Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1869-12-10
Tfe,US IF Col. Lamb, of Nor|oiE

r"ceat report Of Col. Limb submit
ted to Il Is Meichaul's Exchange Of N rfolk,
Of which be- y the Co eael il President. h.
'huS 'Ay'uWs ibo-tins pulley ~ uest cl.S
and OF vnginN. lie commences by saying
that "ihe de'tpi's Of Norfolk are insepa-
fsb'y linked WIN thos' Of Memphis and
l. Louisville, aud tho,e twJ commercial CEN
tres of our sister Cemmrnwealths, Tennes-
see and K-nlueky, have determined that
port shall be their gateway to the Atlantic,
and they have the wealth rnd commerce to
build NJ thriving emf Drum upon our
harbor."
L this end he advises "a more perfect
consolidation of the railroads between Nor
folk and Memphis, and the building of the
Virginia and Kentucky railroad to connect
with l.. nsv'lle by n continuous railway line
of the same gsgue." His r,marks on this
head are worthy Of especial notice. He
says:
"a MORE PERFECT CONSOLIDATION OF
THE RAILROADS FROM NORFOLK TO MEN
PAS. The tive railroads extending from
Norfolk to Cnattan) 'gt, viz: The Norfolk
and Petersburg, S1uthside, Virginia and
Tennessee, East Tennessee and Virginia
and East Tennessee and Georgia should be
United into one grand railroad six hundred
and fifty niles long. The interests of stock
holders not only demand II, but the full de-
yelopments Of the Of the resources Of the
country along the line requires that the
10 IDS shSuh be under one efficient head,
aud this nnion would create q railroad
power that would attract to its western
terminus, over the Memphis and Chsrl, ston
railroad IA corporation fully identified with
our ipterest.) the trade and travel of the
Southern Pacific railroad, which is now
= nil nnahnA IN.
speedy completion as a. commercial necas-
hi,r. The present financial condition of
these Eve roads presents golden opportu-
nity TO an able an far-seeing council in this
eity 10 obtain control of them, aud by their
nroper management to enrich our city as
baltimore has been enriched by her Wes-
tern connections. Less than half million
dollars, iudiciously expended, would pur-
CHASE the control OF the present almost
yalueless stock Of these roads, aud give Ia
return a consolidated stock that in three
wears would not only be worth par, but
would pour n Ii~h revenue iuto our city
treasury. II is not proper that the particu'
lars of scheme liRe this SHOULD be dis.
cussed in public, but We trust enough has
been said to awaken an inqliry on the part
OF those who have both the authority and
the ability 10 ACT"
He says that the Virginia aud Kentucky
railroad can and must be built, adding:
"Whcu in Louisville, as one of the rep
resentativts of Virginia to the COmmercia
| Convention, We were positively assured by
Governor Stephenson aud other tficials o
Kentucky, and by leading capitalists Of tina
city, that II Virginia would como to Cum
berland Gap, Kentucky would meet u
there, and when our last tie was laid Ii
| u,..OIA HnA In Il 4
upon which to lay the o,her end OF the rail
The road is now within fifty miles of tn
Gap, and they are only waiting for us 4
20 TO work to complete the CONNIE ton
The State of Virgin is pledged TO a thyse
BIS subscription TO this Virginia AMI Ken
lucky railroad, and by law It Is excepte
from the clause In the new Constitution
prohibiting State aid to railroads. Individ
uals aud corporations have to raise two
Aths Of the cost OF the work, and tue Stat
is responsible for the remainder. Ricl
mond, Petersburg and Lynchburg, TO say
their declining tsbacco trade and manufsS
lures, must aid In the construction of TIL
road, while Norfolk, II necessary, must col
tribute one million dollars to complete I
Let there DO q special tax on real estate
meet this subscription, aud let the ia
payers receive In the stock Of the rstroa
4 company the amount lhey pay 10 tho CT
to hpild the road. In this way the cit
debt woul not be Increased, aud the re-
, estate owners, for whose bent ht the road
principally built, would get an immeaia
return 10 stock which In afew years won
prove good investment"
z lie further says;
"For two years, as President Of this Z
! change, We have studied cur situation, al
we 5, . ia these two weeks Norfolk's oppo
. tuuity. With their contamination Won
come the direct trade for which We ha
hoped aud labored, but which we have u
4 had the strength TO sustain. With the
. would come our ability 10 build The Norlo
!. and Great Western railroad, the Norio
and Eienton railroad, and other project
> improvements, aud, above all, they wot
give us the capital aud population to grs
. and hold that vast volume Of trade vii