Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-10-16

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MR. De BOWS LETTKRs-Ho. III.


After the argument that has already beer
advanced, il will scarcely Be necessary tc
make further reference to general principles
The illustrations are innumerable.
Between 1858 and 1859. the four eoun.
ties Of Butler, jackson, LIMESTONE and
Lowndes, Alabama, increased their land
valuation from $9,798, 1876 to SIG, Gle, S29
IN consequences Of the construction Of rail-
roads through them, whilst the counties
which bad no roads-Coosa, Barbour, Cham
bers and Pickens-increased only from S.
So, 4l0 to s., 49,, 1865.
In the years 1s56-57, whilst the whole in
crease Of taxables in Tennessee was about
forty million dollars, Eve of its chief rail-
road counties gave twenty millions Of that
increase. These counties were Davidson,
Williamson, Rutherford, Bedford and Shelby.
Speaking to the people Of Greenyille, S.
C., several years since, the Hon. B. f. PER-
RY said:
II can well remember. fellow-citizens, whom
your hour and your corn could command no
market. Every man had as much as he wanted
and none could be sent OF. Farmers had no in
dueemenf 90 work except small part Of their
time Labor was in no demand. NerJ often
have seen men wishing to hire themselves to
work ~ twenty-five cents per day. Seldom any
ldleness and a coarse, uncomfortable way Of liv-
ing, and dissipation. All this has passed away
with the railroad
The Engineer Of the Alabama Central
Railroad who made, several years since, one
of the ablest reports ever published in any
country, gives the following striking illus
tration Of the effects of the railroad, upon
the habits, manners, enterprise and wealth
Of the people of the interior.
In 1887 he says:
In 1887. was engaged on the Georgia State
Road just then commenced. there became ac-
qualnted with the people along that road-their
habits and their means. Beyond their actual
wants Tor food they raised nothing st all. The
men moped around and shot at a mark. The wo-
men seemed to do but little. whilst their children
poorly cared for, sauntered about from place to
place. as If their highest thoughts were bent upon
eatchingrabits, possums. or some such small game.
what was the use to work when il would cost
them two dollars per bushel to get their wheat to
market and then only get enc. In 1857. l went
back again and what a changel The rivers were
the same the kennesaw Mountain had not
ehanged-the Crooked Spoon" still rolled along
the men and women that once l knew were
tnere-the boys had grown TO be men and the girls
TO be women but their BtieR was changed. The
old men stood erect as with conscious pride they
looked upon the waving fields of grain. The ma
irons busted themselves about their diaries and
looms, whilst the sturdy boys we're graphing with
the plough. What has brought this change about?
Listen for awhile and You will hear the iron horse
fuel and Bnter-a man gets of the train. He is a
Charleston man or perhaps the agent Of the Mont
gomery Mills. The cars go on and he goes to the
house. he meets the farmer-they have met BE-
fore. His business is to buy his grain. Strange
but true. that the demand for wheat should be 30
great as TO induce the merchant 10 buy at the far
mers door. He Offers 81 so per bushel cash. for
his crop, and will furnish the sacks to put it in.
That wont do. Savannah was here yesterday and
Columbus thesday before, and they offered more.
Here Is the Key to this change. This solves the
mystery. The great State R0ad-the iron horse
the dollar and a half per bushel, cash. tells the
tale. This is literally the truth as any one can
ascertain by lnquiFing Of the men that know"
In Georgia lands which were in the mar
ket in 1916 at from ten to fifty cents per acre,
commanded in 1S49, when the Chattanooga
railroad was in operation, from ten to twenty
dollars. On the Mobile and Ohio railroad.
lands without purchaser, for thirty years.
advanced at once to three dollars, and in
many cases eight dollars per acre. The es-
innate on the pine lands was an increase of
from 500 to 5000 per cent. In Ohio the
taxable property was in amount $780,
O00, 900, when there were only eighty-nine
miles Of railroad, and $40, 900, 600 when
three thousand miles of railroad had been
constructed. In Illinois the rise was from
SI2,OOO,OOO when twenty-five miles existed,
to $402,000,000 with two Thousand five
hundred and ninety-eight miles. In Indi-
ana an increase from thirty miles to one
thousand eight hundred and sixty-two miles,
increased the value Of property from $1l9,-
100000 to SSl700000O. Maryland by
building sixty-fve miles increased the prop
erty valuation Sl16,000,000; Georgia six
hundred and nine miles railroad, S24S, O00,-
O00 property; one thousand three hundred
and seventy miles 5000, 100000 property