Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-01-12
RAILROADS.
The Memphis and SsvaHnsh Road-What az
Old Railroad Builder Says Of It.

The following iSbLer mas D6eu uAl4bu
Us for publication:
Colonel VIM. Dickson:
Dear Sri am in receipt of your letter
of the 4th inst, and also the Memphis
DAILY APPEAL of the oath ult in which
my attention was called to the article
headed Memphis and Savannah Rail
road" over the signature OF "a" In
which the writer says 1t is wisely suR-
gested that this road, and the Tennessee
and Warrior Rivers railroad, miscalled by
him the ChickasaW and Alabama railroad,
should run out from Tuscumbia forty
miles to Big Bear creek, from W~hich.pOint
one TO branch of in the direction of Tus-
calOOsa, and the other in the direction Of
Elyton and Opslika. 1 must needs con-
f=ss l do not see the wisdom Of b sug-
gsstiOns. The prominent feature in the
tennessee and Warrior Rivers railroad is
| to connect the navigable waters Of the
Tennessee river with those OF the War
riOr, TOmbigby and Alabama rivers, all
OF which will be accomplished by the
/ construction of the Tennessee and War
rior Rivers railroad. As an incorporation
and the original protector Of the enter
prise, I profess to know something
about it. The line of this road will be
precisely on the trail of the buffalo and
the Indian, when instinct led them the
nearest and best route from one point to
another. These were the first corps of
engineers who made a survey Of this
route. In starting out from Tuscaloosa,
the road will pass up between the Lipsey
and North rivers, crossing New and
B-uJtaha5cbie rivers on he water shed,
from which point the waters flow IN
three different directions; on the north
into the Tennessee river, on the west
into the Bigby and on the south into the
Warrior. Thence we pass on from the
H. eNa wwn 90 A 1na.Hr Enaka--
on the head waters of the Big Bear creek,
thence on down Cedar creek, crossing
the Memphis and Charleston railroad at
Dickson, and thence on to ~ChickasaW, at
the loot of all the shoals in the Tennessee
river. This road viii run for one hundred
miles through a continuous bed Of lion
and coal OF q superior quality, and in in
eXhsustsble quantities. In addition to
this there are vast forests of the most
beautiful long leaf pine and other valus-
bic building material and cabinet
woods. There are magnificent wa
ter pOWers from one end Of the
road 90 the other, which are
perpetual, being fed by cold springs,
having their head in the mountains, sub
ject neither to the congealatiOn OF winter
nor evaporation and absorption Of sum-
mer. The climate on this line of road is
the finest on the continent. There is
water power sufficient on this line of road
to turn ali the spindles Of New and Old
England. The southern terminus, resting
no the northern limit Of the finest cotton
belt in the South; on the west are the
richest prairie lands of Mississippi. The
northern terminus, resting on the south
bank of the Tennessee river, and the
southern boundary of the great meat and
grain-grOwing region of the West, il
penetrates the richest mineral deposit on
the continent. There Is no more impOr-
tant road in the entire South, and no one /
which will do more to develop the mine
rat resource and manufacturing cGpd6iii-
ties OF the State, and none which will con-
tribute more to her material wealth, and
certainly no one which viii contribute 4
more 10 the prosperity of Memphis and TO /
the Memphis and Charleston Railroad
From Dickson On to Memphis
it will De q tremendous feeder. It
will be the nearest and cheapest mar
for the supplies of iron and
coal, also lumber of the best qualiUity in
i~nexhaustible quantities. Whilst ! thu
speak in laudeLiOn of my own road, I
have nothing TO say in d-isparagement of
the Memphis and Savannah railroad; /
think il an excellent road and hope it
viii be built. !, however, protest against
consolidation into that or any other
road. ! do not see the objectEOt tapping
Memphis and Charleston railroad at
Iuscumbis, above the shoals in the Ten
lssses river. We desire to 90 direct 10
Ieep Ddteg. There is but one possible
way for US to ruu together, and that is
Tor the Memphis and Savannah railroad
10 descend the mountain near NeWburg,
thence run down the valley, which
would penetrate a rich vein of iron. ten
fifteen miles in length, to the old iron
on Cedar creek, and then intersect
road, and thence run with US to
MI - a 4 g
he prOpriety Of President Wicks calling
he attention of the Board, in the Janu.
nesting, to the importance Of hav-
ug the first forty miles of the route care
.ully examined by a practical GsOIogist,
md Of Joining the President of the Mem
1his and Savannah railroad in making
preliminary survey of this part of the
Dad, The Presidents of these roads are
It liberty to make any arrangements they
.hink proper, provided they do not inter
and infringe the charter rights of my
Dad; ia which event a third will have TO
consulted. During last fall l addressed
he President Of the Memphis and
charleston railroad, and also the Presi-
lent OF the Board of Trade Of Memphis,
called their attention to the import
.nce of aiding in the construction of the
Tennessee and WsrriOrRtvers railroad. as
would open mp to them a mine Of coal
iron whose supplies are simply mex
laustible. It Is for them to determine
which road they consider most important,
nd TO which they will lend their aid.
There is q fact to which I wish to call
he attention of all parties. In going off
Dickson we reach coal and iron in
bout the same distance We would travel
o reach Tuscumbia, from which point
hey would have to travel thirty or forty
1iles before reaching either. 1 shall ad-
to the original route, from deep Wa
er in the Tennessee to the nearest navi-
able points of the Warrior, Alabama
nd Bigby rivers. In conclusion, I am,
With much respect, yours very truly,
I q WHITE