The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1906-03-22
Wednesday and Thursday,
March 18th and 10Th, are the
Opening Days at The Hart &
Houston Store. You are cor
daily invited.
Two Big Railroad Combines Headed To-
ward Coal Fields,

The Chesapeake and Ohio railroad,
the South and Western railroad and
the Seaboard Air Line will do for one
combination.
The Louisville and Nashville, the
Virginia and Southwestern and the At
lantic Coast Line will do tor another.
Latest developments are said to indi-
cate that the South and Western rail-
road will be built all the way from
Elkhorn, KY, point on the Chesa-
peake and Ohio, to Rutherfordton, N.
c., a point on the Seaboard Air Line.
1t is well known that it is in course of
construction between the Tennessee
Virginia state line to Rutherfordton.
The Chesapeake and Ohio is one of the
railroads commonly known as "Penn-
sylvania" line, that is, it is controlled
by the same people. OF course the
South and Western belongs to the Sea-
board Air Line. The one aim of the
South and Western line is to reach coal
for the Seaboard.
A competitor of the Seaboard Air
Line is the Atlantic Coast Line, twin
railroad of the Louisville and Nash
vile. Ii the Seaboard Air Line is to
have direct line Of its own to the coal
fields, the Atlantic Coast Line will
have to have one also. The Seaboard
is building its line to the coal fields.
The Atlantic Coast Line is getting
ready to do SO.
To reach the coal fields, the Atlantic
Coast Line will not have to build as
much railroad as the Seaboard Air Line,
providing it secures control of the Vir-
ginia and Southwestern and the Ten
nessee and North Carolina railroad.
The Holston River railroad project is
to be part of the plan. From Mecca
sin Gap, on the Virginia and South
western railroad, down Holston river,
past Rogersville, on to Newport proba-
bly,, taking the Tennessee and North
Carolina railroad to the state line near
Wynesville, and from there on to Spar
tanburg and Greeneville, is a feasible
route. 1t will do to look for an off
shoot to Knoxville and connection
with the Louisville and Nashville.
1t was learned yesterday that the
surveying force, which has been max
ing locating survey for the Holston
River railroad, has completed the river
route and has now gone to make To-
eating survey for the Garter Valley
route. 1t is stated that the Garter Val
ley route is about seven miles shorter
than the river route. The river route
is, however, believed to be less expen
sive to construct.
Another theory, and one which is &C
copied by people we'll informed abou
railroad affairs, is that the Virginia an(
Southwestern railroad is building tn
Holston River railroad to connect will
the Southern railways branch at tn
point where the railroad bridge crosse
the Holston river, near RogersYille
that the Southern is to rebuild its Rog
ersville branch and also construct
line from Rogersville Junction or Bull
Gap, to Newport. In other words, tn
1 Virginia and Southwestern and tn
Southern railway are working togethe
and the purpose is to give an outlet TO
the coal of Southwestern Virginia, bet
ter than is now afforded by haul t
Bristol and then down to Morristown
The route mentioned would cut tn
haul in half
If this theory is correct, the mex
move for the extension of the Holstol
River railroad will be made by tn
Southern railway from Bulls Gap t
| Newport. Knoxville Journal and Tri
bune.