The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1871-07-07
Thr Marietta gullrnal.
Marietta, Georgia, July ?, 1871.
ATLANTA ON THE DECLINE.

W Ac0I LAlO tlUIH VA IAAS va"
that "the angle of incidence is equal
to the angle of reflection" and riet
UerSa. She has raised her cry Of
alarm too late. She may tax hei
already grooming inhabitants to build
the Georgia Western or a score o.
other short routes but her day Of
power is over, and all her efforts tc
sustain her ephemeral prosperity
will be unavailing it is too late
Atlanta's pride must have a fall
Her reign as a hourishing CONNER
cial city is near its end. She rose
fast. and she rose when railroads was
worth more than double what they
are now; she will fall fast now that
railroads are worth less than half
what they were worth when she
rose.
The fact stares her in the face.
Yes, she may shorten the time for
the hold of the stockholders meet
ing by nearly 20 days if she chooses
or she may hold it this even
ing, it is all about the same, she has
started down hill and her speed will
become accelerated as she approach
es the bottom. She has for score
of years been feeding to her own
selfish appetite for gain at the ex-
pense of the State aud the befool-
ed people of the sections through
which her roads run, and whom she
has drained and is draining of their
resources to fill the pockets of few
shoddies and spectators with green
backs. Nature has denied her the
privileges Of navigatiOnal facilities,
and, as to railroads, every one knows
how uncertain the prosperity of a
town dependent on them for exist
ence.
If the reader will look at any or
binary sized map fof the United
State, he will at once perceive that
there are really but three great
practical routes from-tne Atlantic to
the Pacific coast and they are, first
from New York to Olympia, Wash
ington Territory, by way of Chicago
and the Missouri and Columbia Val
legs. Second, from New York to
San Francisco by the Pacific Rail-
way passing through Nebraska, Col
orado, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada and
California to the Pacific at San
Frrcisco. Third, from Southern
seaport, as Norfolk, Charleston, Sa-
vannah or Pensacola, to San Fran
cisco by way of Texas, and passing
through Georgia, Alabama, Missis-
sippi, Louisiana or Arkansas, Texas,
New Mexico, Arizona and California
to San Francisco and the Ocean,
Now any one can see that any of
these practicable routes by which
the Atlantic and Pacific may be con-
nected, must necessarily leave At
lanta to one side in their routes if
they want anything like shortness of
route, easy grade, &C., and depend
upon it, the trade of the South and
West will never be made to pass
through such an out-of-the-way
place as is Atlanta. We know that
many will sheer at the idea of call
ing Atlanta an out-of-the-way place,
but we speak of Atlanta as it is to
be, not as it seems to be at present.
The time will soon come when rail-
roads which are not sirviFss lines be-
tween such prominent points as New
York, Savannah, Pensacola, San
Francisco, Chicago, St. Louis and
Cincinnati, will be worth compare
lively nothing, and the town who
like Atlanta tries in vain to build
important lines will collapse in bank
ruptcy. This may seem a gloomy
picture and will doubtless be looked
upon as an idle piece of bombast and
invective SO common, but we are con-
tent in these days to let time prove
the truth of our assertions.
When ever modern genius cuts a
a second Mt. Gents tunnel through
the Rocky Mountains, or turns the
waters of the Chattahoochee above
Columbus into a navigable stream
on whose bosom can float ocean
steamers, or cuts a second istIsnsas q
Panama canaIC) from the Missis-
sippi to the Atlantic BIZ a0ay Of 1t
lanta, nayigable for ships of the line
at low tide; or does some other prod
ICY of modern genius, then and no.
| til then will Atlanta have nernlaneall