American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1869-07-03
RAILROADS.
What they do for a Country.

IN our preceding numbers WE nave
discussed the effects of railroads in
developing the natural resources of
coun Tin enhancing the value of
lands, by reducing the cost of trans
porting farm produce to market, and
enabling the farmer to buy his sup
plies ut lower rates-in promoting
immigration stimulating trade |
between distant SecIi0nS-ln foster /
ing Il spirit Of enterpriSe-in increas- /
ing travel and social intercourse. |
This week we propose to consider /
their effect in building up towns.
Hundreds of towns have been built (
up i'll this country, within the last /
fifteen to twenty years, through the |
agency OF railroads. Numerous in |
stances might be given where they
have sprung mp, as 1t were, by magic.
In the Northern and New England
States, where railroads are extreme
ly common, Touring towns and vii
lagos are to he seen at intervals of
only Il few mileS-in some sections,
the country is almost a continuation
of towns.
! Railroads build mp towns by di-
recting he attention of travellers, and
especially those in search of new
homes. to the natural advantages
enjoyed by particular localities.
AS the merchant has to use vari-
Ous agencies, and especially that of
alxnrtlSiun to lrn II. thu attnntinn- of
tention of capitalists, men of enter
prise, and immigrants, to be drawn,
by various agencies. to localities that
possess natural advantages tor COM
mercial pursuits, manufacturing, ed
ucation, health or social enjoyment.
And of the various agencies that
have been tried, to Euild up towns,
pone have been found so ef1icaciuS as
railroads. Places that are out off
the way-off of the great lines of
travel-can only be reached by the
stage coach, or which is still slower.
by privae cOnveyance-either OF
which modes Of travelling is altogeth-
er too slow for the present age.
Thirty years ago, these were the
modes that had to be relied upon in
this country. Then Greensboro was
well-known, and often frequrnted by
Virginians, North and South Caro-
lians, and Gcorgians, in search of
homes. For Il period of fifteen years,
commencing with about 1885,
Greensboro was better known, and
more trequented by persons i'll search
of home, than probably any town of
-, tl,n CA,,th p,,E hn,, "a,
country began to be traversed by
railroads, Greensboro, no longer on
the great line Of travel, soon began
to decline in prosperity. And the
experience of Greensboro, i'll this
motter Is the experience Of hundreds
Of towns i'll the United States.
| The natural advantages of towns
that cannot be conveniently and eX
=. peditiously reached. are likely to ht
. overlooked by the immigrant-whilsl
I towns, situated on railroad, thoagl
possessed of fewer natural attrac
tions-wiIl be settled up much fas
ter, and far outstrip, in the race o
prosperity, those deprived of railroa,
facilities.
OF the hundreds of towns in thi.
= country that have been built up b,
: railroads-and with the history o
4 which, many of our readers are fit
millar, we would refer to the follow
+ ing
n Atlanta, Ga; Chattanooga. Knox
) vile and Bristol, Tenn; Auburn ant
Opelika, Ala; and Meridian, Miss.
+ Scores of others, familiar to tn
t writer, might be named, that hav
5. doubled or trebled their population
within the last dozen years, througI
the aid of railroads. And, by turn
; ing to a general Railroad Map, W
n could find Illustrations enough to ii
the columns of the Beacon
Atlanta, the most Furnishing it
n land town in the South, owes its or
- gin and its almost unexample
= growth, to railroads. 1t was laid on
as town in 1915, and in 1853 had
i population OF 1000. AT the con
IL mencement Of the war it WAS in
/ most prosperous condition,-but
considerable portion OF it was dc
e strOyad by the enemy. Soon, howe
l. yer, after the war ended, men Of pul
It lie spirit and enterprise went t
work to develop its natural advaI
# tages. Factories were erected, ne
o channels OF business opened, and
is soon took another vigorous start 0
the high road OF prosperity
% But for its railroads, -Atlant
,uanll lNnhlx-
= existence -Four important railroad
~ radiate from that point, -making
- the greatest thoroughfare in IL
South. Its present population, "
" Judge, is fifteen to twenty thousant
. Chattanooga, though situated 0
y the Tennessee river, with the aid
II navigation for eight months in I'll
Ie year, grew very slowly, till its natl
al advantages were developed h
N railroads. 1t is on the line of I'll
n, Memphis & Charleston road, and til
80 Southern terminus of the Nashvil
in q Chattanooga road, and the NOrtl
ern terminus of the Atlanta & Yves
70 ern (Ga.) road. 1t is now in flou
5 {: ishing condition,-with IA population
" we Judge, of some ten thousand.
" Knoxville, at the time the capit
m of the State, and most favorably 81
uated for health, grew very slowl
n till it was brought into direct con
-b muuication with the centers of trat
tennessee, anu GIu" Ms r"i,."iy.
x Bristol, in the Northeastern CO
W ner of the State, bordering Oh Vi
NC ginia, has been built up entirely
q its railroad facilities. 1t was la
n' out as town thirteen or fourtet
years ago, and now has a popul
er ton Of probably $500.
Is, Auburn and OpcliIa, Ala, ov
ut their existence to the Montgomery
., West Point Railroad.
'" Meridian, Miss, situated on IL
'o Mobile & Ohio Railroad, at the Ea>
ern terminus of the NickSburg q NJ
Tx ridian, and the Western terminus
!, the Selma & Meridian road. 1t WI
y laid out as u town, some three
~ four years before the commencemeI
IT. of the war,-and though it suffer,
cS greatly from the vandalism of Il
lc- Federal armV-it NOW has a nonuI