Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-11-15
The Railroad Connections of Nash

familiar with the prosecution of her railroads
than your correspondent would stir our citi-
zens to more jealous and hearty action re-
garding them. An apathy seems to have
overcome our people, which 1 fear augurs
standstill of our progress and per-
haps decrease of our trade. How are we
to account for this growing Indifference to the
future progress of Nashville? Do our people
imagine because this country is blessed with
healthfu climate, fruitful soil. and is ira
versed by many good wagon roads, that we
need have no anxiety for the commerce Of il?
They certainly are not ignorant of the giant
efforts made by the communities adjoining
ours after trade that we formerly had and
are rapidly losing If they will ask the mer-
chants of Nashville, they will learn, that
since the opening of the Memphis and Charles
ton, the East Tennessee and Virginia and the
short twelve miles of the Alabama and Ten
nessee Central Railroads their trade has sensi-
bly, decreased and found other channels. Why?
Because one of our railroads, the most tmpor-
tant one now to Nashville, and one that would
have retained the trade now lost, has been
for which it was chartered, mean the Tenaes-
see and Alabama Railroad.
Many Of your readers will remember, that
in the Spring of 1853, the county of David
son then seemingly aroused to the considera-
ton of its future progress, by majority of
four hundred voted a subscription of one mil
lion dollars to four railroads: 100000 to
II Ia Mach 70 no
Edgefeld and Kentucky 100000 to the
Nashville and Northwestern, and $780,
900 TO the Tennessee and Alabama. All
these roads are being carried through the
routes on which they were originally project
ed, and for which they received the $1,000
900 subscription of Davidson county, except
the Tennessee and Alabama Road. Consid-
ering the difficulties met in their inception.
and the inadequate means at their command,
these roads have gone on well. The Louis
vile and Nashville is opened to Gallatin, 26d
miles out from Nashville; the Edgefeld and
Kentucky to Connell's at the foot of Cumber-
land ridge, about thirteen miles; the Tennes-
see and Alabama about thirty-five miles, and
the Nashville and Northwestern none.
The Tennessee and Alabama Road was
chartered for the purpose of forming con-
nection, by rail, between Nashville and the
roads emanating at New Orleans and Mem
phis, and upon such representations by its
friends obtained the subscription of Davidson
county Our citizens are already informed
that this road has stopped at Mt. Pleasant, or
will when it reaches there. At the last annu-
al meeting of the Company, held in August,
1858, they accepted an amendment to their
char ter, made at the last session of the Legis-
lature, which authorized the termination of
their road at Mt. Pleasant. This action of the
Tennessee and Alabama Railroad Company
cuts 671 miles off the length of the road as
chartered, leaving it only 57a miles long, and
per mile for superstructure, and $4,000 for
the bridges over Duck, Buffalo and Tennessee
rivers amounting to about one million dol
lars. l believe their report says nothing
about refnnding TO Davidson county the
100000 subscribed to the road for the ex-
press purpose Of making connection with
the New Orleans, Jackson and Great Northern
Railroad. | do not think our citizens ought
or will ask the repayment of their subscrip-
ton. but | think they ought to request, and.
if necessary, compel that Company to carry
forward their road to the mouth of Bear
creek, on the Tennessee river, as originally
designed; and if they need more money or
other assistance, why in the name of progress
let us give it them. By rejecting the State
aid offered, this Company has not destroyed
alone the original design of its incorporation,
but it has deceived Davidson CO.. which sub
scribed to the road believing that it was TO
connect our town as above mentioned, direct
ly with Memphis, New Orleans and Mobile;
and has destroyed the prospects of the full
usefulness of the Louisville and Nashville
road, which is the connecting link that will
join through the Tennessee and Alabama road
ifprosecuted as originally intended, the great
grain States of the North with the fruitful
cotton States of the South. Our citizens
know of the great advantages such an i'm
mense trade and travel as would flow over this
route through their own county and city
would give to them.
Why, therefore, are they not urging and
helping forward that laying road. and thereby
save and recall the trade, passing into other
and more remote channels? The cotton crop
of Giles and part of Maury counties now goes
to Memphis, over the Alabama Central and
Tennessee Road. All of this formerly came
here, besides the Grocery and Dry Goods
trade of that section. The Memphis and
Charleston. and the East Tennessee and Vir-
ginia Roads have cut off portions of our trade
also. Our South and East are well blockad-
ed by these roads. In couple of years our
Western trade will be served the same way
for us, because we are not pushing our roads
into that quarter as rapidly as our neigh
bors, and securing, as they are, the benefits of
a ready and rapid through transportation.
The Nashville and Northwestern road could
secure that trade TO us, but we have no as
surance of its completion from the past or
present enterprise of our citizens. However,
with such an energetic and indefatgable Pres
ident as it now has we can believe in its
completion. But we must help bin, or even
he will fail.
Again, would ask, are we to yield up to
the superior energy and enterprise of neigh
boring communities, the fruits of the great
North and South trade that will spring up
upon the opening of the roads passing diagon-
ally through Tennessee? Is it possible that
our city and the whole of Middle Tennessee,
will throw away the great natural advantages
of their situation and soil, and fold their
hands while their proud neighbors, Memphis
and Chattanooga, reap the increasing rewards
OF growing commerce over their roadsi
The Tennessee and Alabama Road ought TO
be carried through to lis contemplated con-
neetieu at Bear Greek. where it will join the
great road from New Orleans. which is being
pushed steadily on. 1t il already completed