Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-08-27
MUCH NEEDED ENTERPRISE.


A Steamboat on the Tennessee River
Nashville should Look TO Her In
terest.
In conversation yesterday with several
prominent business men we are led to be-
lieve that an effort will be made during the
approaching season to secure Nashville
share of the Tennessee River trade, by the
chartering Of a steamer to run in connec-
ton with the Northwestern Railroad, and
directly in the interests of Nashville. II is
well known that those controlling the large
amount of produce tributary to that
stream would much prefer shipping
to Nashville than elseW here, and are
disposed to bestow upon our merchants
the bulk of their trade. No estimate can
be msde of how much trade has been lost
to Nashville from the want of proper trans
portation in this direction, and the rich
harvest reaped by others. We have been
appraised that the trade from the Tennessee
valley has been bestowed upon others not
as a matter of choice, but because there
was no other remedy. Cincinnati, Louis
vile and Evansville, approaching the
importance of that trade, have
had steamers running in their in
terest for several years. In each
of those cities, a fund was raised, and the
boats insured against loss. At frat it was
necessary 10 draw upon the treasury to
help pay the expenses of running, but the
trade increased so rapidly that it became
profitable investment. If any Of the mer-
chants along the river and the back coun-
try chose at any time to make the expert
ment of shipping to Nashville, or ordering
goods from this point, they found them
selves in the clutches of the officers OF
those steamers, who in the first place
would make it convenient 10 refuse freight
at Johnsonville when going up, and store
it there when coming down, in order to
create as much delay as possible, and sec
ondly, they would never handle this freight
without demanding double price.
Many of our merchants have been
aware of this condition of things, but I'M
til the present time, there have been no
steps taken to remedy the difficulty, and
even now, the effort to counterfeit the
movement so successfully practiced by
other cities has taken no tangible shape.
However, as above remarked, there is some
talk of action, and we hope it may be &C.
complished. Only small amount of that
thing called enterprise is required to effect
change which will rebound to the inter-
ests Of Nashville. The proposition now
on foot is to purchase or charter q
boat which will be run for Nashville. Col.
Anderson, the general freight agent of the
Northwestern Railroad, has signifed his
willingness to cooperate and make close
connections with such steamer, and to put
tariff of charges in force which will be
looked upon as exceedingly liberal. The
question is being discussed by our bust
ness men, and it only remains to carry it
out. Will it be done? We think that it
is matter of so much importance that there
should be no unnecessary delay. The
money necessary to charter a steamer, or
to insure her from loss, should be raised in
an hour. Let a committee of merchants
start out tomorrow and in business way
present the advantages to accrue, and if tie
money necessary to carry out the project
is not raised instanter, then Nashville mer-
chants don't deserve the trade from the
section referred to.