Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1852-06-24
The Railroad. again.

Since our county court has de-
creed that the people shall deter
mine by ballot whether they are will
ling to be taxed to aid in construct
ing the Rock Spring Railroad, the
propriety of having such an outlet,
we are pleased to see, is being can
vassed very generally by the public
mind. This is altogether correct
Before rendering judgment, we.
should, in all matters, give both
sides thorough Investigation, in or
der that we may arrive at just con
illusions, and act understandingly.-
By such a course alone can we deter
mine as to the merits. and render a
verdict based on equitable principles.
Whether the amount requested
for thecontemplated Road should be
thus raised, it is not our province to
determine; that is a question which
We do not propose to discuss. Our
object is to show what the inevitable
result of such enterprises is, as shown
BY the statistics of every section Of
the Union, where they are in opera
ton.
Some doubts are entertained, by
many, that our Road would not pays,
in other words, that the business
transacted would not be sufficient TO
yield a-proft to the stoekholders;-
but this is conjecture alone, unsus-
tanned, we think, by either facts or
argument. Almost the only, and
decidedly the best, way Of determin-
ing that question, after looking at
the capabilities of the soil and the
amount. of the productions in the
section where it is proposed the i'm
provence Mt shall be built, is to learn
what has been the fate Of similar en-
terprises wherever undertaken. The
best way of Judging of the future is
by the past-and the best way Of
Judging of an untried experiment, is
by its I'd tie elsewhere. There is not
a Railroad in the United States, as
shown By the most reliable statistics,
that ever declared smaller dividend
than SIX per cent per annum on the
whole amount invested, after defray-
ing all necessary expenses, save and
except the Decatur Road in Ala,
and that never was completed. We
repeat, and we do it on good author
ity, that; with the solitary exception
mentioned, road never has been
built id the Union, that has failed to
make a handsome profit-and some
of them are located in tracts of coun-
try, compared with which, our own
Lincoln is paradise. And why
should not the same state of things
exist here? 1t would Our soil is
as prolific as ANY under the broad
canopy Of heaYen -our people are as
energetic and industrious, and under
stand the science of agriculture in
all its varied phases, as well as any
people on the face of the earth-and
they are deserving Of and justly en-
titled to, a portion of the wealth and
prosperity that Railroads are throw;
ing into other communities. But il
may be asked, how is this wealth tc
be attained? We answer, by an III
crease "a the price ofour agricultural
productions, and a decrease in the
price Of goods, groceries, and Other
importations. To illustrate: last yeal
salt sola in Fayetteville at 20 and
SO cents per bushel-now, our mer.
chants are selling it for So cents
md IN Tullahoma it is sold at &C
cents. To what can this reduction
with any show of reason, be attribu
ted? Why, to the facilities for trans
oortI Tim Of the Nashville and Chat
tanob ga Railroad. Construct The
Rail oad 10 the Rock Spring, and
salt may be purchased as cheap here
or vd rynearly 50, as at Tullahoma