The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-01-03
O,,r Connections in Kentucky.

The New York Tribune has an article eN'
plaining the connections recently c!!ec'ea D!
the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad Company
in kentucky by purchasing controlling III
tcrc.t in the Cincinnati, Louisville and Lex
ington Railroad Company.
The ra,lgc of the road was until july i've
feet. which broke its connections III pom
ends and made it a ncighborliood road. Al
the end Of July Its gauge was changed IN
single day, without ntcnupt!nG business
and now the cars run through to Nashville
and other cotton centres; and further I'M
movements are promised, among which l.
the opening Of the new bridge at Cincinnati,
to be finished in Q few weeks, giving direc'
communication with New ioYk; The earn
inrs of the road in 1870 were for the whole
III miles s9ls,7 4s, and in ~, s09J,l23. The
prospect is FOG further rapid improvement
in business under the hes Infringement.
The purchase Of this road byt tho Chesapeake
and Ohio Company WAS to clear tie way lof
their transit through Kentucky to the Mlssls
snni at st Louis. Had that road fallen into Tho
hands of rival company the Chesapeake
and Ohio Company would have been headed
and cut off. But MI HvkTISnToS's sagacity
was ready to discern the danger, ana lis
action was prompt. He has the key to tho
sitlmtiof.
As the writer In tho Tribune says. the im'
,uortant part of this acquisition Is the con
&,cction Of this road with the Chesapeake and
Ohio road via Lexington and Big Sandy
This line is rapidly showed ahead, and will,
il is hoped, lie finished during the year. The
Tribune says:
"Ihc branch to Lexington is to join at
thai city with the Lexington and big SANDY
railroad. leading to Underwater, and make the
distance from New York to st. Louis ,lJD
miles. against 1,aG0 miles by the New York
Central rin Chicago, and 1,20l miles by the
Erie ria Atlantic and Great Western. Thus
will a few months hence be consninnatcG the
enterprise Of constructing a more direct and
cLeafcr outlet to the ocean for the rich pro-
duets of the Mississippi Valley. This new
trunk line is more free from sharp curves and
heavy grades than any Of the other great
roads. Hence an economy OF working OK
pcnses, which tie best engineers calculate
will fail below fifty per cc!!t. instead OF beng
sixty to seventy per cent. rs on O.It' foads
having less favorable gradients The new
route also shortr,ls tie distance not only To
the scaboartl, but to other important cities.
For example, the distance from Washington
10 Louisville is TO br reduced TO Go miles.
while at present, by the Baltimore and
Ohio road, the two cilics are 30 mics
a,nyt, and by the Pennsylvania Central
-; miles. The Louisville and Lcying-
ton Company arc naturally SangiIinc in
their aMicipatonS Of advantage from this
rcct mt Union with the Chesapeake and Ohio
organization. They cllim 10 lie the 'middlc
link. as it were, III Il chain of new roads bF
which the Atlantic spaboard can be reached
in the shortest, easiest, and least expensive
way, from 4 vast belt Of territory in the Mis-
sisSippi Valley containing Il population OF
more than 100000, producing commodI-
ties worth every year thousands Of millions
Of dollars, and tnverscd by $4,000 miles OF
railroad, whose aggregate freight this year
will exceed 30G0U,uG0 OF tons and is valued
III 5000 600, 900. or twice the aggregate OF
the national debit Whatever may lie The
thought of these large anticipations there il
no doubt that the prodigious commerce o.
the interior has far outgrown its railroads
and that if the ncw through route offered nt
advantages over other trunk lines it woult
he sure TO command all the business its taclli
ties may enable it TO do"