The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-11-26
MEMPHIS TO NASHVILLE.
REVIVAL or A LONG PROTECTED
RAILROAD
To Ran From Thls City to Nashville
By Way of SomerTiiie and
Bolivar.


benefits and advantages Of their line
are now more apparent than ever.
The iron mines in the counties
through which il runs have been psr'
tally developed, end the timber inter
est have attracted general attention.
The towns OF Bolivar and Henderson
and Lexington have increased in bust
ness importance and population, Boil
var hsylug received the location Of the
Asylum OF the Insane, an es abllth
nent which will ccst 100000 when
Flushed, and sCcommste 500 patients.
The original Nashville and Memphis
Railroad, which was incorporated in
1884, fell through and was abandoned
or account OF the failure OF tie Seney
syndicate, and the depression then OF
railroad business and stfingenCy OF the
money ma ket. But il is now hoped
tbs Proposed route will be adopted
and the line speedily built by some Of
She companies which are projecting
lines from Memphis towards Nash
vile.
The Memorial 20 Ihe Directory 0fihe
Nashville and Memphis Rail-
roads.
The undersigned committee, ap-
pointed by the cit zlus OF Bolivar and
Hardemen county, Tenn, respectfully
submit that for macy yesis n line OF
railroad passing from Memphis diago-
nelly across West Tennessee and to
Nashville by the shortest route, has
been deeu ed necessity. What is
now known as the Memphis aud
Charleston railroad wss originally pro-
jected via Somerville and Bolivar, but
IT that early day its projectors, unable
70 obtain the necessary means and Tor
the purpose Of securing tie State aid
promised by Mississ ppi and Alabama,
d. flected ffom the proposed line and
the road as built further south ard
inside 10 pass through North Miesis-
sippi and North Alabama. The old
Stage and mail route from Memphis 10
Nashville was via Somerville aud Boil
ivar and thence in northessterly d.
reciion to Nashville, and this general
direction yet affords the most direct
practicable route between these two
metropolitan cities Of Tennessee. In
1872 the people along said route, inn
pressed with the necessity for direct
communication by rail with their cap
ital city, Nashville, and their
commercial metropolis, Memphis,
undertook 10 build said line, and
organlz. what is known az the Mem
phis and Knoxville Rtilroad Company.
Upon careful investigation by corps
Of skilliul en- ineerp, charged with the
duty Of reporting the most direct and
most advantageous route, and after
survey Of several different lines from
Tennessee river to Memphis, this
route was selected on which the Mem
phis and Knoxville railroad was To-
Gated pemely, from Memphis via
Macon, Somervlle, Bolivar and Hen
derson, ard thence 10 Tennessee river.
A glance al the map OF Tennessee will
show this to be almost an air line from
Memphis to Centervile, in Hi,kman
county. A road ON this line would
pass through the most fertile and
populous portions OF Shelby and Il y
cite counties. II would strike the
county seals OF Fayette, Hardemsn,
Chester, Lexington and Henderson
counties, and command the business
Of Macon, Somerville, Bolivar, Hen
derson aud Lexington. The local
business Of these counties is very
large. Fayette has a taxable wealth Of
81, 0O0,00O, Hardeman taxable wealth
Of So $50 600, and Chester q taxable
wealth Of $1,000 COO, Fayette county
raises and sh ps annually about 10000
bales Of cotton, Hardemau ab ut 20
900 b leH, and Chester about $4,000.
From Somerville to Memphis the
proposed line runs through n
most prosperous ard wealthy section,
Somerv lie has no market except
Memphis. Coal from Piltsburg. Il ur
aud provisions from 81. Louis aud
Cairo are h3sted to Memphis aad
tran ieyred 20 cars and shipped thence
TO Somerville, and In turn, somerville
and Fayett3 county ship their pro-
ducts OF cotton, cattle, fruits, etc, to
Memphis. With Bolivar their case is
quite different. Situated on a great
through south and north line, her
trade is almost exclusively with st.
Louis aud Chicago on the north AND
New Orleans on the south. Memphis
gets comparatively little Of the trade
OF Bolivar and Hardeman county.
The road, as surveyed aud adopts d,
from Bolivar to Sometville is over
essy grades and through fertile aud
highly cultivated and thickly settled
section, aud skirling the finest body
Of white oak, ash, poplar, cypress,
beech and hickory timber that posi-
oily can be found in Tennessee, and
in almost inexhaustible quantities.
Running east from Bolivar the line
strikes a section OF country Tricky
settled WITH small farms and sffoIding
tho most abundant supply OF pine
timber 10 be found west Of the Ten
nessee river or in In the entire State
OF Tennessee. These pine forests
through which the road is locate aud
graded, would supply Nashville and
the manufacturing towns OF Middle
Tennessee for an indefinite period
with the finest pine lumber, and this
pine area extends from Hatchie river
to within few miles OF Henderson.
The latter place is situated on the Mo-
bile and Ohio railroad, ard is the
county seat Of the new county of
Chester IL is a furnishing town of
shout 1000 people, and noted 80 an
educational center for this section.
East Of this town by easy grades the
line extends TO the Tennessee river,
tr1vering rich and desirable section
OF Country, notably the JACK creek
country, and dotted in many parts
with v0rgin forest Of giant trees, and
perhaps never excelled in quality and
variety Ct coil and timber, and entire
ly without railroad facilities. The
people are intelligent aud enterpiis-
ing, but they have been so far unable
10 secure railroad facilities, and their
trading has been principally by wagons
20 Henderson and points on the Mo.
bile and Ohio railroad, or TO the Ten
nessee river. Such are some oil the
advantages Of this route, TO say noth-
ing OF their trade in poultry, live
sio k and farm products. And yet
not enc of these towns or countits ex-
cep, Shelby Las any trade rela-
tons With Nashville of any i'm.
po'tance. Your committee deem 1t
s self evident proposition that the