The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1871-12-08
nnek River VALLEY Railroad.

We have been shown letter address,
cd to the Commissioners OF the Duck
River Valley Railroad by gentleman
of Columbus, KY, who is Director for
the Mobile & Ohio Railroad, and knows
we'll what he Is saying, in which he
states that copy of the Columbia HER
AID of the oath OF November, was hand
ed him, containing an extract from the
report lately made by the Commission
ers of the Duck River Valley Railroad,
and says his people are greatly graft
fed to find the people Of Msury, Hick-
man and Humphrey counties, Tennes-
soc, have in contemplation the building
OF Railroad down the valley Of Duck
River to Johnsonville, on the Tennessee
River; that he, with other Kentuck-
ians and Missourians, are now applying
to tho Chancellor Of Henry county,
Tennessee, for letters Of incorporation
authorizing them to build Railroad
through the State of Tennessee, to be
run as Fear as possible on an air line
from the Kentucky State lire, by Paris,
Jacksonville, Columbia, and on by
Stephenson to Atlanta, Georgia. 1t is
contemplated to run the road from Co
lumbus, KY, Opposite Belmont, Mis-
souri,, TO Atlanta, making Paris, John
sonville and Columbia, Tennessee, OBJ
jective points. By looking at any of
the lately published Railroad maps OF
the United States, it will be seen that
the route mentioned is the most direct
between St. Louis, Missouri, and Allan
Ia, Georgia. Certainly, Railroad
built over that route, and properly con-
Quoted, would forever retain the trans
portation oftEe immense through busi>
ness between the great city of the North
west and Atlanta, the centre of the
Railroad system of the Southeastern
States. This business itself would Jus
tify capitalists in building the road, but
the extract from the report above refer
red TO, convinces the gentleman above
mentioned that the local business over
The road, if built, will be as good as that
OF any Railway in the Union, OF the
same length. "Of course" he says,
" we were entirely unaware of your eff
forts TO build road from Jacksonville
to Columbia, but beg you will exam
inc a map, wherein we hope you will
discover that the location of your CON
templated road is exactly on a line, and
would form link, if built, of the route
over which We propose to run a road.
that will be hardly second to any road
in the Union. You are probably aware
that we have Railroad from Belmont,
opposite this place, 10 st. Louis, called
The st. Louis & Iron Mountain Railroad.
At thi. place and Belmont there are in
clined planes for crossing cars; at no
place on the Mississippi River can such
facilities for crossing trains be found as
furnished here. Columbus is also the
northern terminus of the Mobile & Ohio
Railroad. My object is to convince you
that know whereof am talking when
| assure you that we intend to try to
bnild Railroad from this place, by Co
iumbia, Tennessee, on to Atlanta, Geor-
gia, and would DE most happy to Join
with you, or any one else, who will as
sist in carrying through so important
an enterprise"
The Duck River Valley Railroad
would soon become paying institution
and especially benefit the people along
! its route; but it is impossible 10 calcu-
late its value TO Columbia, If it is ex,
| tended, on the Southeast, to Atlanta
and on the Northwest, to Columbus
| Ky. Midway between the greatest
| commercial river in the whole world
and the largest railroad center in the
| South, its importance viii at once be
recognized. Columbia would become
the transfer depot OF the commerce o.
two grand trunk Railroads, the Nash.
vile and Montgomery Il. r., and tbs
! Atlanta and Columbus r r. But we
must not sit idly with our hands In oul
pockets, if VIC desire all these grand re-
! suits. We must work with all oul
might and main TO secure them. Builo
the Duck Valley Railroad, and it vii
become an important link in the At.
| lanta and Columbus Railroad