Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-03-28
MEETING OF the
BOARD OF TRADE.
The Nashville, Cumberland and
Ohio Railroad.
A P0bIic Meeting of Cftizens to be
Held ON Saturday.

Trade, held yesterday, the following letter,
from Col J. j. Turner, of Sumner county,
to Mayor Morris, having been, referred to
the Board by the Mayor for action, was
read:
GALLATIN, TENN, March Is, 1871-Hon.
X. J. Morris-Sir: ] take the liberty OF
addressing you as the representative OF the
government of Nashville, and also as one
of its most energetic and enterprislng
merchants, in the interest Of short line
railroad to Cincinnati, usually called the
Cumberland and Ohio Railroad.
Your city and county SO far have taken
no steps to secure il or to aid 1t IN any
way, and if they do not do something, and
that very soon, Chattanooga on the one
side, and Lebanon, Murfreesboro and Deca-
tar, Ala, viii get it, and Nashville will
be left out in the cold.
1 need not stop here to discuss the inn
portance of this project with practical
business man, as most of that class in Nash
vile have severely felt the necessity of
having direct northern and eastern con-
nections, and the importance Of having a
cheaper, shorter, quicker and more direct
route to Cincinnati, Baltimore, Washing
ton, and the various interests and railroads
in that direction.
Cincinnati on the one side, and Chatta-
nooga, with the country and interests in
that direction, are moving to intercept any
road in this direction, and to intercept and
cut off all the trade and commerce from
Georgia, Florida, and considerable parts
of Alabama and Tennessee, that now comes
to and through Nashville. l have just re-
turned from Lebanon, Ky., to attend
meeting of the President and Directors of
the Cincinnati and Ohio railroad, having
gone there under resolution unanimously
passed by our County Court, pledgiDg
themselves to assist by liberal subscIip-
ton, the immediate building of that road.
While l was there the road was perman-
emily located, commencing at point on
the Short Line Railroad, sixty miles this
side of Cincinnati and running thence to
EN- nence, Lebanon, Kentucky, Cambelis-
vile and to Greensbufg, point some
twenty miles Northeast of Glasgow, Ky.
This part of the road was not only per-
mansntly located thus far 104 miles, but
the grading was let oct to q responsible
firm for its graduation in two years at a cost
of about $4,000 per mile. l procured
the Board to pass a resolution to suspend
the further location of the road in this
direction from Greensburg, till the varl-
GUS routes could be surveyed. The
original idea of that road was to go to
Lebanon, Tennessee, then to Murfrees-
boro, and afterward to Decatur, Alabama /;
and it was at least hoped that the Chatta-
nooga Railroad and its business could be
tapped at Murfreesboro, and divert much
of It's business from that direction from
Nashville. Before / reached there it had
been settled to locate the road from Green's
burg, kentucky, to Lafayette, Hartsville
and Lebanon, and then seek direct south
ern connection; bat that is now checked.
The survey of that route shows that Nash
vile could not reach Cincinnati by that
line, only seven miles nearer than by the
present route via the Louisville and Nash
vile road.
The route our county proposes is to
C mmence at Nashville, thence via Gala
tin, Scottsville, Glasgow. Greensburg,
Lebanon, Kentucky. and which will be at
least % miles nearer than the other route,
and which makes the route to Cincinnati
30 miles nearer than the one now used.
This gives Nashville q direct line to Gin
cinnatl, and cuts off the idea of going to
MuIfreesboro and Decatur.
l have made arrangements with the Chief
Engineer 10 commence the survey of this
roule next week. Sumner County will
give $500, coo; Allen County and Barren
County, Kentucky, will give $3.50, Geo to
this route, and what will Nashville and Da-
wilson County do? Something, hope and
trust.
We organized here to-day TO go to work,
xrSll ocSict Yba
can be put under contract in two or three
months, in this State. II you will call
meeting of your business men, end any
night soon will gladly attend, and give
them all the information TO be had on this
subject. Gov. Brown promised to assist
me some time since. The Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad are now moving to come to
Nashville, and they propose to branch of
at Palkersburg, West Virginia, and thence
to Marysville, then TO Lebanon, Kentucky,
and then on the route l have mentioned.
The Pennsylvania Railroad has proposed
al arrangement to close a contract TO fur
nish the iron and equipments for the road
as soon as 1t can bs graded, SO it will be
seen that this is a live road, and if your
people want it they must go to work at
once.
From what l learned in Kentucky, /
think can say that will guarantee the
location of the road aud the letting out the
work in ninety days. if Nashville will give
$3.50, 900. A less sum might do, but that,
learn, will do.
Trusting to hear from you, 1 remain
yours, etc., j. j. TURNER.
On motion of Maj Rhes, it was resolved
hat the Board adjourn to meet next Thurs
lay morning at II o'clock, in the County
Courtroom, to hear a statement from Col |
Turner in regard to the projected railroad
in his letter, and that the Pres |
dent and Vice-Presidents, Messrs F. II. |
French, John W. Terrass and Thos. Parks,
,e instructed to arrange for meeting of |
he citizens of Nashville, under the auspi- |
,es of the Board of Trade, on Saturday |
lext, and be ready TO report the names of
peakers, and programme for the occas-
on.