Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-11-01
TENNESSEE CENTRAL on PACKFIC
RAILR0AD.
MIR. DEpow's 1ErrERs-xo. XII.

The cost of the Nashville and Knoxville
road having been stated at S., 100000, on
liberal estimate, in order that it shall pay
a dividend to the stockholders of eight per
cent. it will be necessary for its gross annual
earnings from freight, passengers, and mail
service to reach 100000. Upon a calcula-
ton Of fifty per cent. for working expenses,
about the average of other roads, the amount
will yield 100000 net, which is the sum
required.
1t is susceptible Of demonstration that the
road will yield more than that, as the fol-
lowing calculations and statistics will show.
The earnings of the Nashville and Chat
tanooga road for the nine and q half months
ending June 80, 1866, were 81, 423, $50, of
which S517, l3l, were for passengers alone.
Its gross earning for the year 1850 was
1874, rs. For the last year the local BUSH
ness from which all other business in freights
and travel is excluded, was on the Louisville
and Nashville road, S1,2I2,S 39, Of which
1851 ,95S was from passengers. Total earn
ings of the road, including branches, So
143, 1S9.
Now, it is impossible for any one to ex-
anime the map and consider the advantages
of the route, without yielding to the convic-
llEI that us DuHlu6SS III VI
of the roads referred to, including their main
stems only in the calculation.
The saving in distance by the direct route
between Nashville and Knoxville over the
route via Chattanooga will be ninety three
miles, and although the saving between
Knoxville and Memphis by the same route
| via the existing improvements to Johnson
| vile, Mckenzie, etc, will be trihing, COM
| pared with that over the Memphis and
| Charleston road, it will be sufficient at least
! TO attract part, and perhaps a considerable
| part of the travel. Should the line be event
ually constructed to Memphis, through jack
son, as contemplated by the charter of the
Central Road the saving would be sufficient
| to determine the question In its favor. The
distance would then be about three hundred
and seventy-ive miles against four hundred
and twenty-one miles.
The travel for which the Knoxville road
is to enter into competition will be then:
| Fira. All that of the State of Virginia
and of States to the Northeast of it which is
seeking Middle and Western Tennessee,
Arkansas via Memphis, etc., and which de-
monstrates upon Knoxville by the Virginia
and East Tennessee road, Lynchburg and
Abingdon.
Second, A great part of that between the
same points and the Southwest Louisiana,
Mississippi and Pexas via Memphis and
fernando or Jackson, Tennessee, and
Huntingdon, when that short connection has
| been completed. The route through Co
lumbia, Tennessee, Mount Pleasant and
Canton, or 10 COrinth, Mississippi, projected
and in the event likely 70 be accomplished,
will greatly increase the probabilities of
Nashville and Knoxville being brought
within the line Of Northeastern and South
western travel. Should the road form a
trunk to Cincinnati, its business would be
vastly augmented.
Third. The travel between North and
South Carolina and the great West, via the
Blue Ridge road of the latter, and the inter
nal improvement system of the former,
which demonstrates upon Knoxville, st.
Louis would be on the most Direct and
shortest line by these improvements, and in
this respect the road may properly be called
the Nashville and Charleston road.
Can any one, then, doubt for a moment
that the passenger traffic on the Nashville
and Knoxville road will equal that of the
Louisville trunk, the Chattanooga road or
the Memphis and Charleston, which latter
was, in 1859, $751;, 993-blt assuming a less
amount as likely to be the case, there can be
a safe figure taken of 100000, Will the
freight earnings reach 100000 additional?
This amount would not be equal to the
earnings of the Memphis and Charleston
road in 1861, and is less than half the freight
earnings of the Chattanooga road by the last
report.
Considering the abundant resources of the
country to be traversed, as explained in a
previous number, the mining and manufac-
turing establishments which would start Into
being, the greatly increased population to
be attracted, ought it to be supposed for
moment that the transportation business of
this road would be less than that of the one
to Chattanooga?
That 100000 per annum is a very mode
rate calculation for the business of such
road will appear also from the following ia
bic of Southern roads, some of which were
in their infancy in 1905