, 1866-11-02

xssEts3
nccrlng talent and commercial enterprise of +
the people, and even more gigantic successes |
were achieved In the opening Of now avenues |
to trade than had been urged by the distiu-
eulshcd DR.. Drakc.
people, and NJ effort made to push on the
work. Again It failed Of receiving the ne
cessary assistance, In the years intervening
from 1856 to tso5, almost . score Of futile
efforts have been put forth for tho accomp-
through her Legislature, determined upon
putting ont an arm from Knoxville to grasp
the teemlng wealth Of minerals TINT enrich
the mountains about Clinton and Jacksboro,
aud the fields along Cliach River and the
tribnted also to the work, and the
road was pushed forward with o
yigor and despatch that promised early mud
complete success. Twelve miles were com.
pleted and In running order and eight mote
graded, when the tocsln of war was sounded,
the sword md rife. -
found necessary to lead an army in mid
winter through the rugged detles, and over
the Lofty mountains Of the Cumberland, the
yast on mnaJbtanee nsb Of 1T railway E..s s0nnes
aS; eae4;seties sly aad eioquentiy % Ssen urged
by Dr: Drake thirty years before, became
painfully apparent. The wisdom and So
gaci,y Of President Liacolp grasped the sub
}ect, and General Burnside was directed to
push forward snrveys, and report The most
Recommended the extension OF either the
Coyington + Lexington, or the Lebanon
Branch Road, rio Danyil1e and Somerset to
Point Burnside. Then crossing the Cnlnber-
the Cumberland Mountains, and passing
through Petit's Gap or Whecler's Gap. near
| Jacksboro, Tenn, meet the Tennessee
line from Knoxville at the village Of Clinton.
| The reports Of the survey received the ap
! probation Of the President, who urged liz his
| subsequent message TO Congress the imme-
| dIatc construction Of tho road As a national
| enterrtikc demanded both In the interests Of
| commerce and Of peace.
| By reference 10 the map 1t may be seen nj
a glance how Indispensable Is such thor,
oughfase to the opening UP to commerce q
the rich and alulost e1hnustless fields Of coal
| and minerals of every character that abound
In these mountains, and the tempting and
much.needed wealth oflnmbcF that clothes
the, mountains and valleys Of this wild
to The scheme, aud thus for a time was the
matter laid again to rest. At tho close Of
the war, a+7ew sagactons and public spirited
merchants, and capitalists, and traders Of
once more ag!tating the subject, and appeal
Ing to the people ct the States to be most
benefited ty thc SUCCESS Of the scheme.
Public meetings were held in all the promi-
nent cities, and the public prints again
tecmea with appeals and addresses. The
South. Committees Of fprorninent citizens then
came North and conferred with other com.
mittees appointed In the cities Vest; By
this time the rivalry Of tho cities Of Cineln'
natl and Louisville was enlisted, each court
E SSntheTn eos 1a Sr %s ths sa@Ros
Lexington road terminates at NicholasEilc
From this point to the Tennessee line, bJ
the route proposed In General Burnside's re
| port. It Is fully ninety-tiyM miles. Ate
reaching thu plateau, however, for thirty
five miles the ground Is exceedingly level, ant
. the cost of construction will prove not great
/ er than thnt Of the cheapest road In tn
| country. Cincinnati has already raised, b,
: private subscription, oycr one nalion dollars
: and the railroads radiating from Cincinnati
have donated almost million more, to ;
given as bonus to any company who Wll
carry forward the Coylngton s. Lexingto
road, on the Burnside line. A company,
is understood, IL hcsns psganized, compose
of English and American capitalists, to tax
. The louisville i Nashville Railroad CON
pany, 10 whom belongs the brunch roa
: lhtcly completed 10 Cznp Orchard. have al
r ready determined, by vote Of the stncl
b holders. to at once let ont to contract fort,
l tVNF 4ut1Es HAutE u1 EUaut NulEu Will Gait
:. It to loudon. on the Williamsburg lin,
This work will be commenced At enc.
: From Lou1on 10 the Tennessee line ri
}, | Williamsburg, where It Is proposed to mce
9 the Tennessee road. now being rapidly pusl
ed forward, It Is only thirty-three miles. ]
. natl has nInet y-elH}t and Louisville eight.
a sevcn miles to buift7o reach the Tenuessc
c line. The Louisville IL Nashville Railroa
n corporation are calling for financial aid frol
/. the people Of Louisville, nnd the Cincinnati
ans are vigorously lahoring to secure the RI
), which It Is believed d company will be Of
It ganized competent to construct their roa
) In quicker time than the Louisyillians Gu
= complete theirs.
g TO carry forward both roads as suggcste.
4 meeting as they would at the same point,
= thought by many Of both corporations Ina
:. yisablc, since II Cincinnati should deac,
+ from the Burnside nnc, near Huntsyille, Tc
Il 1e.see. cross New River at the mouth
q Birthstone Greek, and, following the strea
- J. cry, It could dcbouch into one of the mo
beautiful and most fertile valleys Of II
IN Tennessee, down which, at much light
~ cost than on any other part Of the. ltnc,
- valuable connection could be made vii
~ Chattanooga. This plan has been flvorab
~ discussed s. the Cincinnatiaus, to whom Il
~ people OF Chatta nooga have promised mat
" rial did, both in point Of capital aud land
=. In this valley, too, arc found ynat miner
4 beds and coal measures, equal In richness
=, =, those found on the other route. Tapping
q this point the network Of roads leading
~ ~ the Gulf, the advantages in a carrying poi
4 Of View will fully equal those afforded wi
70 Knoxville as the point Of Junction.
~ Still another proposition Is, {and the at
w. w. vry Of the route Is now progrcseing) to Gro
~ the Tennessee ut Kingston, and tap tho Y
~ - sinia road at Philadelphia. 1t is rumored
III railroad circles, that this route seems
Aa meet with more tayor from those who r,
~ pose Undertaking Tho construction Of t
~ ~ Cincinnati road thau the Burnside rou
se -" At any rate 1t Is evident that before the
" " pirut!on Of three years, LouEsviileand Clnc
y - natl will be reapinE the benefits Of a sht
to I,.i fs.'aa nnI r,n,s,'roa ~ TaSsa
" and Kentucky, md with the railroad syste
- - ofthe entire South MAX