The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-03-17

AS promised some time since, a pamphlet
has been issued in the interest of the Chicago
& South Atlantic railroad. 1t is the full TO-
port of Major Nicholas J. Vail to the board
of directors, rendered at their nesting in
Chicago January 2. 1t is needless 10 say
that the report embodies an ipImense mass
of facts and comparisons, OF STATISTICS ana
history, all tending TO establish one conclu-
sion, the impo-sance OF direct railroad
route frorI Chicago to the South Atlantic
seab0ard at Charleston and near points.
There are several reasons why the enter
prise should not be regarded with indiffer-
snce at this point, where comparatively lit
tie seems to ha said or thought about 1t. If
the proposed line were built through the
entire length, it would run farther In the
state than any other line of road under one
management in Indiana. Entering at the
extreme northwest corner, it traverses Lake,
Jasper, White and Carroll counties,
over new and rich territory. Frons
Delphi it makes the shortest distance to In
dianapolis and leaves the state at Vevay,
in Switzerland county. Even if the line
were regarded as of secondary interest to
Indianapolis, which can hardly be the case,
its local importance to so many towns and
so much farming country within the state
gives it a claim TO all proper encourage
ment. To such places along the proposed
route as Monticello, Delphi, Frankfort,
Greensburg and Vevay, and the counties to
which they belong, this outlet to good
market is considered to be the determine
ton of their fortunes, as it were. Major Vail
gives his opinion that road may be built
from Chicago to Charleston, making the en-
tire distance only 7s6 miles, divided as fol-
lows: Chicago to indianapolis $50 miles.
which, it will be noticed, is forty-five miles
shorter than the shortest existing line be-
tween the two cities. From Indianapolis to
Ohio river, eighty miles; to Frankfort, Ken
lucky, fifty miles; to Nicholasville, twenty
six miles; 10 London, fifty six miles; to Nor
riston, eighty-three miles;to Asheville, eighty
miles; to Spartanburg seventy-three miles i;
to Aston, sixty-eight miles, and thence to
Charleston, l20 miles, or by way of Lexing-
ton six miles further. Two or three modI-
fications of the route after leaving Indian
apolis are suggested, which increase slightly
buO O1oeohOOy Ous OiOA III OJu-
er advantages. The distance saved between
Chicago and any other point on the Atlantic
seaboard, is not far from $50 miles, with an
additional advantage of entire Immunity
from snow and a cold route in winter. The
report gives an exhaustive review of the re-
sources of the country to be opened by this
road, especially in the southern states of
Kentucky, Tennessee, and the Carolnas.
Their soil, climate, timber, and mineral
wealth are all done up in formidable figures.
So also the cost of transportation is consid-
cred, showing a great advantage to the
northwestern farmer, in his improved mar
ket, and an equal benefit to the southern
consumer in cheaper grain, which now costs
almost as much for transportation to
Charleston as to Liverpool, and makes the
price correspondingly high. A further
argument drawn from extensive statistics
leads the Major to report his conclusion
that this will be the best paying road in
the country. After leaving the Ohio river
there is considerable doubt as to the best
route, a choice being offered among two or
three; this is especially the case below Lon
don, Ky. The earnest support of this scheme
in the south is but imperfectly understood
here except by the few whose interests have
attrtcted their attention to it. Pledges Of