Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1881-10-29

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miles northward Of the points thus
attained, short branch road is con-
nplated to Selma, Alabama, at
which place line is already COM
pleted 10 Brunswick, Georgia, on
the Atlantic coast. From Tuscum-
bia to Florence, Alabama, they al
ready own the railroad connecting |
these two points including the i'm
portant bridge over Tennessee riv-
er.
The arrangements in Kentucky !
for the portion of road north of us
are at present in progress, and ev-
erythingi is hopeful for a most adj
vantageous basis of operation in
that State; but as these are at pres
ent incomplete, we leave Judge
Wood to communicate them when
matured. His appointed meeting
will surely be attended by every
one who wants to see GAINESVILLE
take that position among southern
cities for which her vast material
resources SO admirably adapts her.
DONATION AND SUBSCRIPTION.
We have already heard men say
that they would be willing to sub
scribe for stock but not to make a
donation; and, when asked why,
they give two answers, they say
they would rather invest the money
so as to get some interest in it than
give it away; and further, that they
would prefer occurring that amount
of influence in the counsels of the
company which the possession of
stock confers, to handing over their
money to Il concern over which
they have no control. We have
stated these objections as plainly as
possible because we desire to meet
them openly without an attempt to
hoodwink any one.
First, the return that wise men
seek in contributing TO a railroad
enterprise, whether by subscription
or donation, is not in the form of
dividends from the company, but in
that of increased business through
railroad facilities. The former is al
ways uncertain, and generally leads
to disappointment the latter is a
certainty, provided the road Is
built; and it must be remembered
that no donation is to be paid until
work is commenced in this county,
and then in installments during the
progress of the work.
The company would look for a
much larger sum in the way of sub
scription for stock than in that of
donation, and what is given in the
latter form is given for advantages
which we know cannot fail, and so
as to lead 10 no disappointment or
heart-burning in the future.
Now, for the second objection.
The days are gone by when any ci-
ty can control a railroad line to its
own interest. Every recent attempt
at doing so has been a failure though
made by much larger cities than
GAINESVILLE. Louisville thought she
had secured her predominant inter-
est when the Louisville & Nashville
Company made its recent purcha-
ses, but she already finds herself on
ly small factor in the control Of
the road. Cincinnati has already
found it to her interest to sell her
great southern line so recently built
with her own money, and in doing
so has only repeated her former expe
rience when she built a road north
ward hoping to make it a private
affair. She owns now neither one
nor the other, and wants to own
none.
The truth is that railroad enter
prises are too vast in these days for
any city, however large, to hope to
control them and for GAINESVILLE,
with a stock of 5000, or with ten
times that amount, to hope to exert
power in such a company as is now
projected, would be as futile as for a
fly perched on a wagon to aim ut
directing the concern.
Not but what we believe that the
stock of this road will be ultimately
a remunerative investment, but the
present question is that of a moder-
ate donation; no question can be OF
such momentous Importance TO this
city; and'we are glad to learn from
conference with our business men
that quite preponderant number of
them are disposed to prefer the
method of donation to that of sub
scription.