Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-01-24
THE PfeIFIo RAILROAD.
Hemerial 81 the Tennessee Centrals OF
Paciac Railroad. 90 the LegisIatnre
OF tennessee.

TO lhe Legislature Yesterday
Yoar memorialists respectfully repre-
sent:
That they are Stockholders in the pro-
posed Tennessee Central and Pacific Rail-
road, Cor which a charter was granted at a
recent session Of the Legislature and that
the object Of this petition is to ask from
your honorable body such additional State
aid as win secure the early completion OF
tht work, and is recommended IN the Spe-
ciai Message Of His Excellency the Gov
ernor.
An engineering party Is now in the field,
with the view Of ascertaining the best and
most practicable route for the location Of
che road between Nashville and Knoxville,
which viii be begun, il practicable, at both
ends; and until a more direct connection
car be had with Memphis, il Is proposed
to build the short link between Hunting
don and Jackson, and thus provide very
ready and direct railroad connection be-
tween the extreme sections Of the State on
line much shorter than any which now
exists.
Your memorialists need not argue the
importance Of this grsat enterprise 20 the
people Of Tennessee. IL is no new coneep-
Eion. Il was proposed in the Legislature
as early as 1887, and a reconnaissance Of
the route was made by the State EHgineer,
Mr.. Lea, and published in the official re-
ports. The interests Of The work are in no
respect local. Il is work in which East
and Middle and Western Tennessee are
alike interested. In many respects it is in
high degree a great national enterprise,
constituting, as Il must inevitably, in its
whole length, link in the great chain Of
connections between the Atlantic and Pa
cifc by he Southern route, which has recent
ly been chartered BY Congress. The Presi-
dent Of that road, Gen. Fremont, has ex-
pressed this opinion, and has given assur-
ances that aid from the national treasury,
in the shape Of public lands, will be recon-
mended by his company to ours.
At no distant dag, therefore, il may be
safely assumed that mnch Of the immense
travel and freight between the shores of
our continent will pass over the soil of
Tennessee; and an inspection of the map
win show the reasonableness of the expecta-
ton.
Aside from this consideration, however,
il cannot be denied that the road will in
tersect and bind together the great sections
of the State Of Tennessee, hitherto to some
extent in opposition; and, in guaranteeing
identity of interests, viii engender com
mon State pride and affinity between the
remotest sections.
1t win shorten, too, very greatly, the dis
lance between the valleys and mountains of
East Tennessee and the Mississippi and
shorten all of our connections by the East
Tennessee and Virginia roads with the
northern cities, and with Charleston and
Savannah by the Blue Ridge Road, which
is IN process of construction.
The road will tend to build up the cities
Of Tennessee, whose wealth and enterprise
viii otherwise be drawn off by Louisville
and Cincinnati, (by the railroads which
they are constructing but which it should
be the great interest Of the Legislature OF
Tennessee to foster. Nashville, Memphis,
and Knoxville have common interests in
this matter.
The road viii probably form the trunk
for connection with Cincinnati and Bris.
tol, as well as with Knoxville
1t will develop virgin country Of i'm.
mense susceptibilities, now shut off from
market, and thus add vastly to the taxable
resources of Tennessee, and to the wealth
Of the inhabitants of considerable portion
of the State.
1t will open the country for immigration
and settlement where lands are cheap
and immigration cannot be promoted in
any other manner.
1t will develop the bOundless mineral
resources Of what has been called the
Switzerland of America, and whose untold
/ h. trrlf 10
light. The resources Of East Tennessee
have been pointed out by all geologists in
/ particular by Professors Troost and SAT
ford, and it will be the purpose Of the CON-
pany to construct necessary iron and rolling
mills, to bring into play these great ele-
ments of wealth.
The road traverses n country tpest OF
Nashville, the most favorable possible for
/ the construction Of such works; and east
lra1d, which presents no greater obstacles
than numbers of roads which have been
built without the same advantages of coun-
try. This the progress Of surveys indicates,
These positions have been supported by
extended argument in an address by the
President of the rood, which in pamphlet
form has been laid upon the tables of men,
bers, and TO which attention is respectfully
| invited,
Under the influence Of the wise policy
adopted by Tennessee in granting aid to
railroads, the real and personal property OF
| the State has increased to many times the
extent Of the whole cost of the roads, and
with it our taxable resources. The roads
are all abundantly able to secure the State
against one cent of loss on the restoration
II r. - 4,
deprecated at present, command, in reali-
/ ty, higher price than they did at times
before the internal improvement issues
began, and when, of course, the issues were
in very limited amount and they are
much higher than those Of several Of the
Southern States whose issues have been
comparatively triAing. The depreciation
has not at all resulted from the amount
outstanding, but from the political condi-
ton Of the country, and the prostration
which has resulted from invasion and war.
A reaction may be speedily counted upon
and the more certainly that our soilis being
covered with great and valuable lines OF
railroads, connecting every point of the in
/ terror, and making its resources available
| in the market
BY an examination Of the books Of the
Comptroller ofthe Treasury, it will appear
that aid has been given to many Of the rail-
| roads of the State which have not the merit
that this road has, Of being great trunk
| lines, 10 the extent of twenty, twenty five
and even thirty thousand dollars per
mile,
Your memorialists, taking into consider.
alton the great merits of the undertaking
| proposed, cannot think that the request
| will be thought unreasonable that you will
| place the Tennessee and Pacific Road on an
| equality, at least, with the roads which
have received most libeFSlly Of legislative
bounty. The time which will necessarily
be employed three to FIVE years. in con.
/ structing so extensive work will secure
the State from any possible depreciation Of
/ the bonds, by their too rapid appearance
in the market, which il would be the great
interest of the company TO prevent.
Another consideration occurs TO your
| memorialists, and that is, that up 10 the
! present moment out Of about 10000
| endorsed for railroads, not more than one
| fourth has been for the benefit of roads in
| Middle Tennessee connecting with Nash
| vile; the remaining three-fourths having
gone to the roads Of East and West Tea
| nessee.
All Of which Is respectfully submitted.
J. d. B. DeBow, Robt Thompson,
/ John Kirkman, r. B. Cheatham,
| S. D. Morgan, A. Chesthsm & Co.,
| Joseph w. Allen, Jos. Naulx,
| NJ. Burns, w. S. Eakin,
John NJ Bass A. G. Sanford,
| Byrd Douglass Jno. Browne,
John M. Riii, J. II. Kendrick,
| Sam. Watkins, Jas. Hickman,
/ W W ts---.- ID n E,,tn- dtk