The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1872-08-16
Southern Rail Road.

Now that the surveyors are out on the diff
ferent lines Of this projected thoroughfare,
would il not be well enough for our citizens to
look to the interests Of Stanford in this mat
teri Is il possible that we Of Lincoln county.
knowing, as we do, the great blessings Of rail-
road communication with the rest Of the
world will supinely lie upon our oars with.
out making the slightest effort to secure
through our limits, at the best and most prac-
teal point, this great roadH Nothing can be
lost BY an earnest effort in this matter, while
much might be gained. We could go into
the fight with every advantage ofroutes, for a
preliminary survey would convince engineers
that what is called the stanford route" is the
best to be had-being shorter, less mountain
Gus, and hence far the cheapest. Fewer tun-
nels, bridges, fills, etc, would be required than
upon any other possible or probable line. II,
therefore, we desire to secure this additional
road to our people, let us do something at
once. How much are we able and willing to
tax ourselves to aid in its constructioni The
question is one Of dollars and cents-of purely
personal and general interest. Secure this adj
ditional artery Of commerce and trade, and We
at once break up a wretched monopoly, and in
less than single decade save enough actual
cash to liquidate whatever debt we may i'm
pose upon ourselves in the way Of taxation fol
railroad purposes. The history Of railroads
all over the world, tells us that where there is
no competing line, the people are forced to
pay double, and sometimes treble rates Of
freight and mileage for travel.
The Louisville 4 Nashville road and its
branches furnish no exception to the general
ule. nI-tiS-nerfectly natural for the Directors
D do this. Men Sie-A-all more or less selfish
nd gzsping, and want the mss ehSQllar which
Ia possible to grind out Of the people. Roy
ometimes the last straw breaks the camePs
ack, and our own opinion is that about next
0 the last straw has been placed on our backs
" the Louisville 4 Nashville Railroad Com
any. And so it will continue to be so long
$ we have no opposing road to check this
hing and bring down the freights and travel
within reasonable and just bounds. We have
chance rare chance, to bring about this
much desired result If the merchant has to
,ay given per cent. more on freight than
ther roads charge, the people have to footthe
i'll, and are thus unjustly taxed. Ii is just as
much a tax, in reality as though forced upon
is by statute law. Who doubts that our
reights, SC, would be greatly lessened il the
Iincinnati Southern road were built through
ur county? And who doubts that the diff
erence would amount, in ten years or less, to
nough to pay whatever sum we might be called
lpon to subscribe? Grant, then, the verify of
his statement, and you see that it is mani
estly our duty to put our shoulders to the
Wheel and keep on pushing until we shall
ave done our duty to ourselves individually
md our county generally.
We shall have more to say on this subject
rom time to time, meanwhile, let us not be
die, for there is no time 20 be lost We shall,
n our next article, endeayor to demonstrate
he truth of the foregoing statements from
acts and figures in onr possession.