The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1880-12-22
ON no CUMBERLAND GAP /!


- u s;:ssssai5 g
TIE M0RRlST0W WIN, CUMBERLAND
GAP. AND OHIO lRALLRO1D.
REPORT OF PRESIDENT GREGG.
At meeting of the stockholders of
the Merristewn, Cumberland Gap and
Ohis railroad company, held in Morris
town, at Temperance Hall, Saturday,
December 10, 1880, the President, A. Fl.
Gregg, submitted the following report
GEETLEAIEN = ssr - I
Since the formal Organization Of our company
on the Sd dav of July, with the approval Of the sd
visory board, last, have procured conyeyances
from the land holders along the projected route Of
our road from MorristoWn to Cumberland Gap,
with a few upimportsnt exceptions, "the right Of
way" 30 that now our company practically owns
The ground upon which to build railroad, by le-
gal and formal conyeyances, properly registered,
from Morristown to Cumberland Gap.
To accomplish this haYe called for one pay
nent upon the subscription to stock heretofore
made, which has, with rare exceptions, been re-
sponded to by the subscrib ers, with coKmendable
promptness.
TWAS thought by the advisory board, as well as
by myself, that the procuring Of oonyeyances,
legally authenticated and registered, of the right
of way, was work of prime and imperative i'm
! portanoe.
| am happy to state that the citizens along the
route are not only fully alive to the importance Of
the project, but are prepared to lend US material
aid in furthering the enterprise
II is believed that no material difhcuity viii be
experienced in procuring subscriptions to our
capital stock along ths proposed route amply suf=
fcient to grade the road if the citizens of Morris
! town themselves win but eyinee, by substantial
tskens their own faith in the ultimate building of
| the road.
I have assurances, which deem reliable, that,
if NorristoWn viii grade the road to the Granger
county line Granger county will continue and ex7
tend the work to the Claiborne county line, and
that the citizens Of Claiborne county will gladly
take up the work that point and extend it to the
Kentucky line at the Cumberland Gap. Thus il
viii be seen that Morristown holds the key to the
situation.
submit, in this connection, that the road viii
nay operating expenses from the time the first tYe
miles of track is laid, and when we shall have sx
tended the track into the Beams Station valley, il
the vicinity of Tate's and Mineral Hill Springs, tbs
travelling patronage aside from the freight trattic
viii more than pay operating expenses, and pro
ducs surplus for distribution among the stock
holders
I am further assured that whep we make it eYl
dent that our road is to be certainly completes
from Morristown to Cumberland Gap, at least t"t
| railway companies of ample means, will extend tt
the latter place connecting lines, so that the lone
! deplored gap in the connecting lines North anG
South from Charleston and Savannah to Louis
vile and Cincinnati, will be thus filed and com
pleted.
I have personally, and through members of tht
advisory board, consulted with Maj. Gum anc
Maj Newco4ab, civil en- aineers, either of Bhon
stand ready to re-survey the route, and supeFin
tend the construction of our road.
1t may be proper to state here, for your encour
agement, flct 1 had originally intended to com
lnunicst9 20 ECU orally, viz that on my recent
| trip to the East, / reeeiXed the most unqualified
assurances fropa capitalists not only Of their de.
cided interest in oar enterprise, but that, as fas
| as the road should be graded and made ready fol
| the iron, they would furnish the iron and rolling
! stock, necessary.
The importance of our enterprise cannot be
! oYerrated. We haye gn4q es5ioGaPly the key te
! the railroad connection between the Ohio and tbs
! sea coast The building Of the road depends in 3
! great measure CT !. enterprise of our own peo-
! pie. We have but initiate the work, and we VII
ind willing hands ID ample purses to carry it on
to successful com. 12tion.
There is nov no 4 on of the completion by
midsummer, 1881. Q ,.e Western North Carolina
road which viii pl,, - lorristowu in direct COM
1nunication with e coast South,
I suggest that r cizens of Morristovn imme-
diately supplement. -.ir former preliminary sub
scription with another sufficient to defray the cx'
penses Of re1surveying the route and locating the
road and to grade the road to the Granger coun-
ty lire; and that, as as the route from Nor
ristown to the line is properly located the work Of
grading begin. From the assurances have had
from the citizens of Granger and Claiborne coun-
ties, I am persuaded they only waiting for
Morristown to "show her faith by her works."
With the liberal subscription already made, it
viii only require few thousands of dollars more
to locate and grGae the road to the Granger cOun-
ty hne A portion Of the work Of both surveying
and grading has already been done Our pros7
pscbs are decidedly encouraging, If the people of
Morristagp are sufficiently alive to the Importance
of this work, as 1 believe they are, to subscribe
the few thousands of dollars yet necessary to
grade the road to the Granger county line, hope
to see in very short time, the road for that dis
lance under contract and I feel sure, in a short
time thereafter, the road through Granger and
Claiborne counties viii also % pay an process Of
construction believe this is our golden oppor-
tunity and beseech you to avail yourselves of it.
I gill not burden this report with an account Of
receipts and expenditures. The Secretary and
Treasurer will furnish statement thereof,
Respectfully submitted,
A H GREGG, President.
The report was adopted, and the
thanks of the stOckheldera were unani-
mously rendered to the President for his
Jealous efforts in furthering the great
werk the company mas in hand.
A number of resolutions were adopted
providing for the more perfect ergaui
cation and working of the affairs of the
company. The capital stock of the
company was fixed, for the present, at