Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1867-05-01
Cincinnati, Cumberland Gap and
Charleston Railroad.

To the Editor of RnorUiEte Wig:
DEAR SrR:-The farmers of Cooke county stimu-
lated by the patriotic and liberal appropriation of
100000 by the General Assembly of the State to
this railway which is to pass from tue North Caro-
lima boundary down the French Broad River to
Morristown, on the Virginia and Tennessee road
a distance of Al miles, have seeded down an unusu-
al breath ofand in oats rye and other spring crops
and are preparing more ground for their great sta
pie of corn, than has been attempted for many
years past
The rapid approach of summer and consequently
the.short perio of time left to complete the rail-
way to the point at which the line will cross the Pig
con River, p miles from Morristown, have caused
many persons to consider whether the Directors of
the Company have so made heir arrangements as
to enable the Engineer to lay the iron ira ct to that
point by Autumn, and whether they have shown in
their deliberation and in the prosecution of the
work. zeal and vigor preportionate to the means
accorded to them by the State in the interests of the
public.
The proposed depots at the French Broad and
Pigeon River, IL and % miles respectively from
Mor-istown are the chief points at which nearly
the whole of the grain and other produce Of Cooke
county. parts of Sewer and Greene counties, and
from the Nortk Carolina boundary will be collected
for expert and it exaggeration to state that the
large farming outlay made in this season. in anti
cpation of railway transport, will be chiefly lost
should the road not be open early in the autumn as
vast bulk of produce cannot be carried in wag-
ons and the barns and other of storage in the
district are entirely inadequate
Under such circumstances, it is to be regretted if
true that the Directors said only to have pro-
vided iron to complete the 6rst twelve miles of the
road, for if it be the fact that the delivery of the
rails for that distance has taken about eight months
it is evident that without immediate action it will
be impossible in four months to obtain and lay the
rails for the next ten miles
need not say, sir that such an eventuality could
hardly have been contemplated by the General As
semhly Of the State, when this handsome appropri-
alton made to expedite to the utmost the de-
velopment of the vast natural resources of this dis
trict of East Tennessee, and venture to hope that
these humble remarks may, through the medium of
public opinion, have some effect on the resolutions
of the Directors, by urging them greater activity
on the basis of a more sound and comprehensive
financial policy.
l am satisfied that these gentlemen conceive they
are acting with prudence at time when the market
value Of the State bonds, which furnish the means
for constructing the road is depressed, but it may
be fairly asked whether the Directors have carefully
compared the relative COS: of promptly completing
the line to paying and self-supporting point as
against the expenditure in temporising policy, on
shorter line on salaries, interest on State bonds
and dead capital. 1t may also be enquired even
the Directors view Of the case whether the expen-
diture al Morris.cwn of some $4,000, on the pro,
posed machine shops, and their outfit, can be re-
quisite for the construction of carriages and freight
cars for ten miles of the road while nothing done
to purchase the iron for the second section Of the
line, which is graded snd the completion of which
is necessary to justify the construction of these
shops.
hsve no desire to lay any other blame upon the
Directors than over prudence, amounting, however
in this case, to an error of judgment which, if not
promptly remedied, viii be productive of loss to The
State 70 the Stockholders and 20 the agricultural
and trading community, who have made large
outlay in the belief that the wisdom and energy Of
the State Legislature, in making this grant would
have been productive OF more just policy aad
more spirted action from the Board Of Directors.
1 am dear sir,
Your obedient servant
FARMER or Cocks COUNTY.