Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-09-13
KAsHvILLE's SOUTHERN CONNEC-

At intervals for g me years past we have
expressed our conviction that Nashville, as
q railroad centre, ought to be doing exactly
what Louisville, St. Louis and Cincinnati
are doing, i. e., striking for increased con
nections to the Southwark. Our present
outlets In that direction are overworked, and
a freight blockade e1sues nearly every sea-
son. The Decatur road is hardly more than
sufficient for the through freight coming
from its feeder, the Louisville road; and
Nashville has to take its chances after Louis
vile is accommodated. This throws the
more work on our other outlet, the Chstts-
nooga road. But neither of these railways
is sufficiently direct for trade and travel to
the great and fast-developiDg Southwest
the young giant of Texas, State of vast ter
ritorial dimensions, aud which erj oys almost
monopoly of European immigration to the
South--a section which has attracted the
astute railroad king, Tom Scott, who does
not hesitate to locate there hundreds OF mil
lions of capital-a section, in fine, Tor the
trade of which St. Louis is stretching out
arms of iron, the longest and most costly
ever ventured by any city slice this opening
of this railroad era-not excepting even
New York, which generally utilities exist
ing lines in making new connections.
Nashville is in sad need of more direct
line to this great Southwest, and the need
grows more pressing each year. We need
q road striking for Grenada, Miss, or Jack
son or Vicksburg. The lass named city
would be best for the reason that it gives us
direct connection with the road across Lou
isiana to Shreveport and Marshall, Texas.
Therefore we invite the serious attention of
our citizens to the communication we pub
lish this morning from Chief Engineer W.
S. Moon, of the projected Vcksburg
and Nashville Railroad. We need
an independent line from this
city, opening up the Tennessee
river counties, crossing that stream say at
Pittsburg Landing, and connecting on the
State boundary with this Vicksburg line.
Mr.. Moon intimates that his company is
ready to secure charter In Tennessee II
properly encouraged. And time is an i'm
portant factor in the C sc, for these rich
Tennessee river counties want to get out of
the wilderness; they are anxious for COM
municstion with the outside world, and the
Memphis snd Knoxville project Is even now
appea ing for their virgin subscriptions.
But we are well satisfied that they would
prefer line to their State capital, if our city
will but wake up to sense ofthe situation.
Some of eur capitalists, if they only study
the problem, may turn railroad princes.
Why not2 Stranger things have hap
pened in this sge Of progress.
A railroad in this direction from
Parkersburg on the Baltimore and Ohio,
down through Eastern Kentucky, is already
in progress, and Nashville is its natural OBJ
iective point. Its completion will be
fastened, securing more direct line to
Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York, If |
we but increase our Southern connections. |
We need have no anxiety about Northern |
outlets, if we attend to Southern ones.
Give us a southwestern road, and Cincin-
natl will halt for : nee and all in her hest
tating designs on Chattanooga; Nashville
will be the place for her to reach. We IN
derstand the Vicksbusg and Nashville Rail-
road is narrow gauge, but suppose 1t
can be changed to the usual width if deemed
desirable. Even a narrow gauge in that
direction would be of immense advantage |
to Nashville; aud once in operation, its
change to broad gauge would be compare
lively easy, if the trade developed required
1t, a matter on which we have little doubt. |