Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-08-20


al Rail Route bef,osen The Lakes aud
| the GuLf-Tbe last issue Of the Chicago
Raiipay Repiep has the following article
touching upon the new railway connee-
tons between that city and the Gulf IL
will be read with interest:
We notice. with pleasure, the appoint-
ment Of Passenger Agent TO the North
west 90 direct representative OF an all
rail line from Chicago to Memphis,
Vicksburg, Mobile, New Orleans, At
lanta and other Southern cities, via In
dianapolis and Louisylle-embracing,
from the Southwest, the Memphis ard
Louisville railroad line, the Mississippi
and Ten nessee, Mobile and Ohio, Mis-
sissippi Central and New Orleans, Jack.
son and Great Northern railroads; to
the South the Memphis and Louisville
aud Mobile and Ohio railroads TO Mo-
bile, Pensacola and the tropics; to the
Southeast, the Louisville and Nashville
aud Nashville and Chattanooga railroads
to Chattanooga, connecting at the latter
points with the Western and Atlantic and
East Tennessee and Georgia railroads,
for all points in Georgia, East Tennes-
see, Florida, Virginia and the Carolinas.
That these companies should consider
their Northwestern interests OF sufficient
Importance to warrent the appointment
of a representative Of these interests in
Chicago, we hail as an omen Of return
of prosperity to the South, and desire
on the part Of her people to cultivate the
b isiness relations and friendly feelings
of the Northwest. We note as o further
evidence Of this fact, that the tide OF
easure travel from the South has this
season flowed toward the Northwest to q
far greater extent than ever before. St.
Paul, Minneapolis, the Green Bay re-
gion, and all points OF interest through
out the Northwest are crowded with the
business community and pleasure-seek'
ers from the South.
A glance at our hotel registers will as
sure that Chicago has not been neg
lected; that every train from the South
brings us numerous visitors, who, escap-
ing for a season from the burning sun
and epidemics incidental to their native
cline, breathe for q while the pure and
inyigorating air of our Lake Michigan,
return home with renewed health, fully
impressed with the greatness OF our city,
the West, and imbued with desire to
cultivate the business interests and
friendly intercourse of her people. And
through no other channel can so much
be done to improve and cement these
relations as through our railroads. That
the interests of the South and Northwest,
and the great valley of the Mississippi,
we're identical, was, before the war, a
we'll known fact. That we should once
more attempt to revive those interests is
evidently the duty of every business man
in our community. That rival railroads
have come into the field to compete for
our favors, we accept as evidence that
our corporate interests In this respect
will be carefully guarded, and the adage
of competition is the life of trade we
trust will be fully verified.
The close of the late war left all, or
dearly all, of the railroads south of the
Ohio river in q greatly crippled condi-
ton. With the exception of the Louis
vile and Nashville, all were-according
to the varying fortunes of war-operated
by either the Federal or Confederate
Governments, leaving them in most in
stances at the close destitute of rolling
stock, bridges, or buildings. AS naBlrel
result of their impoverished condition, it
has required long period to place them
in condition to compete for foreign
trade, and the energy of their execu-
tives has been taxed to its utmost to guard
their Southern and local interests. 1t is
gratifying to know that all have once
more been placed in hourshing condi-
ten. Thoroughly equipped, with new
rolling stock, new bridges, buildings, etc,
with their appointments equal in every
respect to their sister lines of the North
they will prove themselves strong and
not unworthy candidates for public favor
The Louisville and Nashville Railroad
Company, representing pre- eminently
one Of the leading railroad lines of the
United States, has leased for q term OF
years the entire line between the State
line of Tennessee and Memphis, bring
ing under one management the entire
line of road between Louisville and
Memphis, a distance of three hundred
and seventy-seven miles, running be-
tween these points without change of
either day or night coaches. As an evi.
dence of the superior condition of their
road-bed, the time consumed in travel
ing this distance is but twenty one
hours. Deducting fair allowance for
stops, would make the actual running
time approximate very nearly to twenty
five miles per hour. While the time to
Louisville via Indianapolis has been re-
dueed to fifteen hours and five minutes;
to Nashville, Tennessee, to twenty thres
hours; and to New Orleans, Louisiana,
via indianapolis and Louisville, to fifty
six hours; the entire distance to New
Orleans, nearly one thousand miles,
being traversed with but one change of
cars, this being made at Louisville.
To the traveller, probably no route IN
America Is trayersed by more points
fraught with greater national or per-
sonal interest. Passing by the Nam
moth Cave, of Kentucky, the passenger
is privileged to stop over as long term
ss he may desire, and visit the greatest
Of natures curiosities. The battle fields
Of Kentucky, Stone River, Iuka, Nash
vile, Vicksburg, Mission Ridge, Chlcka.
manga, Lookout and Kepesaw Noun
tains, the siege of Atlanta, ETC., etc.. are
all trayersed by one or more OF these
routes. Pullman's palace sleeping cars
are run direct from Chicago to Louis
vile without change, whilst one OF the
elegant new sleeping cars Of the Rip
Van Wrinkle Line" leaves Louisville
every evening for New Orleans, travers-
ing the entire distance without change.
AtNew Orleans direct connections are
made with the New Orleans, Opelousas
and Great Western railroad for Brashear
City. ninety-eight miles; at that point