New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-06-09
DOWN THE RIVER BY RAIL.

Memphis and New Orleans Railroad, ans
the Country which it Would Open.
From the owensbOro kentucky Shield
We once before asked the question at the
head of this article. and its solution OF
answer certainly is one in which every Cit
zen has the deepest interest. Shall we re
main what we are and be satisfied, or shall
we reach out and vigorously grasp the ad
vautages which may become ours.
We have before had occasion to call the
attention of our citizens to the Louisville
and Memphis aud New Orleans railroad
and the publication in this issue of the com
municatiOn of Mr.. LyttletOn Cooke, its
president, again brings up the subject
Louisville demands another outlet South
than the Louisville and Nashville railroad,
and this road is the road now headed by
Mr.. LyttletOn Cooke, through whose in1u-
ence proposition is to be submitted to the
people of Jefferson county and Louisville
to subscribe a stock Of Sl,2O0OOO. This
will be decided By a vote Of the people on
the fifteenth of June next. 1t this vote is
Z favorable to the project, the road will at
once be undertaken, and will come down
the river over the route already suggested
to the neighbOrhOOd Of Hardinsburg. From
that point the road is to run direct to
! Greensboro or to Stroud City, the junction
of the Owensboro and Russellville and
ElizabethtoWn and Paducah railroads.
Whether the road goes to the one place or
| the other depends on the inducements of
| fered. The direct route of the road from
Louisville to Memphis seems to be by
Stroud City, but the superior agricultural
aud mineral advantages of Hancock,
Daviess, Henderson and Union counties
must induce Louisville to hesitate before
she yields up this rich country to become
! forever tributary to Cincinnati, Evansville,
! and other foreign cities.
| We Daad a 1IOsar oOpupctio1 NTH T.orir-
| vile, and Louisville needs this connection
as badly or more than we. Louisville has
! already futtered away a magnificent sum
of money on the ElizabethtOwn aud Pa
! dueah railroad, which runs through a
| country which produces nothing, and con-
! sequently has nothing to ship. and the in
| habitants of which, having scanty means,
| and no occasion to travel. have the less
need for its increased facilities. And be-
sides running through the poorest country
in all Southern Kentucky, it cuts Off the
richest counties, to go North. or where they
may find market. After all this misman-
agement and mistake, the managers of this
road come forward and ask the modest
sum of $1,000, 900 to get out of the clutches
of that cormOrant the Louisville and Nash
vile road, or have all prospect of its limited
usefulness permanently destroyed. Louis
vile must have untold treasures to bestOW
them with hand SO lavish and reckless
Had this road been put down the river
no pound of freight would have crossed it
for Northern markets; had it been put
down the river, instead of the miserable
farce of its empty cars rolling into Louis
vile, and hOarsely whistling over its route,
every train would be alive with passengers
and groaning with freight. According to
present means of travel, it will take mer-
chant from Union county at least forty
eight hours to reach Louisville from Hen
dersOn at least thirty-six, from Greensboro
twenty-fOur hours of valuable time. Here we
go, at the gate of six miles an hour on boat,
burdened with freight and passengers, all
eager to get to their journeys end.
At some seasons, when the ice or low
water makes it impossible for the boats to
carry the passengers and freight if a man
is obliged to make the journey of 100 miles
TO Louisville he knows not when he may
return, and goes for a winters or a sum
mer's stay.
Now, Louisville must remember that
things can not always be thus. The Chi
cagO road will soon be completed to New
burg, ten miles below us, and the Cincin.
natl and ROckpOTt road to RockpOrt, ten
miles above, and if she has 81 20O.000 TO ex-
pend on another road, is it not important
for her to act in the light of her past mis-
take, and build this road down the river to
facilitate, intersc1t and bring home to her
ties of all Southern Kentucky
The question just resolves itself to this:
We are bound to have railroad facilities,
and If our metropolitan neighbO wont see
our advantages and lend us her assistance.
but chooses to build railroads through all !
our pauper counties, then we must go where |
our advantages will be seen and the neces- |
sary assistance can be had.
Greensboro can become a city, but it can
only do so by putting forth the active ex-
ertion necessary to achieving anything of |
worth and Importance. If she allows this |
road to run to Stroud City, It is the loss of |
an opportunity which may never recur.
We are informed that Mr.. Weir has the |
promise of the president of the Evansville |
and st. Louis Airline road to extend the |
road to Greensboro, if we get the road down |
the river. This gives us and gives Louis |
vile direct connection with st. Louis, a |
western as well as a southern outlet This |
would insure the Chicago and ROckpOrt |
roads direct to this point. greensboro then |
has six roads cOnverging at this point. |
These roads insure a bridge, and give us
direct connection with six of the principal |
cities of the Union. This we can have at a |
cost to the county and city of less than |
$5000O0.
Let Greensboro look to her interests in
the location of this Louisville Memphis |
and New Orleans railroad, and see that the |
advantages Of our route are not overlooked |
or misunderstood.
The Louisville Courier-J0u,nuI says:
The general council is asked to submit to
the voters OF the city the proposition to sub
scribe or lend the credit OF Louisville to the |
extent Of 81, 100000, to enable the Nashville |
road to complete It's branch to Knoxville |
1t is proper that the people should have |
the opportunity OF expressing their wishes
on such questions, but, as the council re-
fused to allow the Louisville, Memphis and
New Orleans road, and the Elizabethtown
and Paducah road, to submit their PROPOSE
tons to the people, we can not see with
what proprlety they can grant the request
Of the Nashville road. However. if they
are given the opportunity, we apprehend
the people will give a very emphatic ex-
preston OF their wishes. We believe it to
be the general sentiment that the CITY has
already given the Nashville road quite as
much aid as it is entitled to; that it has
grown INTO such a wealthy and powerful
corporation that 1t is now amply able to
take care of itself; that the Knoxville
branch will be built without receiving a
dollar from the city; and that there are
other enterprises vital to the city, absolute
" necessary for its prosperity, and to pre-
vent 1t being cut of and flanked by rival
roads which do require all the aid that
Louisville can give. If our city does not Sc
cure another outlet to the South, and does
not accomplish a direct rail connection
with Greensboro and Henderson, she will
IN less than two years, lose all the trade
she now enjoys from a tier Of the richest
and best counties in the State There is
great danger ahead, and we should be
active and energetic to prevent it.
At the dining saloon connected with the |
Grand Central depot OF the Third Avenue ]
RaiIrOad ComD8nv NaU Yorl- CO. - ! ;