Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1911-02-16
Advantages of a Railroad Across CIinch
Mountain.

The spirit Of quickening into activ-
ity of our section of country, as demon
strated in the recent meeting of the
Virginia and Tennessee Agricultural
and Industrial Association, prompts me
to assume the liberty of adding my en-
deavor to the cause of progress in sub
hitting some remarks on the subject of
railroad route across the Clinch noun
tain, and through the construction of
which this formidable obstacle as a bar
rier of communication between impor-
tant sections, would thus be eliminated.
In recent years we have witnessed a
pronounced awakening and consequent
march of development along the entire
Clinch Valley; with railroads, these in
dispensible mediums of progress, car
rying the Goals of this section to the
points of consumption and to tidal ports
Yet, as nearby as all this development
is located, it can be plainly observed,
that these older sections, around and
about Bristol, Abingdon and johnson
City, are not securing other than a par
tial benefit from this source, and for
the lack of same, we may consequently
fall into state of depression and stag
, nation, and thus continuing, until meas
ures be taken to accomplish the con-
struction of such a railroad. A verit-
able barrier to intercommunication is
this great upthrow, the Clinch noun
tains, which must be evident to all,
when it is realized that for a distance of
$50 miles, from the New River gorge,
at Pearisburg, to Speer's Ferry, this
mountain has, so far, been an actual
impeachment to a full development of
this section of Southwest Virginia and
East Tennessee.
About a generation back l conducted
a series of surveys for railroad across
the barrier, but it seems that the pro-
ject was in advance of the times; this
before any of the now existing railroads
in the Clinch Valley section were talked
of, and not even a wagon road in Dick
enson and Buchanan. But we may con-
slider 1.-The day and the hour" to be now
at hand for the accomplishment of this
good work, and it gives me pleasure to
be able to state that practicable route
can be secured across the Clinch noun
tain, with general course favorable to
this section. The point of crossing of
Clinch mountain, at Little Moccasin
Gap, the point of divergence, of one
proposed line, at Honaker, the objec-
tive point in this section, Bristol. The
distance from Bristol to Honaker, by
this route, estimated to be forty-five
miles; thus being seventy miles from
johnson City via Bristol to Honaker.
The distance from johnson City via the
Carolina, Clinchfield and Ohio, and the
Clinch Valley to Honaker, 100 miles,
meaning a saving of 300 miles by the
Little Moccasin Gap route. AS the Nor
folk and Western company is at pres
ent time engaged in the work of short
ening its line by means of ''cut off
from Cedar Bluff to the Tug River, q
understand it to be the intention of this
company to utilize the Carolina, Clinch-
field and Ohio road to the South Allan
tic COAST, this shortening of 80 9 miles,
by the Little Moccasin Gap ''cut off, -
might be of corresponding interest to
these people
The main line of my survey continued
from Little Moccasin Gap, via Dumps
Creek and Russell Fork of Big Sandy,