Norfolk day book. [volume] (Norfolk and Portsmouth Va.) 1868-1880, 1869-10-16
The Straight-Sh0Ot to the Pacific

lou1o " Siauu tIuuh rdllCOdu luTouSu I'LL
center of that State from the Mississippi
by Nashville to the Virginia and Ten
nessee road this side of Abingdon
After speaking of the road beyon'
Nashville, more than half of which i
finished, he thus refers to the portion
this side of Nashville:
These roads and connections bein.
completed, we should have continuous
direct line of communication from th,
Pacific coast and the far Southwest, b,
way of Little Rock and Fulton, tt
Nashville, the beautiful capital Of oul
lflourishing State. Under the charter
Igranted in 1865 for the Tennessee anc
Pacific Railroad Company, the work or
the Central road is now progressing with
energy from Nashville to Lebanon, and
engineers are employed in ascertainine
the best and most practicable route fol
its extension over the coal measures Of
Cumberland mountain to East Tennes-
see. Doubtless the best route and loca-
ton will be adopted, and we may expect
in short time to see the road progress
sing eastward from Lebanon, passing,
probably, near Montgomery, in Morgan
county, land pursuing thence very nearly
the route of what is known as the Eme-
~ road to the Flat creek gap, between
| the eastern end Of the House mountain
and the western end of Clinch noun
tain, and then along the southern side of
the latter, and entering Poor valley at
Lea's Springs. This valley seems to
have been formed by the hand of nature
for the purpose of building a railroad,
affording level route, without hill to
cut or stream to bridge, all the way
up to and beyond the Virginia line pas
sing numerous mineral springs, marble
quarries, and vast beds of iron and other
valuable ores, to the salt works and
plaster mines in Scott county, Virginia,
Throughout the whole length of this
valley the materials for building are at
hand in abundance, land the cost of con-
structing frstsclass railroad would be
less than on any other route that can be
found of the same extent in all of the
Southern country. The indications Of
salt, iron, coal and other valuable miner
ais are of frequent occurrence along the
whole route, and will doubtless be de-
veloped in great abundance when the
road shall have been built. From the
salt sa works the road may be extended
and Tennessee railroad beyond Abing-
don, thus giving direct communication
by this and the Southside and the Pc
tersburg and Norfolk railroads with this
last named city, which is destined at no
remote period to become the great en-
porium of the Southern States and
entrepot between Europe and America.
But if, as it is urged by Commodore F.
M. Maury in his very able publication
on the railroad and canal communities
tions of Virginia, railroad should be
built from Norfolk along or near the
line Of North Corolina, passing through
Wards Gap to Bristol, on the Tennessee
line, then will it become necessary to
leave the Poor valley, in Hawkins
county, and by SANKEY'S or Carter's
Valley, and the valleys Of Watauga and
Doe river, turn the Tennessee Central
Pacific railroad to connection beyond
Bristol with the direct Southern route
to Norfolk. ~
These connections completed, we
should then have the shortest and most
direct line of inter-communication from
Norfolk, on the Atlantic, through the
centr al parts of Tennes see to tho Pacl-
fic coast. In order to its becoming the
greatest and most popular thorough
fare, it must not only be frst-clsss
road, but as near an airline as possible
and in order to effect this the charter of
the Tennessee and Pacific Railroad Com
pany should be so amended as not to
require connection with the East Ten
nessee and Virginia railroad at Knox
vile, the intersection of the Knoxville
and Louisville road giving sufficient
facility of communication Wild that
city.
The great central line of railway
through the State should also be united
as one organization, and it is therefore
respectfully suggested to your honora-
BILE body that such legislation be had at
the present session and will enable the
several companies, the Tennessee and
Pacific, the Nashville and Northwestern
and the Tennessee Central Railroad
Companies, to form united association
under the name and title of the Tennes-
see Central and Pacific Railroad Com
pany, and to have granted to them such
aid throughout the whole line as has
been given to other important lines of
railway in this State, and has been so
improperly. lavished on unimportant 10
cal works in various sections. By this
judicious course, the present General
Assembly will carry out and perfect the
enlightened system long since proposed
by former Legislature for great CEN
trail railway trunk throughout the
State, from which laterals and feeders
will as naturally grow as branches from
| a tree. jt}y 4t}ytAI
By this wise policy, they will also
invite capitalists to engage in the build
ing of this great thoroughfare, who are
ever ready to invest their money in en-
terprises that they see will be successful
and profitable, and none in all the land
can offer greater inducements. All Of
which is respectfully submitted to the
favorable consideration and action Of
your honorable body. 5a
| " gem WIN. w. LEA,
President Tennessee Central r. r. Co.
W. II G MIA r LO u n