New-York tribune., 1871-12-26
RESOURCES OF THE SOUTH
INLAND TRAFFIC. OF ALABAMA.

wATER-POWERs - EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM
PROGRESS.
fFROM A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THB TRlBuNhl
SELMA, Ala, Dec. 12-This is called the Cen
trail City Of Alabams though not the exact geoSraphiea
Of the State and 1t bids fair to be the center
her railroad systcm II might be said to be the south
door the great mineral wealth OF tne o'atc' as
Rome, Ca Ia the northern. This peculiar SITUATION vi
the place. Us well the enterprise or It's ci'Zehs, mas
made It the conycring point OF railroads. and has
given IL certain prospect OF becoming the greatest
inland commercial Of the State. 1t can never oe
a Creat manufacturing place, though cheap coal ana
cbcap and abundant cotton have induced al energetic
gentleman to begin the erection OF cotton Factory VI
5000 spindles to be run by steam Inc climate IS
arans II IA manufacturing point, Notwithstanding hs
earnest friends claim as good general health here 10
elsewhere II during the war the site OF one OF the
.rest inland navy-yards OF the Confederacy and very
operations here conducted. Then there
were lpg mills founderes and machine shops ana ~
IA contended that tho health OF the workmeh was Us
GOOD s that OF the number OF men In any other
Southcrn town the other hand, shake OF the aRuo
vet in my memory makes me doubt the testimony
However, give the hcspirabo town the benefit OF
doubt by stating that great part Of the night previous
10 my attack had been spent In an Alabama River
swamp.
EXISTING RAILROADS.
The ra roads cOuvcrgng at this place are: The Ten
ra Alabama. from Mer lan Mics; the Selma and Mem
phis. about co miles completod tho Selma, Rome and
Dalton Selma and Montgomery Selma and Gulf to PEN
eacola ~ miles completed; Selma aud Now-Orlcans, 70
miles finished.
Other railroads building in Alabama 're The Vfcks-
burg and Brunswick from Eufaua to Meritan ana
the Alabama and Cincinnati. from Opeka to Gun
tersvle and thence TO Huntsville. where connection is
made with an unfinished line to Sparta, Tenn This road
has the privcge Of extending Its limo south to Eufaua
cro connecting with the brunswick and Albany smiles
arc finished and about 80 more have been graded Tho
North and South Road has e6 miles finished from Mont
gonery to Birnine CHAM. 1t s now controlled by the
Louisville and Nashville Road, and In connection with
the Montgomery and Euiaula on the south and Nash
vile and Decatur north will mako the shortest line now
progress from Savannah to the Ohio The road from
Rome, Ga, to Decatur, Ala, Las been commenced.
The Mobile and Grand Trunk Road is. TO run from
Mobile to Birming ghaL, the Alabama and Chattanooga
Railroad 20 miles OF t arc completed 1t is supposed
that al the point whc.o this road and the Selma and
NewO1lcans Road intersect they will consolidate, and
the Mobile md Grand Trunk run TO Selma; thence MP
the sera Rome and Dalton Railroad line to Ashley
point south of Monteyallc thence direct to Birmingham
road u CHARTERED apd talked otQow Mont gomery, VIA
Rome, Ga to Chattanooga. Another, southeast from
Montgomery TO Troy. Atlanta Ga proposes to add to her
railroad facilities and retain her prestige, by building
road To Birmn gham, and then2o TO Decatur. Tho line
has surveyed and the road has per mile from
Gcorca and Alabama IL is In the hands OF very ener-
getic whose head Is Campbell Wallace the most
experienced railroad builder in the South.
80 corTot TO COME TO YEw-YoRK.
Previous the VIZ the railroad facilities Of Alabama
were poor, and Ch existed by means Of the
best STYLE that day few energetic men urged
railroads. but teir efforts generally onded In pccunary
loss to them their friends. Then there not even
the desire for rapid transportation; now tho more
rapidly the cotton crop gets into the great markets the
better both planter and factor are pleased. When the
present system Of railroads in the South completed but
little cotton will reach New York from the Southern ports
hundreds OF bales leaving Alabama to 20 north by
the Air Line rail route through Virginia to Norfolk.
Illiberality In freight upon the part OF the company
heretofore controlling the only route to Savannah
have something to do with this the completion OF the
Atlantic and Gulf Road has certainly added to the
cepts at that port and the management OF the Bruins
wick and Albany hy the President and superintendent of
the road will perhaps further benefit Savannah 1t
may he at the expense OF Mobile.
Before the war AlabaIna had about four hundred miles
Of very poor railroad she has more than thousand,
much Of il excellent The longest line built since the
is the Alabama and Chattanooga, road which has at
tracted mnch attention, and has involved in Its affairs
much public interest. All these Alabama roads have
been built with bonds sold IN the NewYork European
market Their situations follows: The Montgomery
and Eufaua through strictly cotton region, the
great prairie. rottcn-lnestono belt 1t was difficult
road to build bat connecting line IN forming great
trunk route, 1t is or great value 70 the agricultural region
! through Ylnch It passes.
49, YfvEI orNESI " ALANs 9Y RAILROADS
| The Vicksburg and brunswick far a. completed,
through the prairie land, but will eventually
strike the great pine forests t s9uihsIn Aa6aina 1t
intended ~ form through no from the Mississippi IN
Opposition 70 tet vh Columbus and Montgomery. now
controlled by the Central Railroad Of Georgia The
Selma and Gulf Railway Is TO connect the port Of Pcnsa
cola with the prairie cotton lands 1t for many
| miles through the finest pine timber and turpentlne
| lands OF the South The Selma and New-Orleans and
Mobile and Grand Trunk have similar Objects and pass
through similar country 1t Is also intended TO shorten
| lines Of travel. The Selma and Memphis will shorten
the line OF travel and freight from the latter city
and its vicinity Savannah and Mobile. The exte-
sion OF the Grand Trunk to Birmingham Will develop
several hundred square miles Of very superior coal
well as run near immense beds Of iron For 30 miles
II r,rs over the oItrrOps Of coabedsand within few
feet Of the ,rcat vein OF .Osser0us iron The
road from Opclila to Decatur will not probably 20 fur
ther than rmnSbain III that distance 1t develops
fine heat and grass country, and much valuable m-
era land connecting these with the cotton country and
the manufacturing city OF Columbus The Cincinnati
and East Alabama Railroad from Opc!ika to Huntsville
will effect n similar purpose well as afford another
route from Cincinnati Savan AID the cotton region.
The North and South Road Is after tie Alabama and
Chattanooga, the most important road in the State and
will open the State great through route of freight
and travel IT hcns In the cotton REGION there connect
ing with TO the Atlantic and the Gull, and
almost in line to the lands, and thence again
by connections to ST. Louis and the Ohio. 1t runs
through and over deposits Of coal and irOn and
even now Its coal business Ia large item OF traffic. Tho
Atlanta and Decatur will run only to Birmingham thus
adding the business OF the North and South Road.
1t will pass through country producing cotton the
small grains and grasses, lime marble. gold silver cop
per- lead, zine, iron OF various qualities, and coaa
gion which j. the of the best wooded
sections Of The South II Will he very valuable road
Atlanta and to Alabama.
JUDISG RAILROADS HY CONVICT LABOR.