Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-04-14

connect ii with their own road by lease
of the Nashville and Decatur road. Hence
as learn, the proposition for the lease OF
the Nashville and Decatur road to the
Louisville Company. And just here We
may begin to show how that which is
matter of regret now, may become mat
ter of qualification in the future. In this
way: consider it as certain
that the Cumberland and Ohio road
about which you have had some meetings
in your city lately will be built. con-
slider it as equally certain that it will be
built to intersect the Pacific roadat Leba-
non, for neither Nashville, her citizens,
nor Davidson county are in this genera
ton going to vote any more taxation on
themselves for railroads. By way Of
parenthesis will state as a conclusion of
my own: Since State aid is prohibited,
there never will be another full gauge rail
road built in Tennessee unless it Is done
by foreign capital, and no foreign capital
will do it unless it is the capital of foreign
railroad companies, building roads here as
feeders to their own roads. Bot to re-
turn The Cumberland and Ohio road
will be built to Lebanon; from Lebanon it
will be sure to be built twenty seven miles
further to Murfreesboro, and from thence
it will be just as sure to be built through
the rich counties of Bedford and Lincoln
on to Decatur, Ala, unless this move is
checkmated. If it succeeds the whole
trade of Alabama will seek the shortest
line to Cincinnati, by way Of Murfrees,
boro and Lebanon, rather than the longer
route by way of Nashville. Then is it
not important to checkmate this move
But how is it to be done; l do not believe
you can preveI the building of the Cum
berland and Ohio road to Murfreesboro
by the way of Lebanon, but you may
stop it there. HOWE If the road from
Louisville and Nashville has the control
of the entire line from Montgomery via
Decatur and Nashville, the Cumberland
and Ohio road will never be built from
Murfreesboro to Decatur to tap it.
But if the Cumberland and Ohio road
or the Cincinnati parties, who will con-
troll it, can get the management of the
South and North road then they will con-
tinue their road to Decatur ard will give
Nashville the go-by. | look upon it as a
struggle between Cincinnati and Louis
vile for the trade of Alabama and the
Gulf by means of the North and South
road. If Cincinnati succeeds, Nashville
gets none of this trade. If Louisville is
successful, then Nashville is al least on
the highway between the North and the
South, and if your city can get to be such
''way station" as Pittsburgh, it is better
than to be left out entirely in the cold.
Some of these suggestive probabilities
may be considered by many as impossible
ties, but railroad men in Cincinnati, and
Baltimore, and Louisville, keep a sharp
look and watch On each other, and they
know that the probabilities l suggest of
the loss to Nashville of the Alabama and
Gulf trade are true. Would the Louis
vile and Nashville road be willing to in
vest the immense sum of over five mil
lions dollars which will be required to
build the South and North Alabama road
unless they feared rival liner But the
Louisville company will not assist iG the
building of the South and North road
unless they can lease the Nashville and
Decatur road. SO l can see how Nash
vile can be greatly benefited by this
proposed lease.
am not one of the directory Of the
Nashville and Decatur road, but l am re
liably informed that the conditions of the
charter are such as to keep up the Of
gauizatiOn of officers IS heretofore of
cur home company and expressly pTohib-
its any Determinations against the citi-
zens or railroads of Tennessee. l am,
therefore, Of the opinion that the lea e
should be made and shall cheerfuly give
1t my support. A STOCKHOLDERS