Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1874-03-18
TEE CHICAGO AND soUTH-ATLANTIC RAIL
ROAD

ROAD.
In our last issue we alluded to theTeport
Of Maj. Nicholas ]. Vail, made to the di-
-ectors Of the Chicago and South-Atlantic
Railroad Company. 4 Company incor-
porated under the laws of the State OF
illinois in September last, and organized
about four months ago and which already
has control of a line of railway the greater
portion of the distance from Chicago to
Vevay, Indiana, distance of pa miles.
We have given this report fuller exami-
nation and find it very interesting. Two
routes are given from London, Kentucky,
% the South, one of which, by way of
Knoxville, we pointed out in our former
article. The other is called the Asheville
and Spartanburg route, and extends from
London, by way of Morristown, Asheville,
Spartanburg, Aston and Columbia, to
Charleston, making the whole distance
from Chicago to Charleston SAG miles, or
II miles farther than the shortest route
from Chicago to New York.
This latter route, according TO MSjor
Vail, is the shortest one. While, however,
il ia the shortest, the other offers superior
advantages in many respects. Let which
ever will be chosen, it is matter of pro-
found importance TO the people of East
Tennessee, and in fact all along the grand
Line.
II the line by way Of Knoxville were
adopted, there remains to be
built, South of London, Ken
lucky, less than tho hundred and
s1.rty miles of road to give direct COM
munication between Chicago and Charles
ION. BY way of Morristown the connec~
ton can be made by building even less
han that. The construction of the line
north of London seems to be almost
liked fact. Charters have been obtained
for nearly, if not quite, the entire line.
The men who have control of the enter
prise are capable of doing what they un-
dertake and evidently mean business.
That there is abundant reason for the
construction of this grand trunk line be-
tween the two cities mentioned no
one will dispute. Indeed, there are
so many strong reasons we hardly
know where TO begin to numerate
them. In the first place, the agricultural
products of the great Northwest must
have every outlet possible. The farmers of
illinois, lows, Wisconsin, Kansas, &C.,
will never rest contented with burning
corn for fuel, while it commands heavy
price in the Southeast, where they are ex-
Guided from the markets on account of
high freight tariffs. Nor will the people
Of North and South Carolina and Eastern
Georgia remain quiet, while they must
pay about as much for the corn raised in
Illinois, as it costs to deliver the same ar
ticle at Liverpool. This unnatural state of
affairs can not long exist while the peo-
pie of this country are moved by the proN
gressive spirit of the nineteenth century.
The interests of Chicago and of the en-
tire Northwest would be subserved by the
construction of such line of railway as
this, and the people of that section are not
alow to understand their true interest.
Not only will Chicago exercise con-
rolling influence over the trade Of large
portion of the Southeast, if that line Of
road is constructed, but it also opens uI
the way TO the valuable trade Of the West
Indies, prize that will be eagerly sought
after. We rejoice at the outlook, ant
trust that that which is now chiefly thee
retical may soon become practical, and tina
this great thoroughfare may become liv
ing reality.