The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1874-09-24
AMBITIOUS MEMPHIS,
She Has Zig ltai,r0ad Enter
prise in Her Minds sc.

She Has Zig Railroad Enter
prise in Her Minds sc.
IL the Memphis Appeal OF Scptem
her 10th We find the suhjoined article,
to which We would direct especial ut.
tention:
The following plan for extending
the Winchester and Alabama Railroad
from Huntsville was suggested recent
" by Capt. j, NJ. Jackson, at present
conductor on the above line, and who
for over thirty i've years has been a
practical railroad man. The Winchcs-
ter and alabama Railroad runs 4 dis
lance OF forty miles, from Decllerd, on
the Nashville and Chattanooga Rail
road, to Fayetteville, the county seat
of Lincoln, thirty miles north ofilunts
vile, Ala, at u point on this road
nineteen miles east Of Fayetteville n
route has been surveyed to Huntsville,
Alabama, which is distant twenty miles.
TIE estimated cost Of this extension
is three hundred thousand dollars. II
is proposed to sell the Duck River
Valley narrow-guage railroad company
the road.bcd, franchises, privileges,
etc, extending from Fayetteville to
the Huntsville junction. nineteen miles
from the first named place, and then
use the rails 0 on that section for
ironing the proposed road Of twenty
miles, Bat this would leave Fayctte-
vile 10 miles away from the road. II
must he a mistake as TO taking up the
iron on the nineteen miles Of road
branching to Fayetteville and using it
on the twenty miles proposed to Hunts
Yillc.-ED HOME JOURNAL This ar
ranscment will save $4,000 cash out.
lay, as it is believed that the sum Of
$4,000 can be realized by disposing
of the road bed, ties, depot and water
tank. Estimating that the road-be
could he sold for 100000, and that
$4,000 Of iron would be saved, the
total and actual outlay necessary to
build the twenty miles Of the road to
Huntsville would be but three hundred
thousand dollars, minus one hundred
and scvcnty-two thousand dollars,
which is oaly one hundred and twenty,
eight thousand dollars, the amount
necessary to be raised along the line.
This would give the long desired rail
road connection to Memphis. thereby
placing her in condition to receive the
large amount Of cotton grown in that
section of country, besides, provisions,
hogs, fruit and vegetables. Memphis
then could soon connect with the rich
coal fields aiiording the finest and best
Of black diamonds. Speaking Of this
enterprise which Capt. Jackson regards
as feasible and practical, he said "This
line could BE easily extended to Nc,
Minnville from Decherd, and thence
to the Sparta coal and iron fields, and
still further To some point on the Gin
cinnati Southern railroad now in course
of construction. This would do more
to build up IL State and trade Of
Memphis with the capital invested IN
iron and coal lands and rich farming
county in Tennessee, Alabama and
Mississippi, than any enterprise ever
set on foot. This is not q mere specu.
~latinn, 1t will secure competition in
tariffs, a cheap transportation and an
excellent market for the cotton, corn,
wheat and other produce grown in the
country referred to. Even now flour
is hcing hauled in wagons from Fay
e,tcvillc to Huntsville, a distance Of
thirty miles, because the high rates Of
freight cannot be afforded by the nil
Iers and purchasers of grain. Every
nan of the above section Of country is
or should be interested most deeply in
this scheme and great highway of the
Mississippi river, Memphis, Texas, and
the far west. Extend the road from
DccherG to McMinnyille, Sparta, and
the Cincinnati line on the east, and
from the Winchester road to Hunts
vile, there linking the Memphis and
Charleston line; bridge the river at the
Bluff City, and the third link from
Memphis to Poplar Bluff on the Iron
Mountain and Great Southern, and
your city will have a perfect conncr-.
ton with all the tactic lines, The
narrow guagc road will be extended
cast from Fayetteville, and there is no
reason why that company should not
purchase the road bed of the Winches
ter and Alabama road to the junction.
Should this plan be executed the Mem.
phis and Charleston road would be
greatly anXiIiarated, aud placed in a
condition to receive great benefits and
secure much Of the freight now gong
over the Nashville, Chattanooga and
st. Louis road.
The Jonesboro Herald and Tribune
says: We understand that a member
al AYa i