The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-06-14
THE TENNESSEE.
The Future of the Great River.
Effect on Commerce of the Muscle
Shoals Improvement.
Important Influence 1t Will Have
on Railroad Rates.
Viow5 OF Manager Brown, of the
Western Sc Atlantic.
Comprehensive Review OF the Situa-
tion, Which VIII Be OF Special
Interest to the People
OF Memphis.

From the Atlanta Constitution.
We publish below avery interesting talk
with Traffic Manager Joseph NJ. Brown, OF
the Western & Atlantic Railroad, in which
he presents In remarkable manner tho
great results that will follow the opening
OF Muscle Shoals, in the Tennessee River,
to navigation.
The Government has been at work in
opening these shoals for number Of years
and has expended millions OF dollars in
tho undertaking. The engineer in charge
OF the work announces that the river will
be open to navigation In September next,
and with tho Instructions, which now
make Florence, in Alabama, the head OF
navigation, removed the Tennessee River
will become great thoroughiare from
Chattanooga TO the Mississippi.
This will put Mississippi aud Ohio River
steamers at the wharves OF Chattanooga
aud open now routes from Chattanooga to
~. Louis, Cincinnati, and, indeed, the
whole West. Tho inevitable result will
be, as Mr. Brown shows, the lowering Of
railroad rates between tho South and
West, and the Tennessee River. with tho
Western & Atlantic Railroad, will hold the
key TO tho situation.
Tho interview is well worth close read
ing.
Mr. nBowN's TALK.
81 think can claim to have been con-
sislcnl ever since took charge OF the trai-
Gc department Of the Western 4 Atlantic
Railroad in the assertion and the consci-
entious belief that this road Is, andiiWop-
crly managed will continue to he, one Of
the most important factors in the naming
OF rates aud the controlling OF through bus
incss Of any road leading from the West
into the Southeast" said Mr.. Joseph NJ.
Brown, traffic manager OF the Western 4
Atlantic Railroad.
"But the Western & Atlantic Is a very
short line surrounded by big sys,oms."
remarked the C0Hsi.ftiipn man.
"ihu tact that II W short line docs not
affect my opinion" answered Mr. lhown
decidedly. 'Its shorincss sin many NJ
spccis positive element OF lis strength.
II Is fourteen miles shorter from Chatta-
nooga 10 Atlanta than IN most direct con-
pctlor and In fact via Boycc il is twenty
miles shorter ifom Atlanta 10 Cincinnati
than Via that competitors linc. It's maxi
mum grades are less than those Of iis CON-
pciitoT iis terminal facilities both In Chat.
tanoogh aud Atlanta are immensely supe-
ror TO those OF It's competitor, aud those
terminal facilities have controlled aud al
Ways will control q very valuable business
against all the efforts Of that connection.
And, by the way, the state In her subse-
qucnt disposition OF the road, II she does
not sell H., ought 10 guard the use Of those
terminals for the benefit o. her road.
Concerning the East Tennessee, Nir-
ginia & Gcorga Railway | will add that
furthermore. having iis own llnc from
Chattanooga to Memphis, aud having the
prospect Of soon owning line from Chat
innOogn via Knoxville 10 Cincinnati, aud
its own line into Mobile aud birmingham,
u will naturally compete with the other
lines leading from the North aud West
aud Southwest 30 Chattanooga; aud. speak
ing ~ railroad man, Il would be the
acmo Of nonsense TO suppose that those
lines would compete with tho East Ten
nesscc. Virginia < Georgia system In Sc
curing business from Ohio aud Mississippi
River points, and give u 10 them at Chat.
tnnooga, thereby cnabling them 10 send
their agents to both the fhippcrr and con-
siynccs and ask them 10 route their future
shipments via the East Tennessee systems
long haul; and 30 We may say viii be the
case with the business forwarded 10 At
lann via other lines going TO tho North
aud West These competitors OF the East
Tennessee, Virginia 4 Georgia system
must naturally, ior their own protection,
Therefore, work with the Western u Atlan-
tic.
rE OPENING OT NrscLE SHOALS.
"But, oven supposlng that all the other
railroads Ia Georgia and all the other rail
roads ccntcfing in Chattanooga should do
the improbable thing Of going into ono
vast combination, aud tho Western 4
Atlantic woro alone left out, thero is an
other resort lcit 90 Il which could be made
most formidable engine Of aggressive
ness against them all. II Il were properly
taken advantage Of by the men In charge
oi the Western x Atlantic"
"What IL this3'
"t refer 10 tho Tennessee River" was
the reply. "Ihc United States Govern
mcnt, ~ is we'll known, has for years past
been appfopfaiing annually money 10 ex-
pend In opening the Muscle Shoals. on
ihe Tennessee River Captain Barlow,
the engineer In charge, has authorized the
statement that the work will be done some
time during this year. and that tho river
will then be open for navigation from
Chattanooga to It's mouth at the Ohio
River. The iar.rcaehlng results OF the
completion OF this work almost siaggcr the
: railroad man who looks at them irom a
revenue standpoint
"Somo months ago IN a public commu-
nicalion on this subject ! used the follow
ing language:
"'The results OF the opening OF the Ten.
ncssco River to navigation by the removal
: OF the ohstructions at What are known a.
, Muscle Shoals, will have a more decided
bearing on the transportation problem %
the South than all the railroad eommis'
sions or interstate commerce commissions
which the State or National Goycfnmen
could organise and empower In the most
plonary manner; and will cNccedany rate
, war I'M their effect upon the public, be-
. cause rate wars reduce the tariffs TO ridicu-
4 lous agurcs. but within few weeks at the
i larthest come 10 an end by mutual agree.
4 ment Of an the lines that they cannot
= afford 10 hurt Themselves ior tho purpose
of hurting each other. Ihs
reduction Of rates isone ol vast imporsaass