Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-04-04
THE FUTURE RAILWAY OUT
LOOK.
Interview with GEN. Alexander of
the Louisville and Nashville
System.
Cincinnati ENQUIRER.

Oeneral 4. L. ALEXANDER, acting PRESIDENT
or the Louisville and Nashville system, was
met by an Enquirer reporter on Saturday,
and Intercepted in reference to the plans
OF the company for the construction Of the
proposed improvements and additions to
the system, some Of which are now in pro-
gress aud others soon to be started. The
readers Of the Enquirer will remember that
much has been said in reference to the pro-
posed extension of the Kentucky Central
system south to connect, at the Tennessee
and Kentucky State line, with the Northern
extension of the East Tennessee, Virginia
and Georgia system. The contract to COM
plete the road through to Knoxville, Tenn,
really belongs to three systems, as follows:
The East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia,
Louisville and Nashville, and the Kentucky
Central.
In reply to the question by the reporter as
to whether the Louisville and Nashville
system was still of the intention to perform
their part of the contract, General Alex
ander said: "The system will build that
portion Of the road they agreed to build,
which will be from Livingston, the present
terminus OF the Knoxville branch, to the
State line, where 1t will Join with the north
ern extension of the East Tennessee, Vir-
einia and Georgia route. The distance our
system will have to build will be about
sixty-eight miles, while the distance to be
constructed by the East Tennessee, Vir-
ginia and Georgia will be about thirty,
which will then complete a route from
Louisville to Knoxville, and thus bring this
section Of the country In direct communi-
cation with Knoxville and Eastern Tonnes
see. We are now working on the portion
OF the road we propose to build, and feel
confident that we will have It completed by
the first of next January, and, perhaps,
sooner. The country is very rough and
mountainous, which, of course, makes con-
struction a slow process. The East Ten
nessee, Virginia and Georgia system already
have road constructed from Knoxville to
Coreyville, distance of thirty-eight miles,
consequently the thirty miles they
nave to construct is from
CoreYville to the State line.
Of this extension north from Coreyville is
going on quite rapidly, and heard only a
few days ago that It would in all probabili-
ty be completed by the first Of next October.
The Kentucky Central will have to COM
plete the other extension north of Living
stone before the line can be opened through
from Cincinnati to Knoxville. / understand
It is the intention Of the last named road to
commence work on the proposed extension
IS soon as their present extension from
Winchester to Richmond IS completed"
Chow long should 1t take to complete the
entire three proposed extensions!" asked
the reporter.
"The East Tennessee, Virginia and Geor-
gia will, as l said before. probably be COM
pleted by October, or by the first of January,
and l should think the Kentucky Central
would be able to get through in the course
of year"
"WheD the three extensions will have
been completed through trains doubtless
will be run from Cincinnati to Knoxville
and points South, as we'll as from Louis
villes'
"Certainly. That Is the intention of the
construction Of the roads. When they are
completed It will open up another great
highway from the Ohio river to the South
and Southeast. 1t will make, then, three
direct lines from Cincinnati to the South. "
els 1t the intention, General" continued
the reporter, ''to extend your system any
further through the South, and do you also
propose making the Chicago and Eastern
Illinois and Evansville and Terre Haute
roads part OF the system north Of the Ohio
rivers"
"The extensions to be made to the sys-
tenn In addition to that already mentioned
will consist only Of the proposed road from
Pensacola, Florida, along the gulf shore to
Tallahassee. That extension Is already
being made, and when completed I think
that will complete. for the present, at least,
the ambition Of the company to enlarge the
system. 1t costs too much to build railroads.
1t is cheaper to let other people build them
and then buy them after they have been
built. It is the intention of the company,
however, to construct the Evansville bridge
as soon as possible. The roads you speak
of north Of the Ohio river will not be
woven into the system. 1t is even impossi-
BILE TO consolidate the Chicago and Eastern
n
roads into one, made so by recent decision
OF the courts. In fact, the Louisville and
Nashville system does not own a
controlling interest in the two roads.
1t is true the roads were recently
purchased by parties in New York
who are friendly to our system, which Of
course, will have the effect to operate the
two roads north of the river in harmony
with ours. Our system will not consolidate
any Of the roads north of the river with the
Southern system. We are willing to treat
all the roads north of the river, both at
Louisville and Cincinnati, alike"
SIS It true that the recent financial
troubles of the system have been occasioned
by the reported large floating debts of the
company"
1.-THE only occasion for the issuance of
new bonds was to carry out the proposed
constructions above mentioned. Bonds to
LuU hlHOuub Vi SlO'OVOJOOO WcI6 iSSucu upOu
which was secured the money to complete
the Evansville bridge and the Livingston
and Pensacola extension. During the year
we have added materially to the rolling
stock Of the system, which, of course, has
cost us great deal of money. The bonds
issued have thirty years to run, and do NOT
anticipate but what they can easily be paid
out of the earnings of the system"
"Hss the South reached its highest point
In the matter of railroad construction ~
81 DO not think there will be great MANY
more roads constructed in the South, but
Il believe the roads now In operation will in
the near future be made to yield much
greater revenues than they have in the past.
The population in the South is not so Vast
as in the North. Consequently 1t would be
Improbable to construct many more roads,
and not until the population increases will
there be many more roads built"
"You have doubtless read In the columns
Of the, Enquirer Of recent date. about the
alleged cutting of freight rates by your
system out of ST. Louis and discrimination
against Cincinnati ?"
"Yes, / read the articles, but. in fact,
know but little of It, as that matter was 10
the hands of the freight department. We
have by no means been discriminate
against Cincinnati, and neither do we pro-
pose to DO so. We want to treat all cities
alike where our system touct es. In refer
ence to the matter of cutting rates, It has
been my understanding that the Cincinnati
Southern folks have been cutting rates out
of Cincinnati for a long time. II they
commenced it, of course we had to follow
them in order to get our share OF the bust
ness"