The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-05-31

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1R lO7l.
OUR WESTERN CONNECTIONS.
CINCINNATI AND CHARL ESTON,
Report OF j. B. Lahtte, ESQ.
The following report, giving some interest
| ing particulars in regard to the recent mis-
| interests Of Charleston. has been prepared for
presentation to Mayor Pillsbury:
CHARLESTON, May 70. 1862
Hon. Galbert Piltsoury, Mayor Of Charleston:
Sm-In accordance with the appo ntment
conferred upon me, left this city on the morn
ing OF the 11th instant, arriving at Cincinnati
on the night Of the 18th. and returned here on
the 26th, and now beg leave to submit the fol-
lowing report:
Many Of our citizens may not be fully in
Cincinnati with reference to, giving aid to
railroade therefore deem it proper to pre-
mice by stating that until very recently that
| city was prohibited by it's charter from aiding
! railroad. It is to this fact alone that we must
attribute the failure of all former attempts to
| form the much desired railway connection
with that city, which has occupied the
thoughts and enlisted the support IF many Of
the leading men Of Ohio, Kentucky and len
nessee, as we'll as Of our own State, for more
than thirty years past.
At it's recent session the Legislature of Ohio
passed an act authorizing any city having
more than 10000 inhabitants to expend
| sum not. exceeding ten millions of
dollars in the construction of railroad
named by. the City Council. By the pro-
visions Of this act the City Council must FIRST
decl are by resolution OF the majority Of their
board, that such road is essential to the in
terests Of such city. This resolution must
then be submitted to the voters at special
election, to be held after twenty days. notice
shall have been given. II ratified by majori-
ty OF the voters. the Superior Court shall ap-
point five commissioners. to whom the bonds
Of the city are to be issued, and who are to be
charged with the duty of constructing the 1ail-
road.
Upon my arrival at Cincinnati. found that
the Joint Committee OF the Common Council
and Board OF Trade, to whom the matter had
been referred tor the purpose Of taking evil
dence as to the best route to be adopted, had
already held several sessions, and that the
claims OF the Chattanooga route had been
pressed with greet energy and zeal, by dele
gates from that place and by others interest ed
heas ep onrfs 9 n
tained.
! o. Saturday. the 18th instant. the Joint
pose OF heating the statements Of the
delegates from East Tennessee and
from this State. The advantages of the
Knoxville route were very clearly stated
Blue Ridge Railroad, by Directors and Chief
Engineers Of the East Tennessee Roads, by
Governor Scott ce this State, and by other
delegates from East Tennessee. I also had the
honor Of addressing the committee, confining
my remarks to an exposition Of very few OF
the many commercial advantages to be derived
by CINCINNATI from short and direct connec-
ton with this port.
Colonel Mansfield, venerable and esteemed
citizen OF Ohio and q delegate to the first oon-
vention, held in 1886, to consider this same
question, addressed the committee. in some
this route. which had been adopted thirty
three years ago, and which. until very recently,
was deemed without o rival.
This meeting was attended by very large
number or the leading merohants or Cncin,
natl, who evinced Q great interest in the SUBJ
ject, and feel fully warranted in saying, that
the facts and arguments adduced produced q
marked effect upon those present. This i'm
preston was strengthened and extended by
further statements and explanations made be-
fore Q, subsequent session OF the committee,
also by articles published in the Cincinnati
Journals. and by private interviews with many
Of the leading men OF the place who visited our
rooms, where with the aid of military, topo-
graphicai, and other authentic maps, the facts
and explanations given could be- more clearly
Our city and State has and can have no in
terest in the Chattanooga route, as the in
creased distance would be such as to prevent
any extensive trade between Cincinnati and
ourselves. With the knowledge of this fact
before me, ] stated to the committee that it
was my firm conviction that II the Knoxville
route were not adopted, the people Of this
Blue Ridge Road, preferring to sacrifice tue
vast sums already expended to making fur
ther sacrifices in our vain effort to form con-
nection with them, which we had porsevered
advances had been made by Cincinnati to meet
us at the Tennessee line, as originally agreed
upon.
was perfectly sincere in making this state
ment, but % fuller investigation OF the whole
matter in all lts bearings has induced me to
change my opinion, for reasons that shall
presently set forth. and which convince me
that Cincinnati has infinitely more at stake in
minus Of her proposed railway than we have.
Whilst still avow decided preference fer
that route, shall endeavor to show that 1t is q
matter ma Of vital importance not only TO- Our ci,y
Road as speedily as possible. regardless OF the
route or terminus that may be determined
upon by Cincinnati. ga
I shall not enter into o lengthy discussion OF
natl by the two routes proposed, but they may
be briefly stated ga follows: Z
The distance from Cincinnati to Knoxville
via Paris, London, Elk Gap, and other minor
points is 274 miles, Of which iii are completed
and in actual operation, and 15 more are graded
and ready tor the iron, leaving only 148 miles
ofroad to be built. The roads already built
can be purchased at a moderate price, certain
ly not exceeding what it would cost to con-
strnct them, and Cincinnati would thus own
and control the entire line to Knoxville. The
roads from this city to Knoxville, though
owned by three distinct corporations. would
be virtually controlled by. one and the same
interest, and the entire line from Charleston
to CincinnaM would Of necessity be operated
with that harmony which is so necessary TO
promote the interests of all concerned.
The distance from Cincinnati 10 Chatta-
nooga by the proposed route via Chitwood is
85e miles. of which 112 miles are completed,
sas snd .,n 10 mules Leg more have been graded leaving
miles already completed, considerable por-
sion. leading directly south from Cincinnati, is
common to both routes.
The advantages OF the Knoxville route 10 the
shortness or the line to be built are too mani