Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-10-16
TENNESSEE.
Col. TAIT, President Of the Mem

Coi- 1AIT, President OF the Memphis and
Charleston railroad, said at the banquet of
the Nashville and Memphis Chamber of
Commerce
The minds who conceived or those who ma
tured. and the hands that executed the designs
and purposes Of the General Internal Improve
ment laws of Tennessee will live in the hearts of
Fennessoans; Was the law wise one and has
II suceeededI VIII 1t rebound to the interest of
the State think glance at the figures viii
show that the system has been Of the greatest i'm
gortance to il In 1895 the taxable wealth Of tho
state was $ll7. 00Oe00-the value of our land 81
per acre. In 1852. sixteen years thereafter. the
taxable wealth Of the State was $lS6, ,000 an
increase OF less than sixty per cent, while our
internal Improvement law was passed. What
was the result? In the eight intervening years to
1850 We had built over 200 miles Of railroad, and
land had increased TO SIS 03 per acre. and our tax
able wealth to SSS9000 600 in period Of eight
years. or ITO per cent"
In 1851 Mr.. HEwsoN, scientific engineer
Of Memphis, conceived the idea, that from
actual results and experience, he could dis
cover the precise value impaired to lands at
different distances from the railroads. He
constructed a curious diagram which may be
found in DeBOw's Rcrieu, Vol. xE page $50,
and says:
IF five dollars an acre be the value of land at
the disadvantage of hauling. at a cost of 80 cents
per hundred pounds. this value, if we assume the
gross haulage, at 100 pounds to the acre, n low
estimate, will be raised in consideration of trans
port OF 10 cents per 100 pounds, to So per acre.
The cost Of haulage By ordinary roads is seven
times the cost by railroads. The result of railroads
on agriculture is therefore, in effect, to draw the
plantations along the route within one-seYenth of
their actual distance from market.gr.1 4 e-
In the case of \ railroads running through An
inland district plantation, or tract of land stu
ated on the line at a distance of 20 miles from
market, receives benefit equivalent to the cost
Of hauling Its produce and return supplies over
sixty miles Of common roads. and this additional
value Is impaired to each acre Of the land"
Speaking of the Vicksburg and Brandon
Railroad, much of it through apine country,
Mr.. ROACH, of Vicksburg, said in 1851:
farmer on the line Of the road has n farm Of
Indifferent sort, lying on a bed Of rocks A build
ing IS commenced at Jackson. and the nature Of
the spot forblds the use of brick for foundation.
Our farmer barren rocks. IS miles from the pro-
posed building, are brought into requisition. They
are put into his pocket, in the shape Of cash.
Without the railroad they were only nuisance.
Take any tract Of land. however poor its timber
Il along the railroad. will make it more valuable
than the best lands which not accessible etc."
But Of what avail to multiply illustra-
tions9 The experience Of proprietors along
all the great routes of railroad are uniform
on the subject. Seldom or never is the adj
vantage less than that Of duplication, and in
many cases the lands at once appreciate to
three, five, and ten times their original Ualtid-
ton. The cause of this is natural enough,
and has been fully explained. Well, there
fore, may farmer subscribe-and subscribe
liberally-to enterprises which, besides the
chances Of annual dividends, (which we
shall see hereafter are always good), will
bring such substantial home results. II his
estate be worth s., 900 or $1,000, he may
well give half Of it to the company, in fee
simple, and never have cause but to rejoice
in the act. The word "gift, however, is a
MISSIONER. It is the railroad that is the
great giver, the great benefactor, which Gre
ates for him wealth when he sleeps, which
is making him rich when often he has
thoughtlessly opposed it.
Experience has universally shOwa thai men
Dho smear against railroads, and rho absent
Themselves from he meetings. protest that they
iCiR gire nothing IN their aid, but wOuld rather
giue 80 much not 10 hare them, are the very first
srhea he rosfte IS located IN tie vscinity Of ei
lands, % make a parade about the benefit that
The lands hare recessed, and 70 demand eriorfi0n-
ale prices for them should a purchaser chance TO
IL,