The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1871-11-24


probably command more local business
Than any other road in Middle Tennes-
see. and would furnish much tributary
traffic 10 the trunk lines mentioned
above. A gauge of three feet has WISE
" been adopted in this case, as 1t VIII
accommodate all the necessary traffic oil
the valley, and as five foot gauge
would be too expensive and too large
for the purpose.
Economy and rapidity of tTanspOrta-
ton is one of the greatest elements OF
wealth of any country. Wheat and 9th
or simild- articles of prodncs and CON-
mcrca consume their OiC1 rdtuc by trans
portation with wagon and team a DIS
lance Of a few hundred miles, while the
same articles cap be transported several
thousand miles by railroad with prohf.
Railway transportation Is the Dtsi, the
safest, the fastest and cheapest, while
the means OF transportation Afforded at
he present time 10 many parts OF the
Duck River Valley are OF the most prim-
tive and expensive kind,
Tho articles of produce IN certain paris
Of The country to be trayerSed by this
projected railroad lose a portion Of
their value on account Of the limited
means Of trapspCE. dtiOu, as the market
is only reached after expensive delay,
while other paris OF the country, con-
nectei with railroad transportation,
reach the market at once, whenever it
is favorable. and the most rapid trans
actions IN commerce command and de-
termine all others.
Whenever q railroad Is built, capital,
poyul3ti III and great commercial enter
prises sooner Or jIter fOiiOIC, when there
Is am iuducement for investment, ard
the price OF land generally rises at least
sd per cent.
In thi, Csc, when the roJd would pass
over a bed of iron ore for distance Of
about 80 miles, where furnaces have
been in operation aud have produced a
very superior quality of iron, which lion
Manufacture Was suspended only on &C
count OF great cost Of transportation, il
j. plain that capital viii certainly be in
vested i'm such furnaces and iron eStab-
iishm-nts. where the quality Of ore i
superior, water power unlimited and
stone coal can he brought by rail.
The development OF the iron and coal
interests and the immense wealth Of tan
bark and cedar along the road, viii OF
course stimulate agriculture, which
upon the rich lands Of this valley Is
bound to be very profitable.
We are in the wake of great tidal
wave OF progress in the industrial
world. which i TO affect Tennessee very
materially and is no doubt preceding
an era OF gIeat prosperity. The lntrocuc-
ton cf industrial pursuits, the cree
ton OF workshops and factories OF all
kinds, although at present on limited
scale, must be accepted as sign OF the
good time coming; Is the cOmmepce-
mont OF a great movement, which Will
GRADUALLY swell from insigniicance into
mighty power IL viii produce grad
ual and beneficial revolution; will grad
uallv prevent the expectation of raw
material Tor foreign importation Of man
ulsg.uIgd articles, which Will be made
lt home, at an enormous profit, aud will
al c. the condition OF every iuhabitant.
There j. probably no section in the
State more adapted to manufacturing
IS Adjustments, than the Duck River
Valley, where the raw material. and
the water power is on hand in unlimited
quantities, and where food and timber
Is abundant, and no portion of the coun-
try Is more suitable for the introduction
OF narrow gauge railroad, as the nat
urIi resources Of iron ore, timber, tan
bark and rich bottom lands and finally
the coal, eau only be reached by such
road.
Now that millions of property have
been created in Tennessee by the intro>
duc;ion of railroads; the whole country
is being gridironed by them, and a new
sytem of cheap and efficient railroads
ust suited To develop isolated resources,
no more an experiment. put an acknowl-
edged success, is advocated with remark
able ttRda.mity By all those who possess
any knowledge on the subject, il must
be confidently expected. that tho incl
ligent population Of the Duck River
Valley viii grasp this opportunity to
benefit themselves and their descend
ants
The Duck River Valley Railroad to
be built not for the benefit of "A special
interest, but for the development of the
rhOie Udiicy. would be identified with
all its manifold interests, and would IN
jlrG 40 one 1t would have no compel
iJOrs, as the local channel of trade and
traffic, and would revive the business OF
all the towns in the valley. Columbia
being now the most important ore.
would grow in Importance, and nv
commanding superior resources would
Of course command large majority of
its trade. The road would furnish iron
ore and stone coal 20 Columbia, and
make il suitable point for mauutac-
lures. The counties of Perry. Hick- |
man, Wayne, Lawrence aud Hardin, |
and some pOr ions of Coffee, Bedford !
Franklin, -iarshall and Marry coun- |
ties, which have not yet felt the in !
fucnce of railroads to any large degree, |
would prOpOrtiOnally be much benefit
ted. AS the road is TO be built for the |
OF the country and to in |
crease facilities of trade and production, |
OF course even Nashville would to
certain degree be benefited, as any i'm |
prOvement in any part OF the State is
felt ut the Capital. If the agitation OF
the Memphis and Knoxville railroad in
West Tennessee should bring about the !
OF a narrow gauge road
from Memphis to Savannah, en- the |
Tennessee River, a consolidation OF the
same with the Duck River Valley rail
ROAD, and the final extension of the lat
ter through Cumberland and Morgan
counties to Knoxville might be the re-
suit.
The success Of the enterprise depends
entirely upon the public spirit of the
citizens OF Humphreys, Perry, Hickman
and MGurY, TO give the same Il Jot'
start as the construction of the road
east of Columbia will be a comparative
" easy matter, after thu western part
is completed. Although the road is
proposed 10 run through the town OF
Columbia, the refusal of assistance
would OF course finally cause the line to
be located elsewhere, as the demand for
a lateral local road through the heart
OF MiIdle Tennessee exists, and will
finally be supplied in one way or in an
other.