Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-03-31
The Tennessee Terminus of the
Road Discussed.

The Tennessee Terminus of ths
Road Discussed.
About year and half ago, if We are
| correctly informed. the Cumberland and
Ohio Railroad Company was organized, the
| object being the construction of a road
tapping the Short Line and establishing
| direct connection between Cincinnati and
the South. In Kentucky the road is pro.
posed to be built from CampbelIsville, on
| the Short Line between Cincinnati and
Louisville, to the line between Kentucky
and Tennessee, running in Kentucky,
through the counties of Henry, Shelby,
| Spencer, Nelson, Washington, Marion,
Taylor, Green, Metcalf, Barren and Allen.
From the State line, south, the course is
not yet fixed. Gentlemen living in Sum-
ner county desire that the road shall be
| run through Galiatin TO Nashville, while
| gentlemen in Wilson desire the road 10 run
| to Lebanon, or to tap the Tennessee and
Pacific Railroad, and thence run over the
| Tennessee and P4cifc Railroad to Nash
| vile.
A meeting f the merchants, railroad
men and citizens of Nashville was held
yesterday in the Chancery Court room at
the Courthouse, to hear discussion on this
question. The room was comfortably
filed, bat there would probably have been
much larger attendance had it not been
for the fact that it was generally supposed
that the meeting yesterday was only pre-
liminary one, held to make preparations
for mass meeting on Saturday. 1t was
so understood by many members OF the
Board of Trade, and by many citizens.
The meeting was called to order by F.
Fl. French, President of the Nashville
Board of Trade, who stated the object cf
the meeting, to hear the views that might
be represented in regard to the propriety
of the county of Davidson subscribing
stock towards building the Cumberland
and Ohio road.
HON J. TURNER,
OF GallAtin, Sumner county, then ad-
dressed the meeting at length, presenting
his views in regard to the reasons why Da-
wilson county should subscribe stock to
have the Cumberland and Ohio road built
through Sumner county to Nashville. He
said that this was a matter of great import
ance to Nashville and Davidson county.
Davidson county had already expended
over two millions of dollars on railroads
centering at Nashville. The State had ex-
pended some forty millions, and this
money could not be thrown away for the
benefit of outsiders. 1t was important
that Nashville should have railway connec-
tons with the North and the South. There
was now but one connection North, and
that was over the Louisville and Nashville
Railroad, road that belonged almost en-
tirely to the city of Louisville, that was in
imical to the interests of Nashville, and
that was run In the interest of Louisville
and that section, its President, and all of
its Directors, save one, being in the city
of louisville, and the road having immense
connections 1t was important that Nash
vile should look for another connection
North. One road was not sufficient, and,
consequently, there had been frequent
freight blockades and the monopoly of one
road to contend against.
It was proposed by the Cumberland and
Ohio Railroad Company to build short
line, or an air line road from Cincinnati.
The Cumberland and Ohio Railroad would
leave the Louisville and Cincinnati short
line about go miles from Cincinnati, run
to Lebanon, Ky, and had been located as
far as Greens5urg. The question was,
whether it should branch off from there in
the direction of Hartsville, toward Muir
freesboro, or branch toward Nashville
Nashville had already permitted one road
to flank her, by branching off at Bowling
Green. and running in the direction Of
New Orleans, SO that Nashville was now
only way station. Now the question was
fkar
road running from Cincinnati to flank
her, and run of on the east ward
Decatur. Cincinnati had already offered
ten millions of money to make her So1th-
ern connections; and if Nashville were
flanked both on the east and the west,
where was the section of country and the
trade that would support her after that?
Nashville Was now cut off from the trade
of West Tennessee, and if road YVES built
from Cincinnati to Chattanooga, she would
be cut off from trade to the east. If cit-
zsns of Nashville entertained the idea
that they could fold their arms and do
nothing, and that Cincinnati would neces-
sarily be compelled to seek a connection
at Nashville, they would be mistaken.
If the Cumberland aud Ohio railroad
should run through Gallatin to Nashville,
the route between Cincinnati and Nash
vile would be thirty miles shorter. 1t
might be said that thirty miles was not
much, but when q road had to contend
with another road worth over ten millions
of dollars, and having from six to eight
hundred miles Of track under its control,
the advantages of line shorter by thirty
miles would be a great point gained; thirty
miles would make start of two hours in
the way of freights, and from an hour to
an hour and half in the way of passen-
gers. and would the better render success
fol q competitor with the Louisville and
Nashville railroad. Then, by completing
the connection through from Huntingdon
to jackson, there would be nearly an air
line from Memphis to Cincinnati, and
bring to Nashville the immense travel now
passing by her. The Cumberland and
Ohio railroad propose to turn off from the
Short Line and run to Lebanon, Ky., and
had been located as far as Greensburg,
some twenty or twenty-five miles from
Glasgow, and the question was wheth-
er. going South, it should turn
off from there by way of
jamestown and Lafayette and Hartsville to
Lebanon, Tenn, or should run through
Sumner county to Nashville. The best
portion of Nashville was already east OF
her. and if she permitted the road to run
off in the direction of Murfreesboro, Gin
cinnsti might seriously interfere with the
trade of Nashville; for Cincinnati was the
cheapest market to buy in, and the best in
which to sell raw products. The Louis
Vile and Nashville Railroad had already
bought the North and South Railroad, and
had leased or was about to lease the Nash |
vile and Decatur.
1t was not simply for connection with |
Cincinnati that this Cumberland and Ohio |
Railroad should be built. Nashville need |
ed a connection with Baltimore, with the |
baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and also
with the Pennsylvania Central. The Balti- |
more and Ohio Railroad, and also the !
people of Baltimore, were now moving,
and were very much interested in having |
connection with Nashville. 1t was now
proposed to turn off at Parkersburg, W.,
thence to Marysville, Ky, then to Lex
.o1o,, apd Daris and then tn Nashville