Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-01-27
CLARKsvILLE TO NASHVILLE.
The Importance of Direct Railroad
Communication.

The Importance of Direct Railroad
Communication.
In the GAINESVILLE Tobacco Leaf Of the
present week, we find the following article,
discussing the importance Of building the
Princeton Railroad to Nashville. We copy
the article entire as follows:
The people of Nashville are beginning to
appreciate the value of a direct railway
communication with GAINESVILLE. The
UNION AND AMERICAL lately urges the
building of the Princeton road on to Nash
vile, Nashville has the best railroad SyS-
tenn in this country for reaching important
distant points, she has lately awakened TO
the knowledge that city must, before it
can have that perfect growth essential to its
becoming a great metropolis, have perfect
connection with its own immediate sur
rounding country, which is as essential to
its growth as connection with distant COM
mercial points. Nashville still lacks some
important shoCt lines, which will build up
various smaller centres within its own
territory, and make them all tributary TO
Nashville. One of the most important of
these lines is a road from GAINESVILLE to
Nashville.
Its advantages are that it will run along
the river through fertile valley, that it will
tap a country the most fertile, and best
natural farming country in Tennessee, that
it will tap the central town of that country.
GAINESVILLE, with large trade, perhaps the
fourth commercial town in Tennessee; that
Nashville will gain the trade of this town
and country, which are now entirely cut of
from her. leaving scarcely any connection
and no trade. ClaTksville lies between the
iron and coal of Tennessee and Kentucky.
The Princeton road will give US two coal
roads to develop our iron, and the larger our
growth and the more extended our manu-
features of raw iron, or indeed Of iron n
any form. the more important win it be for
Nashville, with her CONNER e and manu-
factories to have connection with us. Clarks-
vile can never iniure Nashville in manufaC-
turing or commerce. hence she must always
minister to her greatness and aid her
growth. provided she have a connecting
railway. The Importance to Nashville of
connection with this fine iron region cannot
be overestimated.
This road would also be for Nashville an
other competing line to the Ohio. 1t will
also be for her, provided she build it,
another coal road competing with the
Evansville, Henderson and Nashville road.
Gen. VIM. A. Quarles has handed us let
ter on this subject from Judge Watson, of
Nashville, enclosing his report as President
of the Edgefield and Kentucky road, before
it was built, and also letter from Mr. John
Y. Gould. They are all taking, as public
spirited citizens, a lively interest in this
road, which, it appears to us, will appeal as
we'll TO the selfinterest of the Evansville,
Henderson and Nashville road, as to that
of citizens of Nashville. If this road shall
be carried on to Nashville by the Princeton
COMPANY, it will never confer any benefit
on the Evansville and Henderson and Nash
vile road. and they then forever lose con-
troll of that for them best line, while as
coal road it becomes a competing line with
their own road to Nashville. Looked on
merely as a coal road, it would be best for
Nashville to build it in conjunction with the
Princeton road; but she can we'll afford to
have the Evansville and Henderson road
build it, while the Princeton road looks for
its extension sOuthward-an extension
which will not iniure Nashville, but by de-
welcoming the iron wealth of Middle Iennes-
see really aid her.
1t is well known that the Evansville and
Henderson road was not built on the best
line. The equated length of the Sprit gield
IlIl6 COuIIlll2 II uCS tlLtA va hAsN1ANo ~ W
S41OO miles, while the middle route was
81 53-lOO miles. For some reason the
most expensive and difficult route was
adop.ed with an estimated cost of S129,6O0
more, than if they had adopted the middle
route.
The river route is that now proposed and
which Mr.. Gould estimates, would be the
cheapest and best route, with distance be-
onI NaGhv-ilIl Df fifty
miles. leaving the river about four miles
from GAINESVILLE and going little westward
but following the river valley just above
high water mark to Ashland, and on to the
month of Whites Greek, or old Fort ZOlli-
Golfer, where it could cross and run In on
ground occupied by the Nashville and
Northwestern road, to avoid the expense OF
a city approach, OF it could il there is an
available route on the western bank cross
lust below the Seven Mile Island, where the
Southern extension of the Princeton road
would cross, so as to avoid two bridges.
1t seems to us that now is the time for the
Evansville, Henderson and Nashville road
to sell its Springfield road to the Greensboro
road, STIMULATING if necessary for city ap-
proach and for crossing the bridge, if they
preferred that to building one at White 8
Greek. or to crossing at GAINESVILLE.
1t would thus get rid Of the active rivalry
of the approaching OwensborO road, 1t
would get better line to Nashville,
straight one, and one more easily kept in
repair.
The csunties of Cheatham, Montgomery
and Davidson could we'll afford to build
this road, at a cost of about S8OO,OOO:
Nashville, indebted as she is, can well afford
TO have stock in this road. The stock IN 1t
could not fail to be paying stock.