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

now in process Of construction, lies on Oh
north side Of range Of mountains, and there
| fore commands only the trade OF limited POI
l tion Of North Alabama, and is cut OH by thi
chain of mountains from all communicate
with the great cotton belt until it reaches
point in Central Alabama some distance mort
Of Selma, where it connects with roads leadin
to Mobile and New Orleans.
The Selma, Rome and Dalton Road is now il
actual operation as far as Rome, and will 500
be completed to Dalton. This Road runs al
| being located on the south side OF the chain @
mountains, commands the trade OF the rlcl
cotton region of Alabama, and Dy its connec
tions at Selma offers at least as short route Il
New Orleans and shorter one to Mobile ant
Pensacola.
Besides the advantages referred to above tn
connections to be made at Knoxville are many
and OF incaIculable importance. At that point
Cincinnati would connect with roads IN actua
operation, which traverse East Tennessee, ant
the entire length Of the great State Of Vlr
ginia terminating at Richmond and Norfoik.
By railroad now under construction, anc
of which only eiehty-two miles remain to bt
completed, (the meane for building which have
already been provided) Knoxville will soon be
placed in connection with the entire network O.
cellroads thst traverse the length and breadth
OF North Carolina.
By the Blue Ridge Railroad they will connect
With the railroad system OF our own State
which would open to them large market fol
their manufactures and surplus products, and
will reach our harbor. which is the nearest and
best Of all the Atlantic ports for the tlansac-
tion OF their foreign export and import trade
with Europe, the West Indies and South
America; and offers peculiar advantage as 8
point Of debarkation for European 1mml.
grants.
The stockholders Of the Georgia Railroad
Company, al their recent annual meeting, In
struoted their president and directors to ex-
tend the Athens branch OF their road 10
Railroad, south Of the mountains. This will
give Cincinnati much shorter line to middle,
southern and southwestern Georgia. including
the port OF Savannah, than by the clrcuitous
route VIA Chattanooga.
With this statement OF the comparative ad.
vantages CT the two routes, and which believe
to be entirely correct 10 every particular, IT
may well be deemed strange by an impartial
observer, that there should be moments hes
station as to the route to be selected. 1t can
only be accounted for by the fact referred to
in the earlier part or this communication, that
the advocates Of the Cbattapo ,ga route having
had entire possession OF the public ear prior to
our arrival, bad, by partisan AMI ex parte
statements created an impression favorable to
that route; and it is well kno En that first i'm
presslons are not easily eradicated. even by the
plainest and strongest evidence. 1t may also
be safely said that in all such enterprises un-
dertakeu by city or State there ore many
private interests that may be fayorably af-
fected, not only by the selection OF the r. 'uini,
but by the Location Of the entire line. cau-
not be supposed that this case forms an
exception to that general rule, and l
have no doubt If dozou other routes
were proposed they would each dnd some
interested and jealous advocates.
80 far as our own people arc concerned, it
would be work fsuparerogation to enume-
rate the many advantages which short AMI
direct communication with this port would
offer to Cincinnati as we'll as to ourselves.
Every practical merchant knows what those
advantages are; but the people OF Cincinnati
know little more Of u, and OF our harbor than
we know Of them and their manufactures, and
must therefore be excused II ! make some
allusion to them.
The merchants Of Cincinnati attach much
importance to connection with Gu port,
through which they might receive their sup
plies of sugar, molssses, coffee, and other
West Indian and South American produce. l
endeayored, and think successfully. to satisfy
many of them that our port offered greater
advantages in this respect than any Gulf port.
ane as asssnce ea - ~ sGoe. sne sa@ uS
incurred by vessels visiting our port being
much less than at any Gulf port, gives Us de-
clded advantage in the rates OF rreight. Inc
difference Of insurance is also greatly in our
favor; and as We export largely OF yellow pine
lumber to the West Indies, by vessels which
have now to seek return freight to the
North in consequence Of the smallness OF our
imports. such vessels would take our lumber
st lower rates, il assured of q reasonable pro-
liability Of return cargo to this port. The
sarna advantages as to freights and insurance
would apply to cargoes oil coffee from Ro. we
also offer great advantages as compared with
Northern Atlantic ports. owing to the short
ness Of the voyage, and the avoidanc,s ,s OF the
storms which prevail north Of Hatteras dur
ing greater portion Of the year.
The low rates of storage, drsyags and other
petty charges, as compared with either the
Gulf or North Atlantic ports, is also an import
ant ilem in our favor. =.
at our port, from Europe, in quest OF cotton
freights. now come in ballast, all that has been
said OF the West Indisn and South American
trade applies with even greater force to the
European trade.
have said that, upon fuller investigation
of the subject had abandoned the opinion
had at first formed sid expressed. that in
the event of the adoption OF Chattanooga as
the terminus of the proposed road, we would
auQ BQOulQ dpduuOu tuO SonApiS'ioA Va s"S
Blue Ridge Railroad. shall now give my
reasons for changing my opinions, and will d
deayor to shoH that Cincinnati is much
more deeply interested in the selection
of the Knoxville route than We are; and shall
endeavor to convince the people OF our CITY and
State that they should at once devote all their
energies to the speedy completion OF that
1oad, regardless of what action Clncnnati NJ
take at the present time.
That may not be accused OF inconsistency,
here repeat that have decided preference
for the Knoxville route and hope, and believe,
that the people of Cincinnati will adopt that
route and no other. My preference is based
upon the conviction that the interests OF the
two cities are, to great extent, identical, ano
that the Knoxville route is the best tor US,
SIMPLY for the reison that 1t is the best for
Cincinnati.
Let us for moment suppose that the Chat
tauooga route should be adopted, and examine
what would then be our position.
Cincinnati and Louisville are unquestionably
great commercial rivals. BY this, must not
Be understood as saying that the people OF
either of those two cities are envlons OF the
prosperity OF the other, or would desire 10 see
them overtaken by misfortune. l merely wish
to state the fact, that their geographical
position is such, that they must, OF
necessity, compete for the trade OF
vast districts OF country which are to some
extent tributary to both. 1t is this rivalry
which, when carried on in proper spirit, calls
forth all the energy and enterprise OF both
parties, aud develops TO the utmost degree
their latent energies and resources, which
might otherwise he allowed to lie dormant,
80 fha cnI r0.Y1n ri.