Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1915-02-18
KNOCKS ON
JAMES ROAD
Dixie Highway Booster Makes
a Bold Fight.
ARGUES, FOR "ORIGINAL
ROAD" VIA NASHVILLE
Declares Highway Built Over WaId-
ems Ridge Will Serve But 32,-
600 as Against $4,000
Tributary to Other.

There is hot fight on for selec
tion for a route for the proposed Dix
lie Highway Two routes are in view
one via Nashville, over present routt
thru tnis county, the other proposed
by G E James up Walden's Ridge
and missing Nashville completely.
The following article on the subject
which is the cause of much debate. il
from the Chattanooga Times, snd
shows clearly some of the relative ad
vsutages of the present route:
For three days c. B Payne, OF
Monteage, Tenn, has been In the
city seeking SUPPORT for the retention
Dixie highway through this state
along Naluen's Ridge, together with
$50, 600 towards the cost of the road,
PRO, osed route via Nashville and
through Coffee county have become
active in rroclaiming what they term
advantages of the Coffee county route
an asNalling Objectionable features of
tbe James route,
Mr.. Payne has voluntarily "invad-
ed" the home of road enthusiasts who
favor tue James route and Incl entail
ly inquiring regarding preparations 5
Here for the conference of governors,
during which either route will be ad-
opted, is presenting arguments for the
Middle Tenne.seans' contentious.
"Ail of the citizeus along our
routa, " SAYS Mr. Payne, "bsve con-
tracte the good roads faVer ana they
are rea y and willing to Law business
cares ide now and shovel Dirt
In statement prepared for The
Times, Mr. Payne contrasts the two
route9, saying, among other things;
The Nashville routa is the logical
and only feasible one, and the only
one that will subserve the greatest
good to the greatest number of people.
This is PARTICULARLY so in its applica-
tion to Tennessee. On the other hand
the James route across the state of
Tennessee is remote and some what
visionary, to say the least. if not
wholly possible from financial stand
uoiut Both of these routes pass thru
Hamilton county, wherein is located
the city of Chattanooga, There is al
ready good acadam road over that
part of the county traversad by the
Nashville route; over the James route
there are about ten miles of good load
already built in Hamilton county,
with approximately fifteen miles to
lJe built through the mountains Fur
ther than this reference Hamilton
county will be eliminated in any com
PARSONS that may be made by me,
In Tennt ssee, between the Kentucky
state line and the Hamilton county
line, the "original ami logical route
passes through the counties of Sum
ner, Davidson, Rutherford, Coffee,
Grundy and Marion, aud through the
county seats of everyone of these coun-
ties. These counties ale undoubtedly
among the very best in the state, with
a population according to the latest
United States census of 351. O65 They
are populons, abounding in resources,
Iich in scenery and points Of histori
cal interest. They already have good
roads almost throughout their entire
distance. aud they are making them
better every day t@-'i ~~-',s '.-' -
The James route passes through
Pickett, Fentress. Cumberland, Bied- |
soc and Sequatchie counties, and it,
masses through only two of the county
seats The counties just mentioned are
mountainous and sparsely settled, be- !
ing for the most part on the Cumber-
land plateau, or on top of Walden's
riGge. aud consequently are among the
very poorest in the state, and have a
total population of only 80, 39l,
The contrast between a population
of 251 900 and 32, 600 is great; the PRO-
portion is abont eight to Que The
contrast of the county seats along the
two routes is even greater The fig
ures stand 143, 465 against $685. the
is over 1866 to I. The fact
is that long the James route. across
the whole state of Tennessee, a dis
tance of more than 100 miles, theIe is
not a sifgle town whose population
reaches 500 souls, with the exception
Of Crossville, in Cumberland county,
which has population of 763 Byrds
town. the county seat of Pickett coun-
ty through which "the crow is TO fly
has a population Of only 100 The
distance across the state via way the
'o=iginal and logical route is about
IT'S miles from the Kentucky line to
Chattanooga, and was trave,sed in
1914 by about 600 to 500 automobiles
The distance as outlined in the James
route, las the crow flies" is about
ta5 miles, but if a road survey was
made over this route we would find it
to be at least onethird greater dis
tanee, or about 156 miles The crow