Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-03-12
The GreatIennessee Railway.

Nashville American: "Our Franklin cor
respondent says that gentlemen are endesv-
orIng to put under way the building of a line
OF rail from Bristol to Memphis. We have
get out this line and its advantages and urged
its building by the road that owns the link
in the line from Lebanon to Nashville. That
the road will he built ia a certainty. 1t is
not only a road from Bristol to Memphis,
and hence q link 10 the line from the Pacific
coast 10 Memphis, but it is a link in the
great transcOntioental liue from the Pacific
to the Atlantic at Norfolk. We have before
set out its advantages aud urged it upon the
attention of capitalists and railroad men,
as a link in a great through line and
set out its value as a local road. In
either aspect it ought to command immedi-
ate attention. As a local road il will COM
mand immediate profits. We differ with our
correspondent as to the precise location, and
we do so from a very thorough knowledge of
the country. 1t will be found better to run
by way OF Clinton, Checks Cross Roads and
Rogersyille, a peri, ely level and very fertile
country, almost from Cumberland mountains
70 Bristol, than by way of POwells valley.
To this there is no strong objection. 1t would
lie rather closer to the East Tennessee and
Virginia tn N would be desirable. if there
were not strong compensating advantage.
These are to be found in the fact that in
order to pass by Jonesboro, the East Tennes-
see and Virginia was run through the poorest
part OF Eas sIennessee, from the New Mar
ket valley up. The new road will strike a
country which is not only similar to, but the
same "a that unparalleled New Market val
ley. This country stretches almost from
Clinton to Bristol. The entire line from
Bristol to Memphis wi ! touch more fertile
land and more varied resources than almost
any road of its length in the United States.
It's poorest lands will be the Cumberland
mountain plateau, with its great coal
fields, the best in the S ate, and the
section between the basin of Middle Ten
nessee and the Ttnnessee river, with It's
great iron resources. 1t strikes the two
undeveloped and, by railroads, unpierced
portions Of Tennessee. These are the north
eastern portion, lying along the Kentucky
line, ant the Virginia line from the Cum
berland mountains to Bristol, and the por-
ton along the Alabama and Mississippi
lines, which is cut nearly centrally by the
Tennessee river. The road will be, for this
reason, the greatest material blessing which
could be!ali Tennessee. 1t will, when built,
leave the State crossed in almost all parts
by main through lines, and leave moth ng
desirable in the way of rail transportation,
so far as the interior transportation OF the
State is Concerned, except supplementary
short lines. Leading out of the great center
Of M-mphis, great now and de- tin-d to be
greater, 1t will touch the great collecting
anu distributing ana manufacturing city OF
n nashville, and connect both closely with
the Atlantic at one of its best ports; it
will have the finest iron and coal sup
plies OF any road in the United States. 1t
will cut an agricultural country which is one
OF unsurpassed fertility. We have been over
every foot Of it from Clinton to near Bristol,
and those who regard it as a wilderness have
not seen one Of the faire t portions OF Ten
nes-ep, that between Clinton ami Bristol, and
especially that portion Of it which CORE
spends With, and i, exactly like, the famous
New Market valley, which lies along the
East Tennessee and Georgia road for a few
miles, beginning at Strawberry Plains, a few
miles above Knoxville. We are glad to see
Tennessee capi al moving in this matter. We
have capital enough TO build it and make it
The richest road 10 The South"