The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1857-03-06
PApUcAH & HENDERSON RAILRoAD.-The

II AL
PApUcAH & HENDERSON RAILRoAD.-The
commissioners for procuring subscriptions to
the stock of this road, opened the books Tor
the stock at Paducah, Smithland, Marion,
Morganfield and Henderson on the I'd inst,
and they urge the claims of the road IN
manner that shows they are in earnest about
it, and are confident Of success. The entire
distance will be So miles. From the mouth
Of the Tennessee, it will run along the shore
of the Ohio to Smithland, thence up the south
side of the Cumberland four or five miles,
then crosses the river, and take the valley
of n creek which enterlocks with the branch
O. Of the Tradewater, from which stream the
country is level to Henderson, requiring but
very slight grading. From the Cumoerlan1
to Henderson, it will pass through section
of unsqualled fertility as an agricultural dis
trct. 1t will pass through the best portions
of the valuable coal beds in Crittenden and
Union counties, which contain some OF the
best coal on the lower Ohio river,-which by
this road would be made accessible to the FAC
tories and workshops of Smthland and Pa
ducah, which are rapidly increasing in varie-
ty and Importance. Paducah will be the
terminus of the Southern railroads extend
ing through the Western District from the
Ohio river to Mobile and New Orleans. This
road would form the connecting link between
those roads, and ours leading to the Fast, aud
together form one of the great through routes
from the extreme East to the rem0test South
western extremity of the Union; and place
Evansville and Paducah on one OF the great
lines of Northern and Southern travel. The
Ohio cannot be crossed, in consequences Of the
intervening islands and bars, at Paducah. To
connect herself with the Eastern lines on the
Illinois shore, crossing must he made above
or below her; and wherever such crossing
should be made, rival town would grow up
that would sap CT destroy Paducah. 1t Is
her interest, therefore, to keep the line on the
other side of the river, and to ferry the Ten
nessee, as she has no point for crossing the
Ohio.
She is also ambitious Of becoming manu-
featuring city, and the only element of sue
cess in this line which she lacks, is cheap
fuel. This road will open to her the richest
coal beds in kentucky, and place them within
thirty or thirty-fve miles Of her doors, by
easy and cheap railroad transportation; and
by her other railway connections, this coal
could be distributed to all the towns in the
Western District, and to Memphis, and even
further South. Paducah has, therefore, strong
inducements to exert himself to push this
road forward Smithland has the same mo-
tives to DO all in her power to help it along.
The companies that own the coal lands. many
of which are now worked and are dependent
on the uncertain navigation Of the Underwater
for an outlet. will have deep interest in the
construction of road that would open regu-
lar and valuable markets for them. The far
Iuers in the back part Of Crittenden and
Union counties-among the most fertile in
Kentucky-have the means, and their interest
would stimulate them to unite in tho enter
prise. 1t would give Henderson; Southern
and Western connections that she cannot GEL
by her Nashville railroad, if it were built. it
will give us also tributary that would be a.
advantageous to our city as any road we
could draw upon the map. With all these
interests united, it does seem that it would no,
be difficult to build cheap road Of eshty-fiv
miles in length; and there are, indeed, some
grounds for the confident declarations of Pa
ducah that the road shall and must he built
Whatever Paducah undertakes she is sure t.
accomplish.