Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-04-08
Through Esabun Sab.
Augusta Chronicle.

Last November the Chronicle printed a
series of Atlanta specials looking to the
establ shment Of some such needed line
through Rabun Gap. At the time it was
remored that northern combinatioDs were
moving sou. Inward upon the mountaia pass,
and would combine with one or the other
projected routes through that point The
time has come, it seems, fer Augusta to
control the first route, piercing the Blue
Ridge and reaching Rabun Gap, which
has properly been called Thermopyln OF
the Georgia and Carolina Fa!lrosd syst ms
Pending the completion and extension of
the the Augusta ard Knoxville Railroad
the Georgia Railroad shows 3 dispo ,iton 10
control the Northeastern Rail DAD Of GeoT-
gia, from Athens to Lula. with the object
of extending the line to 4 tbun Gap as
sooL as possible; at which point any nuns
Der of western lines and northern com
binations will be willing to unite in form
ing through route to the west 1t is not
generally known that such u road through
Rabun Cab is about one hundred miles
shorter than through Chattanooga. The
following article which r, Gently appeared
in the Athens Oh onicie, is from the pen
of Mr.. George d. Thomas weli-informed
and buslCess-ilke lawyer Of Athens, and
en- bodies the most convincing array of
facts We have YET seen on the subject:
We take it for granted that nothing
need be said in regard 10 the aramount
| necessity for the completion Of the North
| eastern Railroad, so far as Athens and
| Northeast Georgia is concerned. But &c
| thinking minds. it is apparent tina the
| country through which the road runs is
not able to build the road, aud for the ac-
complishment of that end We must. be-
yond ali question, look for aid. Where
| shall we look?
We think it easy of demonstration that
the Georgia Railroad is our only hope. If
| then we can succeed in showing that il !;
a necessity to the Georgia Railroad, as
we'll rs to Athens, we then fl, d the interest
of the two identical, and at once a plan fol-
development opens.
The completion of the Augusta and
| Knoxville Railroad is now certainty.
| That road hopes to be in the. trunk line
| from the west, via Knoxville, 10 the sea-
coast, either at Charleston or Savannah Il
is self-evident that all its business will be
so much taken from the Georgia Railroad
| Then again, if the Macon and Brunswick
Railroad is extended to Atlanta, W hich is s
fact within the range Of probabilities the
quota Of freights that come over the West
ern and Atlantic, and Atlanta and Yves
Point Railroads, will have new and i'm
portant outlet to the sea, which will alst
be rival of the Georgia Railroad. Tier
also, the road from Anderson. South
Carolina to " alfalfa, crossing the Al
Line road at Seneca, begins to ASSUME
evidences of being pushed through tn
| BlIe Ridge. This road must carry a par
of the western freights, and add to thes
the threatened combinations Of Jay Goult
with the roads in Alabama to get to tn
sea By thanking the Georgia land possibl.
the Central), and we see the probability Q
the Georgia, at no very distant day, de
pendent upon its local business Tn
Georgia then must have a western con
necti)n that shall at least rivel these other
if it does not outstrip them. II it csnno
be oh. aimed at Atlanta we mus. of cours
look to the other terminus st Athens. |
then the Georgia must have an indepen
dent western connection through Athens
its interest in the completion of the NORTH
eastern becomes paramount.
From Lula, the present terminus. t
r tbun Gap, is 81 miles, which could b
built for $l2. 0J0 per mile, amounting t
; 1854 900. Thus the Geo .ga would secur
the whole road, 81 miles in length, for a
aggregate cost o. less than 10 OOO0 (abou
: $4,000 per mile. including present equiv
I ment). When the Northeastern is built
Kabun Gap, the Blue Ridge from Mary
: vile will at once be pushed forward, an
the Georgia. will then scontrol rs plus g
=, equal to 2l5 miles of q lire IS miles, tn
shortest route from the west to the sc
coast