whose chief products
gre Cotton, Sugar. Rice and Tobacco. which
isalreidy, or is being rapidly opened to the
Bfoduas OF our own people, through the medi.
gH OF ithe East Tennessee and Georgia Rail
koad! 1t must be borne in mind. also, that
1erels now but an average of l / inhabitants to
qae siuare mile in these States, whilst in Mas.
@etusetts there are III. In these States,
e ns viii fifPbla blea uJJe ulJReyease to which they are des
although there now other papa9sfap1ea p9sap aa a nd
facilities of trade to those markets, there need
be no fear of their competition, nor does it need
the vision of prophet to foresee that it will
require more than the utmost capacity of this
Road to perform the business which will be de-
manded of it.
The State of Georgia now affords to East
| Tennessee its best and most reliable market
Produce which will find its way to Charleston
| over the Blue Ridge Railway will lie destined,
principally, for foreign expectation. AS a
home market and for distribution in South Car
olina, our people there come into direct compe-
| titipn with the grain producing States north and
cas-, and consequently the interior of Georgia
and Florida has been found and will continue 10
be our best home market. Charleston has
great and decided advantages as port for ship
melt of breadStuffs and other provisions to the
OIL Of 4 ooI a. ", T.,
To her in this point of view the opening up of
theivalley Of the Tennessee and Ohio, by the
most direct and cheapest route, is of the great
est importance-tO US, also, it is matter of
deel concern, appealing to our interest as well
as cur pride, to see great exporting cities
springing up on our South Atlantic seaboard.-
Yet, even in products intended for export, we
do not, by any means, yield the transporta-
ton of all to the Blue Rridge Railroad
Savannah is competing with Charleston-Geor
sia State pride is pushing her forward, and she
will ere long command her full share of the
South American and West India trade, a large
proportion of which our road must, of necessity,
become the carrier. Then, too we have the
Cuff ports, Mobile and Pensacola, already
reaching out their iron arms, soliciting por-
ton of the commerce of the South But aside
from and independent of all this, East Tennes-
see is exuberenty rich in three articles which
our road does not yet touch in transportation,
Copper, Coal and Marble, and we can easily
foresee that in less prehaps than two years, in
the carrying of these items alone it will require
more motive power and rolling stock than we
now possess. Even now we have contract,
commencing with this year, that places on our
road, at the Hiwassee bridge, 40 tons of copper
per day, from one mine alone, with fair pros
pect nE s.1iT-eea-y increase to four times that
a lshow that no apprehensiohs ueeu upt,r upt,r'5fial
moment, entertained as to the building of the
Rabun Gap Road upon The interest of this Com
pany--that there is enough and more than
enough in prospect for it to satisfy our warm
est anticipations for its success.
1t is however, in its position as great thor
oughfare for the travel of our restless, changing,
enterprising population that the chief source
of profits to its Stockholders may be anticipa-
ted Ia this respect it has no rival. 1t will
be seen by reference to any map of the Uni
ted States or table Of distances. that it affords
the nearest and most direct route of travel from
New Y ork, Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore and
Washington city, to the States and cities lying
on the Gulf embracing Texas, Louisiana, Ar
kansas, Mississippi Alabama, Florida. and a
considerable portion of Georgia. 1t is great
obstructed BY the frosts and SHOWS of the north,
and from the heat and dust of a more southern
line nor is it obstructed in all its length by any
transit of water.
An able correspondent of the Augusta
Chronicle" speaking of the "Macon and War
renton" Railroad, alludes to this great direct
route of which our road is so important link
in the following manner:
'If it he said, however, that the Girard and
Mobile Railroad will ultimately enable it to
take the through mail and travel, we answer
tha, by the time of It's completion, neither that
road, nor the Macon and Warranton, (if builtl
nor the present line will have it, but it will all
have been transferred to the system of roads
nearest right line from New York to New
Orleans, passing through Philadelphia, Bati-
more, and Washington City-and thence either
along the old Piedmont route or else, diverging
from the present line in toto, and going thro'
Lynchburg and Abingdon, Va, and Knoxville,
Tenn, and constituting, together with other
roads in progress or projected, the most direct
route between the great centres of Northern and
Son theaStern trade.
"The greater part of each of the two sys-
TENS of roads above referred to-which may be
characterised as the Knoxville, and the Pied
mont routes-is already in progress. Wash
ington city and Selma, Ala, are almost IN the
direct line going to New Y York and New Or
leans. BY consulting railroad map it will be
seen that Knoxville is almost directly between
them, Though on different side of the noun
tain,) and that railroads are already in progress
on the greater part of the line. 1t will be seen
also, that the route passing through Richmond
and Danville, Va, and Charlotte, N. c., wants
only few links Of being completed to Mont
gomery, Ala The route now followed is fur
ther from the line, having great angle at Will
mington. The three routes may be represent
ed by the string OF a bow, (the Knoxville route, J
and by bows of different degrees of curvation
the Piedmont being the less curved, and the
Wilmington more curved, or by degrees of COM
parison-direct, less direct, least direct.
"From the best information accessible to the
writer, without pretending to exactness, he has
compiled the following table of distances be-
tween the above named points-W Washington
city and Selma themselves on the line between
New York and New Orleans.
Prest Route ready. Initiate Route. Direct route.
Washington to Washington to Washington to
III shmond l30 Richmond, 130 GordOnsvile, 80
Petersburg, % Danville, 140 Charlottesville Il
Weldon, 64 Salisbury, 104 Lynchburg, ~
Wilmingt'n, 1872 Charlotte, 40 Va. State line, 2O5
Manchester, I62 Chesterville, A Knoxville, 130
Branchville, 40 Newberry, rs Dalton, Ito
Augusta, 74lAbbeville, SO Kingston, 40
L