Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-04-09
HE TENNESSEE. CENTRAL
RAILROAD.

Railroad 20 the Tennessee Central.
We failed to publish the speech of Mr.
Cooper on yesterday In advocacy of Tn
transfer of stock by this county to tn
above road; but, as we regard the enter
prise in behalf of which he has visited GU
city of very grave importance, we prin
this morning, for the benefit of our readers
who did not hear him, the substance Of hi
remarks.
After being invited to address the court
Mr.. Cooper asked for the reading of thu
petition of the President of the Tennessee,
Central road. This being read, he said
Substantially.
Mr.. President and gentlemen of tn,
County Court of Dayidsoa-AllOw me t.
express my thanks for the kindness showr
me at this moment. To speal
at present, is not without EN-.
barrassrnent, for / find the court ereatl,
pressed with official business and the time
for adjournment closely approaching. ]
am not here, gentlemen, to dictate to thi:
enlightened and liberal court, but come il
the spirit of suggestion and advocacy. And
whatever may be the conclusion reached on
the proposition / submit.no member of Thu
Court will acquieSce more heartily in Such
conclusion than myself. l acknowledge
your responsibility, and beg of you that
you hear me impartially and without pre-.
judice.
How am l here? l Am before you as one
of the Directors of the Tennessee Central
Railroad, duly commissioned by the Board
Of Directors and the President of the SAND,
to advocate and explain the proposition
you have heard read. The Tennessee
Central Railroad Company wa first
chartered by the Legislature in the
acts of 1S47-S; and again in the acts of
1S6oE70, page 3s5. In this last act the old
charter with all its rights were revived, and
eightyears additional time allowed in which
to build the road. This road would have
been completed, doubtless, under the first
charter, had il not been for the introduction
Of a certain omnibus railroad bill that Sc
cured sufficient strength to defeat it. This
was a calamity For there is no Tennessee
road running centrally through West Ten
nessee.
will now speak of the proposition
company submits. 1t is, that the county Of
Davidson transfer TO our company the sum
of 100000 of stock owned in the louis
Vile and Nashville Railfoad, ON condition
that the Nashville, Chattanooga and st.
Louis road first see completed the road-bed
of the Tennessee Central from Hunting
don TO Trenton, a distance of thirty
three miles, and without the use
of one dollar Of the stock so asked to be
transferred; and greater still, on the condi-
ton that il agree to iron and equip the
Tennessee Central from end TO end, a dis
$50 NJ Ill. 81 A-,-E. H. $500
without transfer at Huntingdon-in this
way adopting VI road as its own line.
Lest | forget later to do so, let me now
state that, inasinuch rs j find theruad Col,
Vaughn is here representing, Of which l
am fayorably impressed, asking for the
transfer of a portion Of the stock W. are
asking for, and as / do not desire to antag-
onize his enterprise, l will say that our
company is very willing to reduce the
amount Of our application from 100000
10 SI5900a,
Happily for us. sincethe Nashville, Chat
tanoOga and st. Louis road is willing and
ready to back US in so large a way, | am
relieved of the task of saying
a great deal that might otherwise be highly
necessary. In the proposition Of the road,
which is a home road, and that has your
confidence, we have an expression Of ,Opi1-
ion as 10 the value of our road. Would
this road throw one million Of dollars on a
worthless enterprise? This road has ex-
perience, capacity and soltencyT and capital
is altsys Sensitive, and unless the road
would prove a paying road, the Nashville,
Chattanooga and St. Louis road would not
endorse it to such an extent. But some
49, Al To.l-.la Thofto,Onzo
and st. Louis road ought 10 build, your
road. IS that coihpany is more deeply in
terested than any other corporation or per-
son. Well, gentlemen, this reminds me Of
an occurrence in my county Of Gibson.
Some years ago a certain individual built a
mill on the old Macadamized and beaten
stage road from Trenton to Browns
Vile, on a road that had been a
road from time immemorial So to speak,
and the public had kept Up the road. But
no Sooner had this individual built a mill
on this road without injury of any sort,
than a party formed against him TO compel
him to keep up one mile of leyee and
bridges across the Forked Deer river. He
said, gentlerden, l pay as n of the body
polite, and this is all you do. But, as l
have a larger interest than any other person
l am willing to pay, personally, several
hundred dollars to put this road in repair.
Now, this individual had a LARGER interest
and was wiling to pay for it. This is the
status of Col. Coles company. If it has a
larger interest. Can any one after hearing
this company's proposition read, say that
it is not willing TO pay for that larger in
terestas But neither in tine one case or the
other does the existence of the interest of
N party destroy the Interest OF eueryoody
else. And surely, when we remember
what the Nashville, CHATTANOOGA and 81.
Depis read has done for its stockh6lders, as
well ns this COUNTY and city, we cannot
charge it with closeness or littleness. 1t
has worked the value of its stock up from
20 centsto IS cents on the dollar since the
war;, 1t has bought and tepaired the old
Northwestern ROAD at a cost OF near $1,000
600, which road, together with the Nash
vile and Chattanooga road, has been run
in the interest Of this county and city, as
far as was legitimate, as every one knows,
And now this same company tenders a
million OF dollars to reclaim alienated ter
rltory and connections to this city, if this
people will only grant the reasonable aid
asked. With these great facts facing us,
viii any 6ne say this company IS not pro-
gressiye and willing to pay for such interest
as it may have in railroad lines? / know
this intelligent and liberal court comedies it.
A few words as to the cost of the pre-
paration of the road-bed, ready for the re-
ception of the iron rails, IS this last ex-
pense is put out OF the way as before ex.
plaincu. The whole line being SURVEYED.
and estimates of the cost of the road-bed
ready for the iron, under oath of the Chief
Engineer, John b. Intnan, having been
made, the whole cost amounts to $4,000.
from Huntingdon to the Mississippi river.
This is cheap construction, truly. But The
country through which the road passes
is capable Of affording this; and by
way Of verifying our engineers es-
Inmates, l beg leave here TO refer to
a report Of Col. Morris that Col. Cole
has had the kindness TO hand in since nv
arrival in this city. Col. Cole, in order
he might be fully advised as 10 the
progress of our work, and the character of
our line, sent Col Morris to West Tennes-
see to go over and inspect the same. This
he did, and reported that we had now IL
miles Of new road, which with the 8 miles
subscribed by the Nashville, Chattanooga
and st. Louis road that has never been
use makes % miles of roadbed. In this
he fully sustained our engineers report.