Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-05-03

These are all important business points,
and with two strong competing routes
from Nashville, 1t will place it in the
| power of her merchants to regulate, if
not 10 prevent the discrimination, not
| only in the movement Of freights from
points north of her, but also to control
the rates charged, which are now greatly
against her in consequence of not hav-
ing more than one route to those points.
1t is of far more importance to Nash,
vile TO have competing routes than it is
| to have the control and management of
those routes, for the time has passed
| away for cities to control railroads in
| their own interest. There was time
when there were but comparatively few
railroad thoroughfares in the country, and
TO q comparatively limited extent they
were managed in the interest of the cities
controlling them; but with the increased
number of railroads which now diverge
from every important city, that power
has passed away, and they are now op-
Grated in the interest of the companies,
and not in the interest of any locality.
Competition is the life of trade" and
1t is certainly true as applied to railroads,
for it is great regulator of rates as will
be fully seen by Nashville, whenever the
South AMI North Railroad is built, it
matters not by whom built or controlled,
unless unfortunately, by the same party
owning and controlling the other route.
Nashville must have two independent
lines south of her if she expects to com
pete successfully with her neighboring
cities. She has already three lines run
ming north and northwest of her, and,
perhaps will have more. They will bring
| freight to her cheap, but to complete her
arrangements she must have cheap
freights south, for her customers are
| mostly south of her. l therefore con-
| tend that the Louisville ard Nashville
railroad cannot discriminate against Nash
vile, for the reason already given; for if
she were to attempt it the Nashville and
| Chattanooga Railroad, being a strong
competition would prevent it, and you
might leave out of the lease every provi
sion for the protection of Nashville with
perfect safety. Competition will regulate
| it, and you have the matter in your own
bands.
| ARAlus ny buC OOD6SA uSSlOu VI buC ILLUS
west of Nashville, extending from Louis
vile to Memphis and New Orleans, the
immense tide of freight and travel from
the North and South has been almost en-
tirely directed from the lines by way of
Nashville, 30 tLat, as it now is, Nashville
is not upon this great thoroughfare and
never can be, unless it is by means of the
construction of the South and Alabama
Railroad. By the construction of this
| road, Nashville can and will be placed
| upon one of the great North and South
thoroughfares of the nation, as the fol-
lowing table of distances will show:
l. Louisville to New Orleans, via
GAINESVILLE and Grand Junction, 753.
3. Same, via Nashville and North
western Railroad and Grand Junction, 1893.
8. Same, via Nashville, Decatur, Mont.
gomery and Mobile, 800.
4. Same via Nashville, Decatur, Ely
ton, Meridian, and Jackson, Miss, 1875.
5. Same via Nashville, Decatur, Ely
ton, Grand Trunk, and Mobile, 72O.
It will be observed that the line first
mentioned, which is the one now used by
Louisville and Nashville Railroad as their
main north and south line, is forty miles
shorter than the second line, and AZ miles
shorter than the third line, and 70 miles
shorter than the fourth; but it will be SO
miles longer than the fifth line, which is
complete with the exception of portion
of that which lies between Elyton and
Montgomery, and which is being rapidly
l I'd INT acct-r1inO thof fhf
third line, which is the
one via Nashville, Montgomery and Mo
bile, will be the shortest competing line
via Nashville, the difference in distance
which is only about AZ miles, will be fal
! more than overbslanced, should the Louis
s | vile and Nashville Railroad own or con
troll the line from Decatur to Montgom
| ery, for the reason that it would be By
far the longest line and she would seek Il
control the freight and travel over tina
! route that would give her the longes
8 haul, and it may be set down as fxe,
: fact, that if the Louisville and Nashyill
b Railroad should build the South an
, North Railroad, she would make he
!. road to Memphis exclusively a Men
phis line, and draw off from tbs
t line her business to and from Me-
r Orleans, adopting the Nashville and q;
b catur and Montgomery line for that bus
# ness, for the reason, as before stated,
e will give her longer haul over her ow
e line. If this be true, it may be col
/. fdently expected that Nashville will thu
be placed upon the great North and Soul
a highway, whereas, as it is now, che
g removed very far from it.
= Very respectfully,
10 L w SLoss President