Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-04-08
THE OWENsBORO AND RUSSELL
VILE AKA CUMBERLAND AND
OHIO RATI.ROAna

VILE AND CUMBERLAND AND
OHIO RAELROADs. = s ~
The petition from over seven hundred Of
the best citizens and business men of both
city and county, which appeared in Sum
days issue, win be presented 70 our Coun-
ty Court to-day at II o'clock by q commit
tee Of our leading business men. 1t is the
Inauguration of one of the greatest enter
prises ever presented to our people. For
long time we have heard of the Cumber-
lsndand Ohio and owensboro and RUSSELL
vile Railroads as young corporations strug-
Cling into existencs, which might at some
future time be of some benefit to Nashville.
But now they both come to us as assured
successes, ready to open to US the finest
railroad facilities, and make our city the
railroad center of the South. The Cum
beriand and Ohio Railroad viii give us
line without change of cars to Cincinnati,
New York and all Northern and Eastern
cities, and the Ovens boro and Russellville
Railroad, or perhaps more properly the
Nashville and Chicago Railroad, win be al
most an air line, over bridge at Evans
vile, from here to Chicago-the
route without change to all Northern
and western points. 9he most careful
railroad men estimate that the shipments
of produce alone over this line when COM
pleted viii amount to, at least 100 car loads
pc. day, or over thirty thousand loaded cars
In year. All of this immense business
will be transferred in this city, The coal
deposits on this road are nearer to US than
any other, and can be delivered at our de-
pot for 10 cents per bushel. This road at a
point SO miles north of Nashville joins with
the Elizabethtown and Paducah Railroad,
and over that road the distance to Louis
vile viii not exceed by half an hours run
the distance on the Louisville and Nash
vile Railroad, which will make no difference |
as to freight, and has the advantage of low
er grades and larger curves, so that near
the same time can be made. 1t will furn- |
ish us another lire to Louisville, which is !
eminently desirable to or mercantile COM
munity. This we say while acknowledg- |
ing oui pride in the Louisville and Nash
vile Railroad and its management, |
in view of the fact that no
city can feel the full benefits of
any system of railroads until Nashville has
enough to destroy monopoly and ensure |
competition. Our railroad friends would |
be exceedingly affsble, polite and obliging
if they had close competition to contend |
with, instead of monopoly to be abused |
by everybody whether they do right or
wrong.
The Owensboro and Russellville and |
Cumberland and Ohio Railroads only ask |
for 100000, which we could pay il one
year, at less taxation than almost any |
other county of our wealth in the Union is
now paying. Think of that, and then |
think of the benefits we will derive.
These roads propose to unite somewhere
near Tyree Springs and run into Nashville |
on joint track, crossing the river below |
the city, and thus reaching their connee-
tons with our Southern roads through a |
part Of the city where their right of way |
aud depot grounds will cost but compare
lively small sum. The County Court is |
merely asked to submit the question TO the |
people and let them decide. Of their de- |
cision there is no doubt. They will carry |
it by the overwhelming majority required |
by the Constitution.
1t seems to us that the Constitution |
trainers, when they required such large |
majority to be obtained for any purpo.e of |
subscription, intended these things to be
settled By the people, and therefore the |
view that we learn is held by some |
of the members of the court is unquestion- |
ably correct that it is a mandatory duty on
the part Of the court to submit these propo-
sitions and let the people decide for them
selves. These extraordinary and unusual
restrictions were thrown around the right |
of the people 20 tax themselves TO enable
them to protect themselves and say to the
County Court "we, the lawmakers, have
protected the ballot to the extent of the
most conservative ideas, therefore you
must submit these questions to them and
not incur the danger of standing between
the people and their will"
1850