Crossville chronicle. [volume] (Crossville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1915-06-02
THREE DIXIE HIGHWAY
ROUTES THROUGH
THIS STATE.
Two That Have Been Designated Are
More Than 100 Miles Longer Than
the Short Route and Will
Never Be Completed

Never Be Completed.
The stragetic position of the Short
Route Dixie highway Is becoming more
apparent each day as the obstacles that
beset the other two routes become ap-
parent, At the same time the great
advantage that the Short Route has
over the other two makes the people
daily more determined that the Short
Route must and will be built.
In order that the situation may be
placed IN a clear and understandable
| light before all who are interested in
the construction of this great highway,
and especially our own people in Cum
berland county, we will explain the
situation:
WESTERN ROUTE.
What is known as the western or
Nashville route is by far the weakest
of the three and there is less enthus-
,asm and interest manifest in IFS COM
pIet,on. The following are the reas-
ons:
1t is los miles longer than the Short
Route. Several counties through. which
it is routed have toll turnpikes. Per-
sons travelling over those roads Will be
required to pay from twenty-five to
fifty cents at every toll gate and they
are located on. an average Uf not over
ten to twelve miles apart. That will
mean in some instances that tourist
would have to pay dollar or more to
get through county. Nor is that all !:
This condition can not be remedied for
two years, If at all. Before this condi-
tion can be remedied the counties must
buv the roads and remove the toll
gates. Counties can only purchase
the toll roads after an enabling act has
been passed by the legislature author
izinp such action. The legislature will
not convene again for two years, which
renders the purchase OF these toll
roads impossible within the time limit
of one year, which was fixed by the
highway commission at its las, meet
ing at Chattanooga, tor the highway to
be completed for traffic.
That very condition kills the western
or Nashville route, if nothing more
stood in the way. But that is not all.
There are three or four counties on the
| hot
have no funds for building in sight ard
they will have to wait until the legls-
lature convenes again before they can
get an enabling act that will permit
them to issue bonds for building their
! section, These counties manifested
little or no interest in the read before
it was located, which would seem to
indicate that they will hardly take the
1 trouble to vote bonds to build their
section. even if time would permit,
which it will not.
! In the face of these conditions 1t be-
comes very clear that the Nashville
route will never be built.
EASTERN ROUTE.
The eastern or Knoxville route is in
only little better shape. In the first
place the Knoxville route is Ill miles
longer than the Short Route via Cross
Vile. Nor is that all:
The distance from Knoxville to Cum
berland Gap has SO miles Of the line
with no pixies built. In order to reach
Cumberland Gap over a pike from
Knoxville tourists going north must
come to Kingston, Roane county, dis
tance of nearly fifty miles, and then
90 via Hartman, Oliver Springs and
other points. That means that the dis
tance is increased some IS niles at
least, which would make the entire
distance that the Knoxville line woulu
be longer than the Short Route nearly
200 miles. After going via Kingston
the tourist cannot get closer than five
miles of Cumberland Gap and that five
miles is very bad road. There are
some good roads in Knox county and
some of the other counties on the line
but there are long gaps where there