The Marietta journal and courier. (Marietta, Ga.) 1909-1918, 1914-05-29
GUYT. McLENDON REPLIES TO
w. J. HARRIS ON w, AND A.


Macon Telegraph some interesting
views on the disposition of the Wes-
tern and Atlantic Railroad, called
forth by the position taken by Colo
mel w. H. Harris in regard to the
new lease
Mr.. McLeRdon says:
THE value OF the w. & A. r. r. to
the people of Georgia will depend
upon the manner in which the sub
ject will be handled by the legisla-
lures of 19i5-16 and 1917-1S and by
the governor for that period.
Its value is problematical. Let
the reader get any correct map of
Georgia and Tennessee and draw a
straight line from Nashville to At.
lanta. This line will miss Chatta-
nooga, passing about thirty miles to
the south of Chattanooga and eros
sing the Tennessee river at Bridge
port. The N. c. & st. l.. owning from
Nashville to Bridgeport has, | am
told, continuous right of way from
Bridgeport to point of connection
with the terminal properties, tracks,
etc, in and around Atlanta, owned or
controlled by the l.. & n r. r. CO.
BY building from Bridgeport to a con
nection with these Atlanta terminals
the n c. & st. l.. could get into and
through Atlanta without having any
need for any part of the State pro-
perty in Atlanta
BY building from Bridgeport to
Atlanta the N. G. & St l.. would have
a shorter line from Nashville to At
lanta by about thirty miles than the
present route from Nashville to At
lanta via Chattanooga and the w. K
A. r. R.
If the N. c. & st. l.. should not
be the successful bidder at the next
leasing of the w. & A. it would nat
urally build from Bridgeport to At
lanta. Why?For the simple reason
that such a line would be necessary
to connect the l.. 4 N. system west
of Bridgeport some four or five thou
east of Atlanta, some four or five
thousand miles, because these two
great systems are one and would neeI
this connection. If the N. C. & st.
l.. should build from Bridgeport to
Atlanta the l.. & ~ would naturally
build from Gainesville and from Ma
rietta, two short pieces of road, to
connect up the lines from Nashville
and Knoxville, bringing them into
Atlanta on a common track.
If the N. C. & st. l.. should build
from Bridgeport to Atlanta and the
L. & N. extend from Gainesville and
Marietta to connect with this Bridge
port-Atlanta line, all of which could
be done at cost of less than nine
million dollars, what would happen
to the w, & A. R. R? The first thing
would be the immediate loss of two
thirds of its revenue producing traf-
fic. Then what becomes of all this
childish prattle about the w. & A. r.
r. being worth twenty million dol
lars.
Think of it, $2O,OO0,0OO is at the
rate of $4,000 per mile. No rail
road in the south is worth one-half
or even one-third of that figure. The
w, & A. earRs act 5 per cent on
$50, 100000, but solely because the
present lessee and the family of
roads to which it belongs gives it the
business from which to earn it. If
the people of Georgia will have the
newspapers of Georgia print them,
Will furnish, without charge, a great
many facts concerning the w. & a.
r. r. which the people ought to
know before they elect anybody to
office"
Mr.. McLendon is familiar with the
subject and although what he says
has gloomy sound it is well to face
the facts The railroads could
wreck the Western & Atlantic if
they were to combine against it.
Fear of antagonizing the people is
the only thing that can prevent it.
The property ought to be double
tracked and extended to the sea. and
leased on that basis The men who
built the road three-quarters of
century ago were far-seeing states
men, The legislatures that have let
the property stand still for fifty
years in the face of unparalleled
growth and development on every
side and on both ends of it have done
the State an unspeakable injustice.