Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-05-28


The Winchester and Alabama Railroad
is intended to extend from the Decherd
station on the Chattanooga road, through
the town of Winchester to the Alabama
line, distance of "a IL miles, thence to
Gunters Landing on the Tennessee river,
intersecting the Memphis and Charleston
road abont eleven miles east of Huntsville,
and passing through the village of New
Market about six miles from the Tennessee
line. There is railroad being built from
the city Of Mobile through the town of
Selma, Alabama, whose terminus is Gun
ter's Landing, and the road is completed
some fifty or sixty miles east Of Selma and
is rapidly approaching Gunters Landing !;
but the time will be much fastened if it is
rendered certain that the Winchester and
Alabama road will be completed to that
point.
There is also branch road chartered by
our State commencing at Fayetteville, in
Lincoln county, intending to run so as to
connect with the Winchester and Alabama
railroad near the Alabama line, and is
about fifteen miles in length. This branch
is entitled to State aid, and at the last ses-
sion of the Legislature of Tennessee an
act was passed lending to said branch an
additional $4,000 of State bonds to aid
in its completion. The citizens of Fayette-
vile are very anxious to have this branch
built, so as to connect with Nashville, and
send their produce here; and if the Win
| chester and Alabama railroad should fail
of being built, it is certain that they will
build road connecting with the Memphis
and Charleston road, in which event the
city of Nashville would lose all the trade
of the rich county of Lincoln.
The citizens of Madison county, Ala,
four or five years since, agreed to tax them
selves to the amount of $500 to aid in
extending this road from the Tennessee line
through their county, and if they believed
that the road would be completed to the
line, it is thought they would raise the
money to complete the road through the
county of Madison to Gunter'S Landing, as
it is understood that they are anxious to
have a more direct connection with us
than that offered by the Memphis and
Charleston road The distance from Hunts
vile to Stevenson by that road is fifty
eight miles, and from Stevenson to Nash
vile ITO miles, making 16S miles while
the distance from Huntsville to Decherd's
station is As miles, thence to Nashville "a
miles, in all 1872 miles.
The Importance of this road (the Win
chester and Alabama) to us cannot be
overestimated, when we take into calcula-
ton that it not only enables us to tap the
rich cotton-growing county of Madison,
| Ala, but, if completed to Gunter's Land
ing, will connect US with all South Alabama
and her large port of Mobile; but also, by
intersecting other roads, we have direct
connection with New Orleans.
This is a favorable time to build rail-
roads the people are alive to their import
ance, and the aid of our State has been
extended with unbounded liberality.
The original estimate for the grading and
mason work of the Winchester and Ala.
bama railroad, from its junction with the
Chattanooga road at Deckerd's to the Ala
bama line, was about sos, 900; and three
years ago full two-thirds of the work was
done, and the bridge over the Boiling Fork
was nearly completed, when the company
became embarrassed and had TO stop. Of
the causes of that stoppage it is not neces-
Sary now TO enquire but as Nashville is
already interested in it to the extent of
$4,000, we certainly should carry the pro-
ject through, if it can be done without too
great a cost, and more particularly when
the stockholders at their late meeting very
literally elected eight out of their fifteen
directors who are our own citizens, and are
well known to be men of enterprise and
good sense
An accurate estimate has not been made
as to the amount it would cost to complete
the road to the Alabama line but it is be-
lieyed that from SAC, 900 to $50, 900 would
be amply sufficient to prepare the road
ready for the iron, and that it could be
done in six months from this time.
There has been an additional grant to
this road by the Legislature at its last SEES
sion Of $3O,OOO in State bonds, but before
it can be made available the road must be
freed from debt and the passage of the
bill by our City Council will render it GER
tain, provided the road can pay the balance
Of the debt by individual subscription,
which we are assured they can do. The
Nashville and Chattanooga road have kindly
rendered to the company the use Of an en-
gineer TO make an estimate Of the cost of
completing the road and it is believed that
his report will be made in a reasonable time.
They have also proposed to furnish all the
running stock that may be required for the
present.
We append list Of the board of Direc-
tors Of the Winchester and Alabama rail.
road
Will. Edw. Venable, Hn Francis, 10.
NJ Burrough, DR.. William Estill, l.. l..
Matthews. Thos. I. Moseley, Jared Sim
mons, VIM. l.. Nance, Godfrey NJ. Fogg,
10. b. Knowles, Andrew Anderson, An
drew Ewing. Y. X Sterensnn A L. LA.