New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-05-11
ss--,1o memphis and New Orleans
Railroad.

----s-,,JIe. Memphis and New Orleans
Railroad.
The Louisville CoWrier-Jolrnal of Wed
,,esdav contains this report:
A. meeting of the stockholders of the
T.onisyille. Memphis and New Orleans Rail
-oad Company, held at the Office OF the
COMPANY in this city on yesterday, the fol
lowing named gentlemen were elected d.
rectOrs for the ensuing year, VIZ; j. u.
Allen, Joseph I. Tompkins, John u. Barrett,
George Ainslie, w. N. Haldeman, George
p. DOern and w. r. Ray, of the city OF Lou
isville; L. NJ. Paine, of Jefferson county; j..
A. Chick, of Meade county; DR.. Ben
Wathen, DR.. J. II. w. Frank, William j..
Robertson and G.. b. Beard, Of Breckin-
ridge county, and John,P. Barrett and James
A Thomas. of Ohio county. Hon. LyttletOn
Cooke was unanimously reelected presi-
dent and w. George Anderson secretary
and treasurer. The following report of the
president states the condition and prospects
of this very important enterprise, and Will
be read with interest:
tn the stockholders of the Louisville, Memphis and
New Orleans Railway Company:
had hoped ere this to have been able to
amt unce to you that the work of construct
ing your road, at least to junction with
the Greensboro and Russellville and Eliza
bethtOwn and Paducah railroads, had been
commenced, and with ample means and
credit secured to assure its early completion
TO such connections. But a variety of
causes, which are more or less known to
most of you, have cOnspired to hinder and
delay the accomplishment OF such a result.
On the twenty-eighth day of last
October the directors of this
company submitted propositions to
certain precincts in the counties of Jeffer-
son, Meade, Breckenridge and Ohio for sub
soriptiOns to its capital stock. payable in
the bonds of said counties, aggregating
500, 900. jefferson, Meade and Ohio cOun-
ties responded favOFably to the proposition,
and the aggregate OF the subscriptions Of
these counties amounts to $780, 600. Brock
inridge county, which was asked to sub
scribe $25O,000, rejected the proposition by
a comparatively small majority, but it can
not be denied that the failure Of that cOun-
ty to vote a subscription which it is so
abundantly able to make has thrown q con-
siderable damper upon the prospects of the
company.
I trust and believe that the people Of that
county Will reconsider their action at an
early day. Many local questions have
arisen to prevent a subscription on the part
nf the city of Louisville, the chief OF which
h we been the doubts which many of the
municipal authorities have entertained as
to the willingness and determination of the
people Of the respective counties through
which it is proposed to construct the road
to contribute thereto in proportion to their
means and ability, and the hostility of
other rival railroad corporations. 1t is to
be hoped that you and the citizens of your
counties will, by your liberal and energetic
action, soon remove at least the first of
these difficulties.
The action of the General Assembly du-
ring its recent session has removed the
prOVisO which was inserted in the charter of
this company, by which the counties of
Trigg, Galloway and Livingston were pro-
hibited from subscribing to its capital
stock, although the action was not as full
and, satisfactory IN the case Of Trlgg and
Galloway as in Livingston. If the counties
of Christian, Trigg and Galloway should,
through earelessness or indifference, fail to
take hold of our enterprise with zeal and
energy, we fortunately have two excellent
alternative routes to Memphis and New Or
leans, viz First-By making a running ar
rangement with the ElizabethtOwn and Pa
ducah railroad by which we can use that road
from the point of our junction Herewith, or
in default of being able to make satisfactO-
ry arrangements therefor, we can, by adopt
ing a Line direct from Louisville to Owens
bOrO, thence to Smithland and Padueah,
get a line to Memphis in connection with
the Paducah and Memphis railroad, the
total length of which viii not exceed 365
miles, or twelve miles less than the exist
ing line. This road would traverse the en-
tire Ohio river valley south and west of
Louisville. and pass through the richest
and most productive agricultural portion of
this State. 1t would also pass, for dis
ance of 100 miles, through fine deposits of
cal and splendid forests of timber.
1t is believed that the counties of Han
cock, Daviess, Henderson, Union or Web
ster, Crittenden and Livingston would make
liberal subscriptions on this line. can but
congratulate you upon the fact that you
are not dependent upon any one route for a
suitable outlet and connections. Your con-
nectiOns and facilities for reaching all
points Of importance in the South and
Southwest are all that are necessary for |
the successful operation of your road by !
either Of four routes, viz: lsts By the |
way of HOpkinsville, Dover and Hunt |
ingdOn to jackson, Tennessee. I'd. |
BY the way of Hopkinsville, Cadiz |
and Murray to Union City or Troy |
station, Tennessee. Sd. Via the Elizabeth |
town and Paducah railrOad:land 4th. via |
Owensburg and Smithland to Paducah and |
Columbus or Cairo. By an examination of |
the map you will perceive that either one
or all of these several routes would, with |
the 0swensborO and Russellville railroad to |
Nashville, give you good and favorable con- |
neetiOns with the entire railroad system of /
the South and Southwest. The report of /
your secretary and treasurer will show you /
the financial condition of the company, in |
Guiding its receipts and expenditures. Your /
attention is respectfully invited thereto.
Respectfully, ETC.,
LITTLETON COOKE, President.