Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-03-02
lcoNMuNrcArEp.l
Nashville and her Railroad Connec-
Ations=NO.III.

between Tennessee and Alabama or on the
Tennessee river, where it was expected to
unite with the New Orleans, Jackson and
Great Northern Road. and thus to form
necessary part of the shortest and hest line of
communication between the Gulf of the
South and the Lakes of the North and the
cities of the East. The language of the
charter was that it was granted ''for the
purpose of constructing a Railroad from
Nashville, by way of Franklin, to the line
between the State of Tennessee ard Alabama,
Alabama" That such was the intention
there can be no doubt.
Nor was the design formad without the
confident belief that such road would be of
almost incalculable utility to the public and
a safe and profitable investment to the Stock
holders. To show how fully the officers of
the road were committed to this belief here
present few extracts from their own publica-
tioUs. In August 1855, Capt. JOHN CHuDE.
gentleman of large experience and observa-
ton in such matters, whose Judgment was
always sound and practical, and who was
then the chief engineer of the Road, said /:
Z" II has been located in its whole length 70
form part of the great Northeast and South
west route of trade and travel west of and
parallel to the mountains, connecting the
Gulf coast and Southwestern States with
Lake Erie. Virginia. and eastern cities. via
Nashville and Lexington. Ga the South il
connects directly with the Mobile aud Ohio.
Charleston and Memphis. and New Orlean-
and Aberdeen roads. At Nashville, with the
Chattanooga, Louisville. Henderson and
Northwestern rOads-the first of these being
completed. and the others ia progress.
Thus occupying the most direct route from
the western slope of the North Alabama Noun
tains. in a north-easterly course. to Nashville
and Lexington your road. in my Judgment.
cannot fail TO be the best and Sqesl line of traffic
that can be opened for a hundred years between
the mountains on the east and The Mississippi
on the west. Add, then, the large northeast
and southwest through traffic thus securrd to
the abundant local business before describ d.
and Uho can doubt the e78iIae,a SUCCESS of vosr an
terprise as a stock investment ?' 30 Ia-El p
On the same occasion. the President, Mr..
JOHN S. CLAYBRoOKE, said
% 1t is certainly sound policy and economy
to have the road flashed at the earliest period
practicable. An enterprise promising so re,nu-
neratire a diDidend as the Tennessee and Alaba-
IN operation as soon as possible. A road
costing three millions of dollars is loss. at
per crnt.. of SlS0.000 annually to the stock
holders, for every year that it is postponed
aud much greater loss and misfortune TO
the country for the want of it,
From the test of that portion which has been
completed, we have no hesitation in saying
that Il 'o'H pm good divideadS 10 the stockholders
at the END Of the first ger Of lis comp elton. and
nNa nna l. 81
the investment"
These views were constantly entertained
and reiterated until list year. In August
1857, the annual reports OF the officers were
made to the stockholders. On that occasion,
the then president, who is president still,
after stating in general terms the condition
and prosp cts of the road said:
1.-THE Board deem il Unnecessary to saw
more, except to express their continued and
undated confidence in the great work in the
construction of which Won are engaged. and
that at no distant day it will more THAI
realize the anticipations of its most sanguine
ffiends.p
The then superintendent, and superintend-
ent still. said on the same occasion:
"When the road is completed to it's south-
ern terminus, making the important connec-
tons 1t DOES. an epoch in the Internal i'm
proyements of Tennessee will be reached. I'M
,qaalled in Importance by any other, either
completed. in course of construction or IN
anticipation. Located in the most direct
route from Louisville. XIV. and Nashville to
Memphis. Mobile and New Orleans. IL be-
comes the main connecting link between the
Lakes of the north and the Gulf OF the |
South, and in social, commercial and poll |
teal point OF view, il is of paramount inn
portance to the whole country"
The Engineer then, still the Engineer now,
said
when the Central Southern Railroad is
completed TO Decatur, aud the connection
formed with the Memphis aud Charleston
Railroad. and through il with the roads ter
minating at Memphis, New Orleans and Mo-
bile, the through passenger travel to and from
these cities and the north must pass over this
part Of the Tennessee and Alabama Railroad
swelling its revenues to a sum at which we
can only approximate, but which may amount
TO five timrs the receipts OF the past year. |
But to permanently retain that through bust
ness. the completion of the road 10 IT. Sonih-
ern junction with the New Orleans and Mo
bile Railroads becomes Indispensable; TOR the
roads now in progress in west Tunes e, with
their connections in Middle Tennessee and
Kentucky, will furnish shorter aud more di-
rect communication with the Calf ports than
the circaitous route by Decatur, aud In no
other way can il be prevented from taking
those lines than TO furnish more direct one
This road, as projected, sriA be the shortest
and bert that can be obtained between Louis
vile and Cincinnati in the Ohio river valley,
aud the Gulf ports, aud when built will al
ways remain secure of the vast trade OF
which IL is the legitimate oatlei."
In addition 10 this emphatic and united ex-
preston OF the officers OF this road, not only
Of It's ginal purpose and design.its feasibiI-
Iiy, and correct policy. bat OF the indispen-
sable necessity that the work should be pros
ecuted with the utmost speed. on grounds Of
pceuniary advantage to the company, the |
Railroad Commissioner of the State, remark |
ID, Ia his report to the last Legislature. that |
the Tennessee a Alabama and the Louis |
Vile & Nashville road viii aid In forming a |
iirect iine Of reads from Mobile and New Or /
cans by the way OF Nashville 20 Louisville /
Ny. The ElgcGeld Kentucky, with the |
Henderson road wiIi fali in with the Tennes-
zee & Alabama. aud lhe Central soaihsrn.
ssd thus viii furnish direct Communication
'etween the South aRi Southeast aud the ex-
ensise aud growing regions Of the Nosshwest
While the Nashville sad Chattanooga road,
re~alng the diiisreni hnss, almost at right
lngles, viii. sish the Nashville sad North
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