The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1878-10-03
cleveland, Knoxville and ChattanOo-

Col. McGbee Explains Why the Through
Line was Changed.
The Knoxville Tribune of Saturday
last prints two articles from the HER
AID in reference to Il quarantine,
| and after rather severe comment gives
the following statement from Colonel
McGhee as to why the through line of
the Railroad was changed TO Dalton
instead of Chattanooga:
81 have read the paragraphs in the
Cleveland HERALD, to which you call
nv attention. Our business to Dalton
for some time has been about equal to
| that from Chattanooga. The breaking
| out of yellow fever at Chattanooga
rendered il certain that passenger
business on the Chattanooga branch
would amount to but little in the flu
ture, for some time at least, except to
bring out refugees, and that after the
freight now in transit was delivered,
our freight business would likely be
confined on that branch to hauling
provisions free to Chattanooga and
other afflicted points west ofthere. We
therefore determined to rush through
to Dalton, as a measure OF economy,
and also for the reason that we could
operate to Chattanooga, as q branch,
with less exposure TO our men than to
continue TO operate it as a main line.
Mai. O'Brien, Superintendent, and
Mr.. Hoxsie, Master of Transportation,
! agreed with the city of Cleveland. as
| to the mode of running the trains and
secured, as was thought, the city
| against fear of c%ontagiOn. 1t has since
| been demanded by some of the citizens
Il am glad to state not by the city au-
thOrities however--that we should
| stop trains on the Chattanooga branch
altogether and thus cut off communica-
ton with their people in their distress.
This | will not consent to 10 under
any circumstance. If We, to please Il
few of the citizens of Cleveland, do
this, towns on other roads leading into
| Chattanooga might demand the same
| thing, and the people of Chattanooga
| would be left to starve. The Chatta-
noOga branch forms our connection
with the afflicted localities on the Mem
phis and Charleston road, and | feel
bound to continue in q condition to
send them supplies. The Memphis
and Charleston road has continued to
run trains and is this day $4,000
worse off than if the road had been
abandoned. But the trains were run as
a matter of duty, and the STOCKHOLDERS
are the sufferers. just so 1t Will be
with the Chattanooga branch. We
will continue to run 1t, n~otwithstand-
ing we may do so at heavy loss to the
company. If an attempt is made by
force, to prevent it, as is threatened by
one of the articles in the Cleveland
paper, we will call on the Legitimate
authorities tc furnish us aid enough to
keep our track open. We are now
bringing out the destitute, without
money and without price, and Will
continue to do so. We transfer outside
of the limits of Cleveland, and, if it is
desired, will stop no trains there at all
but we will not cease to run to Chatta-
nooga az long as our brave men will
run the trains, and | know they SYM
pathize with MI in this determine,
ton"
Col. McGhee misunderstands us when
he asserts that we said they should be
"made to stop the Chattanooga trains
We did not mean, as he insinuates.
that the people of Cleveland should
constitute themselves into a mob Of
cut-throats and use brutal means. But
what we did mean was that they
should use the law and make the roaG
=
stop running the Chattanooga train
into Cleveland. But since all this
happened the Board Of Aldermen have
required them to stop their train at the
junction, one mile below town, and
run their eastern bound passenger
train through Cleveland without stop
ping, and the Road authorities have
promptly complied with the ordinance
This being done, we think Cleveland
need not have any fears Of tho fever
being brought here, uni ess by tramps.