Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1871-08-19

feHNS< INV ttCh1, thooBu JouuS
enough 10 teach their SUCCESSORS, Ivy
precept ut beast, the value and Inn
portance Of the change Of policy, in
dicated above, and necessitated by
the changed relations Of land and la
Dor, and the disruption Of a system Of
agriculture shaped by the presence
Of slavery and adapted only to that
institution.
THE PRINCETON RAILROAD.
| We have, heretofore, had but little
to say about the narrow gavge road,
In contemplation from this place, to
Princeton, and for the very good rea-
son, that notbeing posted, we did not
choose to 60. II blind. 1t was our
good fortune, however, In the early
part Of this week, to receive visit
from Mr.. T. ID. Leonard, an authori-
zsd sgent to canvass along the pro-
posed line Of the road and to gather
such facts as have an important bear
Ing upon the success Of the enterprise.
He found the people enthusiastic up
on the subject, and almost to q man,
ready and willing to lend substantial
aid. The country to be penetrated,
is Of great fertility, and adapted to
the growth Of everything which this
latitude does not prohibit. The coal
field to be tapped is declared, by Da-
vid Dale Owen, Geologist Of Ken
lucky, to be the richest in that State.
But, It il not Of these local advant-
ages only, that we now propose to
speak. a ief. a's
Mr.. Leonard laid before us, . care
fully prepared map, presented to him,
by distinguished Engineer, and
which more clearly points out the
necessity for, and Importance Of, this
road, than can be gathered from the
most minute details of merely local
advantages. That ClarlsvilIe would
be largely benefited by the construc-
ton of the road to Princeton, we
firmly believe; but, at the same time,
consider 1t narrow view, to treat 1t
only as . road between those two
points.
BY reference to the aforesaid map,
we find that short line of road, yet
to be built, will complete an air line
connection between the Gulf of Mex
leo and the great chain of northern
lakes. From Chicago to Mount Yer
non, on the Ohio river, there is al
ready finished road, almost per-
fectly straight and 275 miles In
length. Railroad men and capt.
talists have long contemplated the
extension of that road, through the
South to the Gulf To accomplish
this almost national project, 1t is nee
J cssary to build road from Mount
Vernon to Princeton, u distance Of
fifty-eight miles from Princeton to
GAINESVILLE, distance of forty-nine
miles, and from GAINESVILLE to Col
umbla, assistance of fifty-seven miles.
At the latter place, the road will con-
meet with the one to Decatur, from
which place, to Montgomery, IA road
Is now almost completed. At Mont
gomery, there will be connections
with Pensacola and Tallahassee, fla
and Mobile and New Orleans by lines
already completed. This gap filed,
and we shall have, not direct, but,
an unbroken connection with the en-
tire South, as well as with the North
west, by way of direct lines to st.
Louis and Chicago, and their num-
berless connections, running to every
: point of the compass.
| Clarksville, about equidistant from
the Gulf and the Lakes, will thus
find itself, not, perhaps, a great GEN.
} trail crossing, but the center Of u sys.
tenn of railways stretching from the
northern to the southern limits Of the
!, United States, asdefined by the Lakes
I on one side, and the Gulf on the
, other. And, thus situated, 1t will be
Clarksville's own fault, II 1t does not
grow TO the extent Of the advanta.
> ges afforded, by its intimate connec
; ton with 10 vast a scope OF country
and the immense trade to which II
, gives birth. With an abundant sup
ply OF cheap coal, 1t will have nj
! sufficient excuse for not erecting
: manufactures which, even on al
r humble scale, will develope self
Y creative power, sufficient OF itself, t
: push forward enterprise, until W,
shall have city worthy to be 81
: called.
VI Considered In merely local poin
r OF view, this road will give Clarks
s vile an abundance Of coal, the onl.
J. thing needed, outside Of capital ant
n public spirit, to make manufactur
i ing success; and will bring larg
d amount of tobacco, now sold on othe
; markets, together with other produc
/ lions OF the soil, of great aggregat
y value, adding much to its trade an
l. lessening the cost OF living, by bring
= Ing the supply fully up to the dc
u mand. In addition to this 1t viii
d save all the business 1t must lose,
II this road Is not built, and some othe
l. Is, that will divert trade In some othe
d direction and to s,me other point
~ OF the nrosnacfa for huildinR lii