LOUISVILLE A N D NASHVILLE RAILROAD COMPANY was incorporated in the State of Kentucky on March 5, 1850. Almost from the beginning its undertakings were profitable and with but few reverses it has steadily grown until at the end of 1934 this line operated 5,051-43 m. of road in 13 States of the South, providing service in the territory from Cin cinnati to Louisville, Nashville, Birmingham, Montgomery, Pen sacola, Mobile and New Orleans on the South; Knoxville and Atlanta on the South-east and to Memphis, St. Louis and Evans ville on the West. It also owns a majority of the capital stock of, or is interested jointly with other lines in, other property, includ ing the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis railway; Clinchfield railroad; Chicago, Indianapolis and Louisville railway, and Georgia railroad and Dependencies, aggregating 2,677.06 m., mak ing the total for the L. and N. system 7,728.49 miles. It is itself controlled by the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Company and is known as one of the Walters Group.
The L. and N. operates through a rich section of the central South-east noted for the production of cotton, although recently this region has been characterized by a marked diversity in agri cultural development. The road serves the important iron and
steel district near Birmingham, Ala., but its chief source of traffic —about 6o%—is bituminous coal, mined from the coal fields of eastern and western Kentucky, Virginia, Tennessee, Alabama and Illinois. About 90% of its traffic originates on its own lines.
The L. and N., at the end of 1934, had a capital stock of $117, 000,000 and a funded debt of $225,954,44o. Its gross earnings in 1934 approximated $71,000,000 per annum. (J. B. H.) LOULE, a town of southern Portugal, beautifully situated in an inland hilly district, io m. N.N.W. of the seaport of Faro and 5 m. from Sao Joao da Venda on the Lisbon-Faro railway. Pop. (1930), 17,585. It is surrounded by walls and towers dating from the Moorish period. Basket-making is the principal industry; leather, porcelain and various products of the palm, agave and esparto grass are also manufactured.