Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-08-20


I The Nashville Board of Trade held a
meeting in the Office Of the Commercial In
surance Company yesterday afternoon, q
large number Of members being present,
among whom were Robert l.. Armistead,
+. 81. French, Col. B. s. Rhea, Thompson
Anderson, George Cunningham, Arthur
Brest, D. s. Jones, Arthur McNally and
Others. The Board was called to order by
T. II. French, who stated that the Board
had met for the purpose of discussing the
feasibility of putting new steamer on the
Tennessee river for the benefit of the mer-
chants of Nashville.
Major Lands, Superintendent of the
Nashville and Northwestern Railroad, said
that he was willing to do anything to help
the merchants of Nashville. The steamer
"Dick Johnson" he said, was now running
on the Tennessee river, and had done what
1t could, according to the statement of its
captain, to reduce the rates on the river, at
all points between Johnsonville and Louis
vile. If that steamer Is willing to do what
is right, he thought it might be as well to
continue to patronize her, but not if she
was going to deal unfairly. 2A
Arthur Breast said that produce could
not be shipped TO Nashville, as cheaply as it
could to Louisville, because the steamer
'Dick Johnson" charged the Nashville
merchants 40 cents per hundred to ship
merchandise, whilst tho of Louisville paid
but35 cents for the freight on the same ar
ticles, from all points on the river. The
commander of the steamer, Capt. Powell,
] had told him that it was not his fault but
was the fault of the railroad companies who
had the matter in charge, that there was
such difference In the price of freight be-
tween the two places.
Mr.. Pendleton said he had heard that the
Captain of the Dick johnson was in favor of
Louisville, and did all he could to take trade
away from this city. He knew him to be
perfect gentleman, and why he should
work against Nashville, was more than he
could divine. p
Robert L. Armstead said that he thought
the steamer might possibly do for the sum-
mer months, but as soon as fall trade OPEN
ed he strongly advocated the feasibility of
procuring another one.
Mr.. Stahlman, Agent for the Louisville
aud Nashville Railroad, said that be thought
the merchants of this city were now very
well provided for SO far as steamboat facili-
ties were concerned. Six months ago, he
said, the citizens had not single boat on
the Tennessee river working in their inter-
ests. Now the Dick johnson did as much
for them as it did for Louisville. He had
conferred with Maj. Anderson, of the Nash
vile and Northwestern Railroad, and Mai.
Smith, of the Louisville and Nashville
Railroad, both of whom had control of the
rates of freight that the Dick johnson
should chLrge to Nashville and Louisville
merchants respectively; these gentlemen
had fixed the rates, and why it was that
Maj. Anderson should not make an effort to
make the freight to Nashville as cheap as it
already was to Louisville he was at loss
to tell. The following, he said, were the
rates of freight on the Louisville and Nash
vile road for freight from the Tennessee
river to Louisville:
For frst-class of freight, 40 cents; for
second class, 40 cents; for third class, 40
cents; for fourth class, IS cents; for fifth
class, 35 cents; flour, so cents; beef and
pork 80 cents, and whisky $I.40. These
rates, he said, were strictly adhered to by
the company. He said that the steamer
that was run at present lost over $500 per
month. As the freighting to and from
Nashville was worth only about 5000 per
month, and as it cost over $500 per month
to run steamer, he thought it would be a
poor investment for merchants in Nashville
to purchase steamer and start a Compel
ing line.
Col. Jones said that the Dick johnson
belonged to the Louisville and Nashville
Railroad, and that it, and not the captain,
was responsible for any inconvenience the
Nashville merchants might be put to.
Further remarks were made by Thomp-
son Anderson, Maj. Rhea and others, and
after appointing Thompson Anderson, Maj.
Rhea and Arthur Breast as committee to
examine into the mat er and report, the
Board adjourned