Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-11-20

Another ohapssr from zeno.


Another Chapter from Zeno.
To the Editors Of the Union and American:
In our last we offered > remedy for our
ills as city. Let US now carefully ex-
anime feE points: \
I. The mechanic must have a house,
and 1t as low rate as he can get It in
other cities, or he cannot work as cheap
here as he can there. If he cannot, then
his products here wiz be higher than
there, and this ends the question of man.
ufacturing In Nashville. Just so long as
this is true, capital viii tarn awsy from
us, or seek investments in other ways.
OF course we cannot manufacture. And
every man who Is attempting to invest his
means in these industrial pursuits, IS
running risk. It is well for rs to In
vestigaie this quessior. Real estate, both
lands and houses, is 90 per cent. higher
in Nashville than In st. Louis, Louisville,
Chicago or Cincinnati, taking proper
tional distance from the center. This is
true also IN regsrdto rents, and any man
win find it SO who viii take the pains 70
investigate. Go to New York, and begin
at the outer limits of the city and come
toward the center, and rents, including
the means of convenience, are 100 per
cent cheaper there than they are here.
We challenge any man to the inVestiga-
ton. How can we compete with these
places while this is truel It is simply
impossible. Next, when we compare the
cost Of the market, we are even with
them. Some articles with Us are higher,
and many Others lower. So our trouble
does not lie in that direction. In point
OF sc sson and climate we have greatly the
advantage of any of them.
What is in our way then? We answer,
nothing, so much as the want of good,
cheap houses and plenty of them. Now,
how can we get these? The first thing is
ground to build ON, and here we viii land
every time VIC start out. Who buys the
lots at our land sales2 Not one in ten
of said purchasers purpose to build on
them. An waiting till this becomes q
great city. | want to build little house
for my family, near to business. Here Is
a small lot about forty feet and quarter
of mile from fhe Square. Mr.. b.,
married man, owns 1t, wants 10
sell, asks only $50 per foot for
1t, gave $45 fifteen years ago. 1t is rising
now, some man built house away be-
yond it last year. Too high; | can buy
for half that iu cities five times as large.
Here is q long row of lots, fine sites. Oh,
oh, Mr.. B owns these; he is able to keep
them; his father left them to him thirty
years ago; not for sale; they are for his
children, and Mr.. B is greatly anxious
that Nashville should grow--of course he
is. Here is half square vacant, nine lots,
three belong to some children in New
Orleans, minors; two are owned by Mr.. A
NOT for sale; two are the property of
G, q merchantmen for sale; rising rap
idly in value, because this is gong
to be a great place soon; cotton
factory at one end of the town and
a plow fsctory at the other. These lots
will some day BE very valuable. Two are
for sale. G owns them, and is disguised
with this slow place. But II offers $500
foot for them as investment, and thus the
city grows. l go far out beyond the
reach of convenience of water, gas, side
walks or even good streets, among the
little huts and dog fennel. This is all
owned by those able to hold il. These
shanties rent for 81 and Sc per month;
not one in ten of them worth $25. This
is a sort of land rent. But here are two
lots for sale, $25 per foot cash; two others
for $50, ten years time, ten per cent
from date and lien. Cheap. But who
could, or wants TO live here2 When will
anybody else como out here2 Aye, when7
The door is shut; who will open it Is
this picture oYerdrawng Let any one
who chooses examine.
This city must have revenue. Raise it
from the land and let Us see the result.
own lot on which my house stands
and four other vacant ones adjoining, of
the same size, so feet each. / pay $3.50
corporation tax, 5000 of this is for my
house and lot; that is 81 per foot, because
built good house on it and 25 cents
per foot for the vacant lots. Now, when
tie land is taxed sill pay the % cents,
that is | have in all $50 feet of ground,
and pay 81 per foot tax on it. | am de-
lighted with the light tax of 80 on my
house and lot, but the other is awful. |
will never realize my big profits at thst
rate, for in ten years | will have
paid SO per foot tax, and it goes
right down at least so per cent in value.
| must and will make change in my in
yestment. l will sell three lots and build
on every foot of the others. Well, how
is it now? l pay $50 less tax
than | did before, and | rent two good
houses for $500 each, which gives me an
income of $3.50, and in ten years | have
saved 800. And this is not all but,
being built upon, my two or three houses
are greatly increased In value. l have not
only made money by the operation, buy
have opened the door for improvement.
If l had held on to my land, and mt
neighbors done the same, the town would
have stood still, and prosperity would
have been driven away.
Now, gentlemen. population will come
if you will invite and encourage il, and
it viii Just as surely leave if you shut the
door upon 1t. And It is ruin for us to
deceive ourselves. Men will trade and
speculate, and this is right, but we must
not at the same time strangle that ener-
getic enterprise that can alone bring thrift
to all the members of community. 1t
is the Improvement of property that gives
growth and worth and prosperity to
city. And he who improves his property
ia an advantage to every other man in
the city. But the man who hap
pens to have little money, aud invests it
in the vacant land of city, and then sets
down on it, and waits for the enterprise
of his neighbors to make him rich, is
positive curse to everybody and a him
drance to himself. He is but the mud on
the wheel, carried round by the energy of
others, and should be so esteemed, and
the sooner he drops off the better.
And if he will not drop off our
good teamsters should serape him
off, and haul him awaw with other
excresences. Enterprise is an alive prin-
ciple. 1t works and produces. 1t moves
things. Would that it could take turn
at these everlasting set-fasts of our city,
and move them just little. If ever this
question comes fairly before the people
of this city, and it will come there viii
be mighty shaking among the dry bones,
for some of them are old and very dry.
Houses, lands, towns and cities are the