Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-02-09
rill. be comnieted. connecfine our citx direc.-


ly and indirectly with many produce-dis-
triets, and commercial marts. When these
are finished, if you do not resort to manufac.
turing, Pittsburg, Cincinnati, ST. Louis and
Louisville will annihilate your present feeble
manufacturing establishments Louisville
will impair your wholesale dry goods trade,
while Memphis will thrust her groceries in
the very teeth of your grocery merchants
while she will attract to her warehouses, as
she is now doing. the cotton bales. and other
produce from Giles, Lincoln and Maary
counties. All this hereafter in detail we will
prove incOntestably. These are the improve
ments Nashville has always mostly needed
First The uninterrupted navigation of her
river. Because upon this cheaper than upon
canals or railroads, all heavy freight-snch
as sugar, coffee, molasses, iron, cotton.
tobacco. ETC., can be shipped or transported.
To say otherwise is to defy all experience or
facts. Thus if this city. county and State
had expended one fourth of the money they
have on humbug railroads. to enrich their
various officers and avorites, on the improve
ment of our river, Nashville and this county
and State would have been much more bene-
fitted.
Then the next most important internal i'm
provement to our city was the completion of
the Nashville and Henderson Railroad to
these ineXhaustible coal fields of Kentucky,
whence, forever, she could have obtained the
cheapest fuel. The next most important in
ternal Improvement was a railroad direct to
Knoxville, there to connect with the chain
extending eastward through Virginia: the
next, railroad direct to the city of Mem
phis, connecting III Re with the Mississippi
river and the chain concentrating there, and
crossing intermediately, and from thence ex
tending westwardy; the next Improvement
was railroad direct to Louisville. connect
ing there with the Ohio river and the chain of
railroads diverging from this point to the
north and west; the next Improvement,
railroad direct to North Alabama, connecting
with the Selma and Gunter's Landing roads,
leading southwestwardly, Thus all the
through travel and shipments would have
passed through Nashville she would have
been in continuous connection with st. Louis
and New Orleans and her manufacturing in
dustry and grocery trade would have been
erected upon an enduring basis. These are
the improvements we need now, and have
ever needed, and their want will hereafter
PROSTATE our city at the feet of other com
mercial marts. However, more of this here
after.
Thus, from the future position of Nash
vile, when her present ch3iH of railroads
shall hay been completed and from want,
or from the neglect, of those that alone should
have been built. One Object of those stock
holders of this company who reside in Nash
vile, and who, from early manhood, have
been identified with all her interests and pro-
gress was to secure through their influence,
by means of this proposition, the cheapest
fuel to our citizens-to protect and build up
at least her mechanical and manufacturing
classes and interests.
But it is said that the Up River and Nash
vile and Chattanooga Railroad Coal Compa-
mics can supply Nashville with coal, and make
money, even at less rate than 124 cents per
bushel. If so, why have they not done it a?
Have they not already, too long, by differ
ent policy, impeded the progress Of our city,
and banquetted upon the necessities of its
citizens? By adopting the proposition of
the Hopkins Mastodon Coal Company, these
Coal Companies will forever hereafter he
forced to lower their prices to the standard of
this Company, or be driven from the field of
competition. When it is known throughout
the country that the best fuel can be uniform
ly had at III cents per bushel. in our city, ii
will attract here both mechanical and manu-
featuring labor and capital. For then Nash
vile will have commanding advantages over
st. Louis, Louisville, Cincinnati. Richmond,
Philadelphia Baltimore, New York or Boston.
Here is the proof The average price of coal
at Cincinnati is from II to l6 cents per hush
ell; at Louisville. from II to Is cents Rich
mond from II to II cents Baltimore. from
II to l6 cents at Philadelphia, from Is to
20 cents at st. Louis, for the best from IL
to 20 cents while at New York and Boston
it is much higher. Thus, with the exception
Of Pittsburgh, Nashville will for term of
years procure her fuel at less average price
than any of these-the largest manufacturing
cities of our Union. Besides, cheaper than
any of them she can procure the raw mate
rial of cotton. wool and iron, and she is ne; r
er the great centre Of Southern consumption.
See exhibit C, which includes the prices cur
rent of coal at these points for series of
years, and also Taylor on Coal"
W n. BILBO.
FRO BE Continued