Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1871-01-24
Knoxville Railroad Connections.
KNoxyILLF. TEyN.. Jan. 1eth. 1877

| KNOXVILLE, Tenn, Jan. 18th, 1871.
DR.. James p. Phillips, CIsrksrille, Ga.
| DEAR SIR-I have the honor of acknowl-
edging the receipt of your letter of the 8rd
| instant. will at once proceed TO give you
| the information you seek.
The Knoxville and Charleston, or Rabun
Gap Railroad, is completed and in use to
Maryville, Tenn. No grading has been
done beyond that point. That road is en-
titled to $4,000 per mile, State aid, on COM
pliance with the law on that subject. The
distance from Knoxville to the North Car
olila State line is about forty-six miles.
The Knoxville and Kentucky Railroad,
called by you the Knoxville and Cumber-
land Mountain Railroad, is completed and
in use ,hirty-seven miles, and is graded
about seven miles further. The work on
the road is suspended, but hope only for a
brief period.
We have an absolute certainty of con-
nection with both Cincinnati and Louis
vile by this road. or by the Cincinnati
Southern road, The only question is as to
when this will take place. I believe it will
be in less than three years. A Southern
connection is necessity to Cincinnati in
order to keep pace with louisville, which
now holds the key to Southern trade and
travel-the Louisville and Nashville road.
But that is circuitous route. Even Lou
lsNllle WISHES Il IuOle ulrect-Iostu W 1eoTSl2
and South Carolina. With Cincinnati, as
before stated, direct route Southwark, in
this direction, is an absolute necessity. For,
mark the fact. that if she should finally
go directly to Chattanooga with her road,
which do not much believe, in order to
get there, she has to run her road in this
direction to within forty or fifty miles of
our town, and to within fifteen miles of
the Knoxville and Kentucky road, and
then she strikes off south-westward to
Chattanooga. The building of that road,
therefore, completes ours. And it will be
built long before the connection is made
with Chattanooga. Indeed, it is well
known privately that Cincinnati intends
coming here, as well as to Chattanooga.
The diyectness of the route from both
Cincinnati and Louisville, by way of
Knoxville and the Rabun Gap road, to
Clayton, Ga, and thence to Charleston, or
Savannah, and all intermediate towns, is
too obvious and striking to much longer
remain uncompleted. It will be one of
the great trunk roads of the continent, and
a few years hence, when it is completed,
we will all be amazed that it was delayed
so long.
But, my dear sir, its completion is rapid
ly coming. The action Of your State and
your people is highly cheering. I happen
to know that, at this very time, there are
on foot in both Louisville and
Cincinnati having the opening of this
grand route in view. And some of these
days q great struggle will take place be-
tween those cities, to see which shall reach
orr tom first The Chattanooga road will
be built, out ours aCiI be built first Cincin-
natl needs both roadside one for the trade |
of Northern and Western Georgia and
and the other for the trade of
North Carolina, South Carolina, Eastern
and Middle Georgia, Florida, Cuba, and |
South America. Our able and energetic |
President of the knoxville and Kentucky |
rosd, Col. G. NJ. McGhee, viii leave moth !
ing undone to accomplish this grand en- |
terprise. I remain, very truly,
O. p. TEMPLE.