Norfolk day book. [volume] (Norfolk and Portsmouth Va.) 1868-1880, 1869-06-04
From the Lite Rock Ark Daily Liberal.
The Southern Pacific Rail-
road.

FROM tue Lltte hock hTksJ Daiiy Lloer d.
The Southern Pacific Rail
| road. ...
We were emi-officially in
formed by Senator Sprague, at
the Memphis Convention, that
Congress, backed by a strong
current of commercial and fl
nancial interests at the north,
was prepared to lend it's aid to-
wards the construction of a
|Southern Pacific Railroad; and
that as soon as the people of
the south agreed among them
selves as to the location of the
route, the necessary congress
sional aid and legislation would
be given. We were informed
that the growing commercial
business ofthe north would soon
demand the construction of a
southern route, inasmuch as
thepresent northern road would
not be able to accommodate all
the increasing trade and travel
that would seek this new and
attractive mode of trans-conti-
mental transportation.
In the early stages of the
convention, it was thought that
the location Of a southern route
would prove the great bone of
contention among the rival
interests represented in the con-
yen,tion: The earnest, Jealous
of the Tennessee and Virginia
delegates, to give especial prom
in ency to Norfolk in connec-
ton with Direct European
Trade, was supposed to relate
more to the Interior object Of
securing the location of a
southern Pacific Railroad route
favorable to the interests of
Memphis and Norfolk, than to
the mere nominal object of des-
ignating a seaport in connec-
ton with inter-oceanic COM
mnnication between the two
continents. But such does not
appear to have been the case,
for the recommendation of the
32d parallel route was adopted
by the convention, with one
solitary dissenting vote !!
This proposed route starts
from San Diego on the Pacific
coast, runs eastward along the
line Of the sd degree Of paral-
lei, to some convenient point
east of the Brazos river and
near the SD parallel, in the
state of Texas. This conve-
nient point will fall somewhere
near Dallas or Marshall, Texas
directly west of, and not far
removed from Shreveport, in
the state of Louisiana
It is true that from this Com
venient point or eastern ter
minus of the main trunk line,
are to run feeder or branch
lines leading respectively to
Saint Louis, Cairo, Memphis,
Vicksburg and New Orleans.
Bat it is very plain and palpa-
BILE to any mind at all familiar
with this subject, that the loca-
ton of this route on the SD
parallel, with eastern terminus
at or near Dallas, Texas, is not
only adverse, but almost fatal,
| to the interests of Memphis and
Norfolk, at least so far as their
interests may be affected by
being cut off from a large par
ticipation in the great benefits
to accrue from the opening up
of this new channel of trans
continental communication,
A casual glance at the map
reveals the prominent fact that
the shortest and most direct
line, from the proposed eastern
Terminus of this new route, to
the Atlantic coast, lies along
the path of the SD degree O
parallel; and that along thai
path is already constructed
continuous and almost unbro
ken line of Railroad from
Shreveport to Savannah, VIZ
Vicksburg on the Mississippi.
II g. ~ &h n