Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-05-14

From the Railwar Monitor.

AiOih thS AAdttNty monitor.
ln examining 2 map Of ,hc railroads Of
the o. tied States, there are CERTAIN centre
and channels Of rade which will at ouce as
rest the attention Of one familiar with the
commerce Of the country. When 9 new
route isOpened along the inc of trade, and
The distributing centers are brought nearer
10 one anotber,i il at once becomes an actual
benefit TO the country; production and coll
sumption are more closely united, and an
impulse is given 70 the Neutrality-suspicious.
power of that section.
With this purpose in view, roads have
been and are being continually -built so as
10 unite the East with the West, tba North
with the South. At the present time it
would appear that routes taking dag
oasl course from northwest TO southeast,
and from northeast to southwest, are meet.
ing with much favor. This finds ilIustra-
ton In the direct line from Vim, ennes, by
the Cairo and Vincennes, the Cairo and
Fulto7, and the International into and
through Texas. Ano her instance Of
somewhat similar kind is the St. Louis and
Southeastern.
This company was organized in March.
The road was originally intended to run
from East St. Louis IN an easterly and
southessterly direction TO Shawneetown,
an Important shipping point on the Ohio
river, a distance Of 142 miles. In Feb.
1871, consolidation was formed under the
title of the 81. Louis and Southeastern rail-
way, of the St. Louis and Southeastern,
Evansville aud Southern Illinois, and the
Evansville, Carmi and Plducah, and in
JAN, 1872, the original line of the St. Louis
and Southeastern railroad as completed to
ShawDeetown, with branch line 90 miles
In length from McLeansboro', H., to
Evansville, Ind. A more recent consoli-
da'ion of the st. Louis and Southeastern
Qncluding the Kentucky division from
Shayne6town TO Bowling Green, .Ky.,) the
Evansville, Henderson and Nashville, and
the Nashville, st. Louis and Chicago rail-
roads. connects the cities of St. Louis and
Nashville, via Evansville, Ind, by line so
miles shorter, aud via Shawneetown, H.,
Gin progress), by lire IS miles shorter
than any other. When the connections of
this road are considered, it will be seen that
/, it occupies and commands a valuable terri
tory hera' ofore unsupplied with railroad
facilities. & At Ashley, 20 miles south of the
Ohio and Mississippi railroad, it crosses and
oAhectsSwith the main line Of the Illinois
s0ehtral Railroad, thus giving for South
eastern Illinois, Western Kentucky, and
Central Tennessee, short direct route to
Chicago and st. Paul, as well as to st.
Louis and the far West. In con-
junction with the Illinois Central it will
also give a vsluable connection for St..
Louis, Cairo, Memphis, aud New Orleans.
At Mount Vernon, 70 miles from st. Louis,
it will connect through the Louisville, New
Albany and st. Louis Air Line with the
Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad, and is ex-
pecled eventually to compete with the east
and west lines further north.
At Edorado, in Saline county, it crosses
the line of the Cairo and VmcenIes, and in
connection with that road affords that sec
| tion of Illinois communication with st.
| Louis as well as with the eastern cities.
As before stated, the Kentucky division from
| ShawneetOwn IS now under construction
and rapidly approaching completion. A
! glance at the map will show this TO be an
extension of great value, uniting as it does
st. Louis and Nsshvil by the shortest
! practicable route, and connecting the entire
railway system Of the West and Northwest
with that of Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia
| and South Carolina.