Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-04-25
0UIETUs ON RAILROAD RUxoRs.

A oUIETUs ON RAILROAD RUMoRs.
1t has been freely rumored in New
York and down this way that the Bal
timore and Ohio Railroad Company is
making arrangements TO lease the
Louisville and Nashville and Great
Southern railroad. 1t looked plausi-
BILE enough that the Baltimore and
Ohio road would be ready to make
such a move as this if the opportunity
were offered, but we could not imagine
any motive the Louisville Company
would have for selling out. A Cou-
rier-Journal reporter called upon DR..
Standiford, president of the road, to
ascertain upon what foundation the
rumor was based. The doctorlaughed
at the idea and said it was absurd.
Your road, we all understand, is in
high state of commercial prosperity 2"
suggested the Courier-Journal emissary.
The half has not been told We have
really no floating debt Large amounts
of money have been offered us at very
low rate of interest, and in some instances
without any interest at all by Southern
brokers for thirty and sixty days; but we
have no use for it, do not need it, and can
not take advantage of this state of
affairs"
"Then you think the future of your
company is beyond question:"
Nothing in human affairs can be more
certain. To commence with, have great
faith in the future Of the Ohio Valley, and
in it are Louisville, New Albany and
Jetfersonville with combined population
Of over 100000 people. There is no rea-
son why they should not have double
that. 1t is a matter Of surprise to me
that the products of the West should all
go East, paying transportation, insur-
ance, storage, and one knows hardlywhat
simply to be manufactured, and then
pay more charges to be returned to
us to supply our wants. Labor is
as cheap here as it is in the East. II
should be cheaper; the laborer paws less
for his -four meat, etc, here. He has
every advantage that the Eastern laborer
Has. OuI SYSTEM is as good
as the most favored locality in the land
Common sense tells us that manufacturers
must come to the West, and with them
additional prosperity. Then our road
passes through hourishing towns, agreat
agricultural country producing wheat,
tobacco, corn, etc, in wonderful auanti-
ties, traversing the best mineral regions
Of the South and penetrating the cotton
lands, and commanding its full share of
the transportation of that staple. Mem
phis, with It's forty thousand people, is one
terminus of the road; Montgomery, with
its wonderful business, the other Nash
vile, most thriving city, is the center
Clarksville Elizabethtown, Franklin.
Columbia, Bowling Green. 1t is useless
to attempt to name all there is a score of
them-all should have a great future.
with such a country, really in its in
fancy of prosperity, giving the road grand
results now, will any one say that its fu-
ture can be anything else than wonderfully
Instead Of selling ont, we are buying, ex-
tending our lines and building up our
system. Our system of roads IS a grand
one, and as long as we pursue the conser-
vative policy that we do now, giving each
community allthat belongs to it, favoring
no city to the Disadvantages of another,
we have faith that our prosperity will ere
many years be equal to any ON the Amer
lean continent l-T .E'g1e#