The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-04-21
lInr RaIIroad nleresls.

ton to that road, during the present
Summer. Is that the completion Of the
road may be fastened. We cannot
think that any of our intelligent bust
ness men will fail to see the absolute
necessity. of completing the ROAD at
an early day. In the JOURNAL of
yesterday we called attention to the
fact that Louisville is regarding US
with envious eyes. Already she has
done US great damage, by obtaining
entire possession of Green River, and
making unjust determinations against
boats running between this city and
points on that stream. This was ac-
complished, not by any display of
business energy and skill, but by
some kind Of influence brought
to bear upon the Legislature of the
State, of very questionable propriety,
to say the least of it. We believe it
will so operate to the injury of the
people on Green River, as to
arouse their indignation to an extent
that will cause the gentlemen inaugu.
rating the arrangement more uneasi-
ness than gratifca ton.
But the point we seek to make is,
that the tDtnsedjate completion Of the
railroad running through the Green
River country Is now, more than ever,
an absolute necessity.
Louisville is not content with sim
ply excluding US from the commerce
-of Green River. She is also making
great efforts to build the Elizabeth
town and Paducah Railroad, hoping,
through its fundamentally, to draw
trade from our very doors. But while
she is doing this, the early compile
ton of the Henderson road will
interfere with one of her pet
schemes, by bringing US into direct
competion with her for the trade Of
Tennessee and the Gulf States. The
other day the Alabama & Florida Rail
road was sold under a decree Of the
District Court of the United States,
sitting in bankruptcy. and purchased
by a company largely made up of
Louisville merchants and railroad
men. The design of the purchasers
is to make direct railrosd connec-
ton between Louis vile aud the waters
of the Gulf at Pensacola. The latter
point is due south from the former
place $40 miles. 1t is situated upon
the waters Of the deepest and most
commodious sharbor in the Gulf; dis
tant from the Island of Cuba but 700
miles. and from the Isthmus of Te-
huantepec but 920 miles. The COM
pletion of our road to Nashville will
bring the South nearer the commodi-
ties she most needs-the products of
the Northwest-than by the way Of
Louisville, and our city will become
the great entrepot, or meeting point, of
the traffic between the two sections.
By this route our merchants will be
able to compete with Louisville for
the trade of the Gulf States, the West
India Islands and the ports Of South
America. We will be better able to
supply the wants of those countries, be
cause of our nearness to the grauaries
Of the northwest, and the better facil
tiles we will have for concentrating
the products of that section at this
point. Louisville is not ignorant Of
this fact. In an articlein the Demo
crat, urging the people of that city to
put forth every effort to anticipate
rivals in the great commerce that the
future is to develop over these central
railroad lines, we find the following
paragraph:
These are some Of the many con
siderations connected with this project
which should arrest the attention of
the business men of cur city, and in
fluence them to furnish all the mate
rial aid which an enterprise fraught
with such important consequences,
bearing upon the future prosperity Of
the city. may demand. Let US be Up
and doing, for while we deliberate
our sister city, Chicago, Is even now
making every effort and straining
every nerve to reach this point in adj
vance of US. Should she do so, our
interests will be Disseminated against.
We shall have lost all power of con-
troll, and all chance of successful
competition will have passed from our
grasp forever.
Chicago can most successfully open
up communication with the Gulf by