Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-08-25
THE DECATUR DEPOR
Old South Nashville and the Tennessee
and Alabama Railroad.
Mental Agony Over an Ancient Con.
tFaet-A GedatIve Administered.

Mental Agony Over an Ancient Con.
tFaet-A sedatIve Administered.
Some time ago aresOlutiOn was adopted
by the City Council directing the City At
tOrney 10 examine and report the nature of
the contract entered into between the cor
poration of South Nashville and the Ten
neSsee and Alabama Railroad Company in
relation to certain lands said to have been
donated by said corporation, in whole or in
part, TO said railroad company for the pur-
pose Of erecting a depot and workshops
thereon. AT meeting of the
Board of Aldermen last night the City
Attorney submitted astatement Of the facts,
gathered from the written contract Itself,
the official records Of the corporation and
from conversations with old and reliable
citizens, who lived cOntemporaneOusly with
the execution Of the contract and who
were familiar at the time with its details.
1t seems that IN IS53 the Directors Of the
RAILROAD, shortly after the incorporation of
the Company, became DESTROYS Of purchas-
ing twenty-five acres Of what was then
known as the Gordon tract, situated con-
tiguous to The graveyard, for the purpose
of locating thereon their depot, and also 10
acquire sufficient property, lying in an
eastern direction theTefrom, to make for
them right Of way to the Cumberland
River. Steps were taken to purchase this
property, and after several meetings and
consultations, an agreement was entered
into by which the Company was TO have the
q acres, paying fer it the sum Of $40, 900, and
the city in turn was TO furnish the COM
pany light Of way to the river.
Some Of our citizens have cOntended that
this land was donated by the city to the
railroad company, upon The condition that
it should be used permanently for depot,
ana that the moment the company abandon
ed the use Of the property as dept il was to
revert to the city. The attorney has carefully
Investigated this point and says that there
is no express stipulation Of this character.
If the city should attempt to get possession
Of the property upon its abandonment by
the company, the city attorney THINKS that
she would have great difilculty in ever re-
gaining it. It is his opinion that there is
one right TO which the citv is entitled, IN
der the circumstances, and that is to file a
bill in the Chancery Court and compel the
company 10 run their road to the Cumber-
land river. Under the contract the railroad
obligated itself to extend its road TO the
river and under the same contract tie city
bound ITSELF at its own expense 10 furnish
the company with sufficient land for a right
of way to the river. The city has only
partially performed lts part Of the stipula-
ton, and until it is fulfilled an attempt to
recover would be useless, even if the CON-
pany had abandoned the properly for fur
ther depot purposes.
The railroad company has leased the old
depot building to tie Nashville Warehouse
Company, but sill retains the freight Of
fee in the building and viii erect another
building adjoining, to be used as a
depot
The City Attorneys opinion will have
the effect to satisfy the minds Of some peO-
pie who have been sOrely peTplexed over
this matter for a long time.