Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-01-25
Nashville as a Manufacturing City

Nashville as a Manufacturing City
Cheap Fuel.
If Nashville ever attains the rank and
Importance as a city, which many of our
leading men predict, 1t must be by making
use of all the advantages afforded by her
position, and particularly those which grow
out Of manufacturing enterprises. She
may gather about her an innumerable host
Of merchants, and they may push trade
and commerce to the utmost extent. but
unless she has manufacturing establish
ments Of her own she can never compete
with the great cities of Pittsburg, Cincin-
Hati and Louisville The hills of Tennes-
see furnish the finest iron, and her forests
the greatest variety Of timber. These
must be manufactured at home into articles
of use, 10 meet the demands of all those
sections OF country Of which Nashville is
the natural market. Our monied men
must not continue 10 stand aside apparently
Indifferent, but they must invest portions
Of their capital in manufacturing enter
prises, and invite capital from abroad to
join them. BY so doing, we might, in a
few years, see our city moving forward
with rapid strides to increased wealth and
prosperity, all the monied interests of 90
ciety reaping the advantages of the inyigo-
rating, health-inspiring stimulus
In past years one of the greatest draw
backs on manufacturing enterprises was the
high price of fuel This was a very seri-
Gus obstruction to our progress; but still
we had manufacturing establishments which
enjoyed high degree Of success, notWith-
standing But we must have cheap fuel.
We must find coal beds of easy access, from
which the black diamonds can be
brought to our doors at low prices. Can
we find them This is the question. We
think they have already been found. The
cheapest coal ever sold in Nashville came
from the mines on the Upper Cumberland
mines from which the coal can only be
brought to market on food tide If these
mines were only below the barriers inn
posed by nature, we might expect larger
and cheaper supplies. Well, there are
coal beds below the obstructing shoals and
when once they have been made Of easy
access by the river, we may expect supplies
Of cheap coal from them. Some Of these
beds are in Poplar and Short mountains,
back Of Rowena, Kentucky, and are now
in the possession Of Pennsylvania capital.
lists, who are preparing to give Nashville
the benefit Of their produce They have
organized, under a charter granted by the
Legislature of Kentucky, as the Poplar
Mountain Coal Company, and are engaged
in the construction Of a railroad from the
mines to the Cumberland river. The road
will be seven and half miles in length,
and strike the Cumberland river below
the mouth Of Indian sereek, three miles
from Kowena. A large number of hands
are at work on the road, which, il is eX-
pected, will be ready for the iron by the
lst Of March next A contract for the iron
is being negotiated aud by the lst of
April the iron horse will he ready 10 begin
his work transporting coal TO the river.
The cars have already been contracted for,
and barges, together with a steam tug, will
be in readiness by the latter date Here.
then, Nashville has the prospect, at an
early day, Of cheap coal, furnished by en-
terprising capitalists, who have no inter
est in her welfare, bnt desire 10 profit by
their speculation. But, ought this to CON
tinue2 Would il not be better for Nash
vile capitalists 10 step forward and share
in the direction and profits Of the enter
prise2 We throw out the hint. Let them
investigate the matter and determine.
The following IS a list of the officers Of
She company
-. A Ifaskins, President Cyrus Clark,
Cashier.
Dirasiog-J ~ Phillips Geo. B. Star
rett, Chas ~ Phillips, w W. William
son, Daniel Leisure.
The Office Of the company ia at Danyille,
| Kentucky.
Believing thai this enterprise may be
made subseryient 10 the interests Of Nash
vile, We shall take steps 10 obtain further
information in regard 10 it, and give our
readers the benefit.