Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-06-30
More railroads wanted.

More Railroads Wanted.
Editor Morning Neecs. Inmy first arti-
Gle on this subject said It was a fact for
the consideration Of railroad men that
while Georgia had more miles Of railroad
than any other Southern state-except
the empire Of Texas, 1 should have said
she, nevertheless, had scarcely more than
half what she needed for full develop
ment, etc.
On little further reflection / am salts
fed that she has scarcely more than one
third Of the railroads she viii need iOr
fun development. Illinois, a state about
the size Of Georgia, has 1927 miles OF rail-
road. while Georgia has only 2,94O miles.
WHY should Illinois have three times as
much railroad as Georgia? Can II be
said because she has a greater populations
1t is well known that she had not the
population until she built the railroads,
or until they were built by foreign COM
panies with government lands. If Geor-
gia had millions Of acres to donate fQr that
purpose, or the government for her, she
could soon have the railroads and the
population Of Illinois. But she never had
any such advantages from the pubic
lands, and had to build her own railroads,
many of them under the most adverse
circumstances. That time, however. has
now passed. and having entered upon an
upward career more promising than at
any former period, the resources OF GeOr-
gia will now be fully developed ana her
broad territory covered with railroads
approximating the complete system In
Illinois. The two States may claim rela-
lively the same importance IN their re-
spectiye sections of the Union. BOth
must be crossed by numerous long lines
OF railway from north to south, and from
east to west: while the fertility and great
extent of territory necesSitate numerous
short lines and cross sections as connect
ing links. In Georgia most OF these are
yet to. be constructed. Having already
alluded to several projected long lines,
and suggested several others, IL remains
to set forth such minor enterprises organ
lied or contemplated within the State as
can be recalled to memory without the ald
of statistics.
Foremost among these may be named
the Augusta, Gibson and SandersYILe
/ road. designed TO enter the domain OF
the Central at the latter city, and which
| will probably be extended, ultimately,
| southwark from Sandersville into another
| extensive and fertile region of the state,
not now open to the progressive city OF
Augusta. Carried out, this would become
the seUenth long line in the State yet to
be constructed, and would open up to At-
gusta the great timber region OF the state
| south of the Altamaha as we'll as the
| Gulf ports of Middle Florida. Grading
on this route has considerably advanced
in the counties of Washington, Jefferson
and Burke, and completion to Sanders
vile is expected within the next twelve
months.
A new road called the Columbus South
ern, to connect with Albany, is at present
occupying the attention of the people OF
| that section. The preliminary surveys
| have been made and the line is to be To-
Gated in a few DAYS. At Albany this line
will connect with the Brunswick and
| Albany, thus giving Columbus another
| outlet to the Atlantic, and with the Sa-
vannah, Florida and Western, giving her
access to the beautiful Middle Florida re-
| giOn.
Another valuable connection greatly
| desired in the western part of the State
| is the completion of the Columbus and
Rome Railroad, about 80 miles long, which
might be made a southwest branch OF the
| East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia,
from Rome through Columbus to Pensa-
| cola. Fla. This would create a great di-
rect through line from Pensacola via Co
| lumbus and Rome to Washington and
| New York; and so many new facilities
added to the second manufacturing city of
Georgia, would enable her to outstrip her
Alabama rival, % miles to the west, in
| traffic and growth of population as IN the
| extent and excellence of her manufac-
| lures.
Two other enterprises have taken hold
| upon the people of the central portion OF
| the State. Direct railroad connection
| between the central city of Macon and
the city of Athens, the modern rival of
| her ancient namesake in the domain OF
| letters, has long been needed, aud it is a
matter of surprise that these important
| points, with fertile and pOpulous coun-
| try between, have so long been obliged to
| communicate around Atlanta. By this
| direct route Macon will also gain short
| cut to the northeast by the Athens inter
| section of the Air Line at Lulu. The
| other project alluded to is branch or the
/ Central Road from near Macon northwest
| to penetrate the wide and pOpulOus area
| of the State stretching between Columbus
/ and Atlanta. West Point should, per-
! haps, be the objective point of this road,
| from whence the Central could in time
! proceed to connect with the important
| city of Huntsville, Ala, or tap the IA
nous iron and coal fields of that State by
| junction with the Georgia Pacific. This
| road would give direct communication
with Macon and Savannah, to large Sec
| ton in each State, which at present can
only reach those cities in roundabout
| way through Atlanta or Columbus,
Other roads of the near future are the
extension from Albany westward, of the
Brunswick and Western, the extension of
| the Savannah, Florida and Western from
Albany to Dawson, or the construction of
such a road by tine citizens, aided by the
railroads centreing at Albany, the con-
nection of the Savannah, Florida and
| Western with the Middle Florida system
bv supplying the link between Thomas
| vile and Tallahassee, to be followed by
branch of the former from Quitman to
Monticello, completion of the Wrightsville
and Tennille, the Buena Vista, the Mari
eta and Alphuretta, and the Sylyania
branch Of the Central Railroad. Here
is at least n, 800 miles of railroad either
under contract for construction or in con-
temptation and engaging the earnest at
| tention of the people of Georgia, and
| which will probably all be constructed
within the next eight or ten years, with
other lines which have not occurred to
the writer.
1t NAV be asked. where in the name of
common sense is the money to come from
to build all these roads? And it might be
answered, where in the name of common
! sense did all the money come from that
! built 5000 miles already finished. 1t is as
| easy to build 100 miles now as it was 20
miles ten years ago. Even mill men all
| over Southern Georgia are now hauling
| logs to their mills on well constructed
railroads, some of them five to ten miles,
and one company has twenty or thirty
miles of railroad running through its pine
forests. In fact, the people have learned
| hOlc to build railroads; the labor is better
/ skilled and more abundant, and the mate
rails are great deal cheaper, while both
money and credit are infinitely more
| abundant. The rapid development of the
country and the discovery of its resources
| have made its credit good. The most
/ unprOmising roads built have become
good property, and the fact gives conf
| dence that all others likely to be built
will likewise be valuable and able to pay
for themselves, once put in operation. If
the people are not there, no matter, the
railroads will bring them; beside, the
public lands in the West are nearly eX-
/ hausted, and soon there will be ten to
/ twenty Northern men in the South to
wDere there is one now. Only let the
people of Georgia push forward their rail-
/ road enterprises and in less than ten years
we shall see no more spasmodic efforts to
induce foreign immigration.
MORE ANON.
i
PiIesi PiIesii Pilesi!!
Sure cure for Blind, Bleeding and Itch