Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1880-10-16
TnE FREIGHT DEPOT AaAsS.

some attention TO a paper on that
subject, which appeared in the To
bacco Leaf over the signature g JUS
tee to ALL We now find that pa
per supplemented by one IN our own
columns over the signature The
ether side. to which we very glad
ly give publicity though holding
opinions Of an opposite character
we desire all sides to be heard. and
will now say a few words in reply
to both We notice that our own
correspondent speaks OF the news i
paper editors and the lawyers being
banded together against him, men
tioning the two classes in some
what the same spirit as our neigh
bors the regulators speak of US; he
viii hardly, however, join them in
accusing US of being bought up by
the railroads, as i'll this instance
the site advocated by US is not the
one which the railroad company is
supposed to prefer. We were not
aware that the whole body of the
lawyers agreed with US; if they do
we imagine it is not because they
are lawyers, but because like our
selves, they agree with the great
body of our people in finding the
present site most convenient and
believing that advocated by the two
correspondents, the least so of any.
None of the lawyers, we believe,
live in GAINESVILLE under the hill.
Our correspondent gives what he
considers history of the location Of
the depot. lie tells US that it was
under the same roof with the freight
depot, when the site was selected
with the concurrence of all the peo-
pie of GAINESVILLE as the most con-
venient, and asks triumphantly,
what has happened in GAINESVILLE
since to reverse that decision, Well,
a good many things. We will as
sumo that he is right, and that the
citizens then we're in favor of the
lower site. We will go further, and
admit the probability that it was
then more convenient than any
other would have been. But Clarks-
vile is not what it was then it
was then purely and simplya river
town; the river its solitary means
of communication with the rest Of
the world its business was conduct
ed on the river; it was, nearly the
whole of it, built in the neighbour
hood of the river. It no longer now
depends upon the river, except for
some articles of heavy freight, its
business and traffic and travel, is
done by the railroad, and for twenty
two years the city has been growing
away from the river. Thesite then
on the river bank might have been
convenient for the GAINESVILLE of
1858, but certainly not for that of
1880.
In giving the history OF the adop- |
ton of the present site, our cores
pendent is, we think, unfortunate :
whether intentional or not, he
makes it appear that that site was
adopted for the purpose of enhanc- |
ing the value of property belonging
to the gentleman who was then
president Of the road. 1t is certain
that its adoption was very great |
accommodation to the public, and
while it is possible to assign that |
consideration as a motive, it was
hardly worth while to seek a more |
selfish one.
If our correspondent thinks that
the walk down to the freight depot
is as pleasant to ladies as that to the
present site, we can only leave him
to the enjoyment Of his opinion, it
does not admit of argument.
The correspondent of the Leaf de-
scribes several roads by which the
freight depot can be approached by
passengers they are all open to the
objection that they imply the de
scent OF steep hills, which in winter
are frequently dangerous and even
impracticable to carriages.
The main point dwelt upon by
the advocate of the lower site, is
that both depots being together the
ticket Office could always be open,
as the ticket agent would be always
on hand. Perhaps it could, but
would it? At Bowling Green, the
and freight departments
are both in one block, and it is our
experience, that even shorter time
is allowed for getting tickets at that
station than at GAINESVILLE.
We believe that all parties would
be satisfied by the location of the
depot at the foot of second street.
However the matter is not going
to be referred to the people the
railroad managers will decide it,
and we leave it to them, believing
that they are disposed to make all
allowances for the public
accOmu odation.