The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1850-12-27
LAYING DOWN The IRON.


between the Hlwa.soo and Tennessee tt
ready COR them. We wish we could an
swer this question satisfactorily. The an
nunl meeting of the Stockholders take'
lace on the frs, Monday Of Janupry, an,
it is Of vita importance To the people AM
to the interests Of the Company, that Il con
,rac, should he made for the completion q
the work between the two rivers. And yc
this cannot be done, as has before been sta
ted, without some additional u cans ar,
rniscG, /; is absolutely necessary, nnt
wlhou, it ~ done we are afraid The ter
minus Of the r0nd wiz be at Charleston -
Does any friend Of the enterprise desire II
10 terminate there? A. far MS 1t would b'
TO the interests Of the ciiz"ns Of thni
pInce. we could have no objection. but the
interests of the entire people of East Ten,
nrs>ee, ,h" interests Of the Stockholders,
and the success Of the enterprise are all in
VOWED in the immediate extension and
early compc ion bf the road to it's proper
terminus, Knoxville The people Of upper
East Tennessee nre interested in its extern
sion. the people Of Knoxville deeply so.
rs well MS the people Of Monroe and this
county. But there is no town or point on
the whole line, the people Of which ought to
feel deeper or more lively interest in
the extension nf this important work than
the citizens Of Athens; and to them We
wish to address few words on the present
OCCASION. You have seen for years, frl.
low citiZnns, the business Of your town
languishrng. industry almost parayzpd, AMI
every thing indicating n downward tendcn'
CIV. It is true, that .here is n good deal Of
Business done here: but j, is not near as
Inrge as it ough, to be. or ns any one ac-
Gpaln,ed with the location would BIZ led 70
expect. The comfy seat of one OF the
mos. wealthy and popnIous counties in East
Tennessee, and the centre Of a rich md fer
tile region, 1t might be supposed that Ath-
ems had baen steadily progressing towards
prosperity. But do the facts show any snch
reSlt! No! How much hns the popnn-
ton increa sod in the last ten years! How
many improvements hive been made- how
many new buildings orec'ed-hnw much
active capital added to the business of the
place? Every citizen can answer these
questions without going into very minute
calcnln'ion. There are evidences Of i'm
prOvcmcnt md an increased prosperity in
nil her sister ,Owns-whv is it that athens
does not ndvanc"-can any one tell! We
think We could, but it is not necessary t"
our purpose to do so at this time. Our oh
icct now is to wake up the ci,2rns. aud
arouse their slumberIng energies by urging
upnn them the mnorlnnre Of OF once doing
somcthing before things get worse. llnv"
You given lh snhoc any serious consider.
v'ion-or did YOU aver think what would
he the effect upun the business of this place
in the event the road is suffered To stop nj
the HiwasSee, even for n few years! The
greater portion of the peoIln Of the county
nov do their trading here-bui in the oven,
alluded to. how long w ND it he before
they would seek Calhoun mud CharlrS'on?-
They would 90 there to sell their surplus
producc-nnd wou'd there buy t"eir dry
goods, sugar, coffee, salt. and other ncccs
snries, aud the business interests here
would DIV indie into the most contemplate
| nsigniirance, while town properly would
deprcca'r IN value to almost nothing. We
are not seeking to excite nlarm, but mere
" stating whnt every rejecting man must
see will be the inevitable result Of permit
ting The road to stop Il, the llwusse", even
for limited period.
But some one asks. what is to be done?
what would you have the people of Athens
do? We would have them give the snhiecr
tina, consideration ITS imp"rtanc" demands
we would have them, or at least That por-
ton Of thrm who are able. (nnd many OF
mem are uolUuhn'ly sp) luke s'oCk anu
contribute towards raising the means to ex.
tend the wOrk-we w0nd have them look
to their true inierrsts-tn talk less and act
mure-to cease s,andins with their hands
in their breeches pockels and mouths gap,
wondering when The railroad will be along
and why the devil the Directory don't has.
ten i,s complptiUn-a~ though an enterprise
of such magnitude could be accomplished
without means, or without nd from those
10 whose benefit it is chiefly to enure.-
This il what we would have the people Of
Athens dn--,ake a portion oi the fifteen
Thousand dollars worth of stock necessary
10 carry the road through his county. II
is within the power and ability of the peo.
ple OF the town and county to build up q
healthy and Permanent business hereto
draw & large and profitable trade to this
place, which would prove mutually benefi-
ciaI. II, however. requires an ehort-if 1t
is made the object will b" secured. Bur if
NO stand with our arms folded. listlcss and
Indifferent, the auspiciouS moment will