Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-03-22
JACKSON.
Progress of the City-SuggesIiOns TO
the Legislature-RailrO Matters,

Progress Of the City-SuggestiOms to
the Legislature-RailrO Matters,
Etc.
Especial Correspondence Union and American.
JACKSON, TENN, March 20, 1S72.-Jaclz-
son is progressive. Any one who will take
the trouble to visit the place will admit that
fact without argument. The unanimity
with which her citizens voted to tax them
selves with $125,000 subscription to the
Jackson and Memphis and Jackson
and Tennessee River railroad;
the almost unprecedented increase
in population, from $500 in 1867 to 5000
in 1872; the astonishing number of i'm
posing business houses and handsome resi-
dences that are springing up, as if by magic,
all over the city, and the increasing de-
mand fer more; the high prices that her
cotton buyers pay for cotton (nOt more
than one-half cent below Memphis quota
tiOns,) and consequently her greatly in
creased Importance as a cotton market; the
liberal patronage that is extended to the
numerous schools and colleges, than which
no. town nor city in the State, or as
for that matter, in the South, can boast of
better; and the almost innumerable other
evidences of prosperity and thrift, all indi-
cate Jackson as the most progressive in
land town not only in this State but in the
whole South.
A CHANCE FOR INVESTMENT.
There is a rare opportunity for profitable
investment offered here just now, to some
enterpising capitalist who viii build first
class hotel, large enough to ac-
commodate the great number of
strangers and travellers who are
constantly passing through and stopping
here, and the large number of lawyers WHO
attend the sessions of the Supreme Court,
which meets here the first Monday in April
of each year, the investment 1gOuld pay.
The only wonder is that some enterprising
hotel man hasn't long ago started the en-
terprise.
We also need good system of
FREE SCHOOLS,
which we only hope to get, when the Leg
islature will legislate intelligently on the
subject. The present State system is
very poorly played farce. BY
it, it is left almost if
not quite discretionary with the several
comfy courts of the State, whether or not
a tax for school purposes shall -
| levied, and not one In ten of the county
courts in the State have taken any action
whatever in the premises. This county
(MadisOn) has, so far, been supremely in
| different But it is not our purpose in this
letter to dcuss the blemishes or beauties of
| the present State system, we only desire to
make
A SUGGESTION
to the members of Che Legislature now in
! extra session: that inasmuch as the Cover
nor in his message calls their attention to
| the subject of educationsif they cannot de-
wise any better system of free schools than
| the one now in force, Con paper) the next
| best thing they can do, will be to pass law
| authorizing all incorporated towns IN the
! State of 1900 inhabitants and over, to levy
| tax for school purposes, not to exceed the
| State tax, by a majority vote of the legal
! voters of such town or towns. Such law,
we are convinced, would meet the wishes Of
a majority of the people of the towns at
! fected thereby.
| While we are making suggestions to the
! Legislature, there is another matter of insig-
niticant importance, but which, considering
| the depleted condition of the State Treasury,
| it may not be amiss to mention. There
are a certain class of persons in this State
who follow The business of vending medi-
cines, pain killers, sight restOrers, ambrOsial
| oil, kalo, and various other humbugs, who
| dupe a great many green country people
| and darkies out of their hard earned
dollars, by promising to make impossible
| cures, and who evade the payment
| of any tax to the State, by claiming to man.
| lDdctl,re their goods in the State. There
ought to be a law taxing all such parties
either as merchants, peddlers or nuisdItceS.
But we will leave the Legislature and write
| more of our local affairs. The
JACKSON AND MEMPHIS RAILROAD
is under full Roadway, notwithstanding the
little set back it sustained from the refusal
| of Fayette county to vote the subscription.
Onr friends in Fayette were hampered
by two or three rival lines, which
had to be tackled on to the proposition
for the Jackson and Memphis road,
but they are going to "pick their tiints''
and try it again before a great while, and l
doubt not they will succeed. However
that will not affect the interests Of the road;
it lCiU be built, and that soon. Very like
" direct line from Jackson to Memphis
will be the route determined on, and unless
SOmerville bestirs herself more than she
has yet done, she may be left without the
advantages and benefits of competing
lines of ralVad. Next Saturday,
the 23d inst, there will be a
GRAND MASS MEETING
of the friends of the road at Denmark, when
a permanent organization will probably be
had. Several distinguished speakers will be
present, among them the Hon. Milton
Brown, Gen. A. W. Campbell and Col. JnO.
T. Hogan, of Jackson; Maj. w. j. Sykes, Of
Memphis; Col. A. r. Reid, of Denmark,
and others. Jackson will turn out en-
masse to greet Denmark and the friends Of
the road, on the occasion, and will send a
delegation of at least 400 or 500, headed by
our F'Silver Comets" A stirring time is
anticipated, and if possible your correspon-
dent will be on hand to report for the
"People's Paper"
POLITICS
is at a low ebb in old Madison. The people
are busily engaged in planting their crops,
and MicaWber-like, are waiting for some
thing to turn up. The mass of our people
are not yet ready to desert the staunch old
ship of Democracy for the piratical-lOOking
craft of Baxter q Co.
MYSTERIOUS MURDER.
Last Saturday night as the II O'Clock
freight train on the Mississippi Central Rail
road was passing leagues Switch, some Il
miles from Jackson, the conductor sent one
of his brakesmen, II. n. StOthart, forward
to tell the engineer to stop at the next sta
ton to let off passenger. The engineer
did not stop at the station, but the con
ductOr supposed Stothart did not reach the
engine in time to tell him. Nothing more
was seen of Stothart until the next morn
ing, when the Z O'Clock express picked uE
his dreadfully mangled remains, few
: miles this side of leagues switch and
} brought them to this city. The Coroner
was notified, and he summoned jury OF
inquest on the body, who on examination
! f..,Ind hl1lInL hnla in the MANS nerl.