Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-09-12
AMBITIOUS MEMPHIS.
She Has n Big Railroad Enterprise
i'm Her Minds Eye.
Memphis Appeal, Sept. 10.

~
The following plan for extending the
Winchester and Alabama Railroad from
Huntsville was suggested recently by Capt
j. NJ. Jackson, at present conductor on the
above line, and who for over thity-fvC
years has been a practical railroad man
The Winchester aud Alabama Railroad
runs a distance Of forty miles, from
Decherd, on the Nashville and Chatta-
nooga Railroad, TO Fayetteville, the county
seat of Lincoln, thirty miles north Of
Huntsville, Ala At 4 point on this road
nineteen miles east Of Fayetteville a route
has been surveyed to Huntsville, Alabama,
which is distant twenty miles. The eSti
mated cost Of this extension is three hun
dred thousand dollars. Il IS proposed to
sell the Duck River Valley narrOw-gauge
railroad company the rOad-bed, franchises,
privileges, etc, extending from Fayette-
vile to the Huntsville junct on, nineteen
miles from the first named place, and then
use the rails now on that section for iron
ing the proposed road Of twenty miles.
This arrangement will save $4,000 cash
outlay, as il is believed that the sum of
$4,000 can be realized by dispOsing Of the
road-bed, ties, depot and water-tank. Es-
timating that the rOad-bed could be
sold for $4,000, and that Sl12,-
600 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 dol
lars, minus one hundred and seYenty-twO
thousand dollars, which is only one hun
dred and twenty-eight thousand dollars, the
amount necessary to be raised along the
line. This would give the loEg desired
railroad connection TO Memphis, thereby
placing her in conditiontO receive the large
mOU of cotton grown in that section Of
country, besides provisions, hogs, fruit and
vegetables. Memphis then could soon con-
meet with the rich coal fields aiiOrding the
finest and best of black diamonds. Speak
ing Of this enterprise which Capt. Jackson
regards as feasible and practical, he said:
s'This line could be easily extended
to McMinnviile from Dechard, and
thence to the Sparta coal and iron
fields, and still further 10 sOme point
on the Cincinnati Southern railroad now
in course of construction. This would do
more to build up our State and trade of
Memphis with the capital invested in iron
and coal lands and rich farming country in
Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi, than
any enterprise ever set on foot. This is
not a mere speculation, it will secure COM
petition 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
beng hauled in wagons from Fayetteville
O Huntsville, a distance of thirty miles,
because the high rates of freight cannot be
afforded by the millers and purchasers of
grain. Every man of the above section of
country is or should be interested most
deeplv in this scheme and great
highway to the Mississippi river, Memphis,
Texas, and the far west. Extend
the road from Decherd to Nc Jinnvilie,
Sparta, and the Cincinnati line OIL the east,
andHfrom the Winchester road to Hunts
Vile. therehnking the Memphis and Charles
ton line; bridge the river at the Bluff City,
and the third link from Memphis to Pop
lar Bluff on the Iron Mountain and Great
Southern, and your city will have a perfect
connection with all the Pacific !iucs. The
narrow gauge road will Ire extended east
from Fayetteville, and there is no reason
why that company should not purchase the
road-bed of the Winchester aud Alabama
road to the junction. Should this plan be
executed the Memphis and Charleston road
would be greatly auxiliarated, and placed
in a condition TO receive great benefits and
secure much of the freight now going over
the Nashville, Chattanooga and ST. Louis
road.