The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1872-07-12

was to get railroad from the Cum
berlsnd Mountains through Hick-
man and Humphreys. counties, which
would be extended soon to st. Louis.
This was the shortest line from the
Sewanee coal mines on Cumberland
Mountain, through the iron regions
of the Tennessee River TO st. Louis.
He said that if the keys of the banks
of Columbia were lost, and the
money contained in their vaults
could not be reached without find
ing them, every man in the place
would be busily engaged in hunting
them. "Now," said he, "the key
which unlocks much richer treasure
than all your banks, is this railroad,
for it will unlock the richest and
most inexhaustible treasure in the
State. Everything depended on
Maury county; if she acted the other
counties would do their part fully
These coal mines on the East and
iron ore banks on the West, if CON-
nected by railroad through Column
bia, would make Maury the most
prosperous county in the State"
Col. Lewis said Marshall felt great
interest in this project, and, although
she was anxious to get the Cincin-
natl and New Orleans road through
her borders, would do as much as she
could for this road. There was de-
cided interest felt in the subject in
their county, and in this statement
Mr.. McReady agreed with him. Mr..
Gillespie said Lincoln would not be
behind the other counties.
Mr.. Hamilton and the Chairman
Hon. James H. Thomas-made
some telling remarks and manifested
great interest in the enterprise.
w. j. SYKES was present by invi-
tation, and at the request of the COM
missioners, made few remarks. He
said the people of West Tennessee
would build a road to the Tennessee
| river. He had the day before receiv-
ed letter from Maj. r. D. HURT, of
Jackson, Tenn, the most enterprising
| and influential man in that part of
the State, which satisfied him that
West Tennessee would do her part,
and build the road from Memphis to
| the Tennessee in less than two years.
Whether it will come to Columbia
will depend upon the action of your
people.
He further stated that he had
been TO the Sewanee Coal Mines, and
that the mining company were anx-
ious to come through Columbia and
connect the coal mines with the iron
ore banks in Hickman, Lewis and
Humphreys. This would place Co.
lumbia within 130 miles of Chatta-
nooga, twenty-one miles nearer than
Nashville is. He made some other
remarks for which we have not space
at present.
Gen. WHITTHoRNE reviewed the
manifold advantages to be derived
from the Duck River Valley r. R.,
and was authorized to state to the
meeting that an iron company of st.
Louis, with a capital of $2S.000, 900,
was eager to have road connecting
Missouri with the iron mines of Mid
die Tennessee, thereby enabling them
to procure the Tennessee iron, which
is necessary TO mix with the Nilsson.
ri iron to form mallable and supe-
rior quality of metal. This company
has already taken steps to construct
navy yard at st. Louis, and have
entered upon the project of building
a railroad direct to Cairo, ILL.,, which
will be completed when the Duck
River Valley road reached Johnson
vile; thus forming direct route
from st. Louis to Cowan on Nash
vile and Chattanooga r. r. at the
coal fields Of the Cumberland Noun
iains, With an extension of the same
route to Savannah, Augusta and At
lanta, Ga, thereby shortening the
route 30 miles from st. Louis to
Chattanooga, after leaving Johnson
vile.
Mr.. Steele stated that it would re-
quire $1,000 to make a preliminary
survey from Columbia to Fayette-
vile, through Lewisburg and Peters
burg.
The Commissioners are required
now to proceed to raise the amount
of subscription to enable them to
organize as a corporation, so that they
may legally accept any propositions
that may be offered for the construc-
ton of the Duck River Valley road.
The friends of the road are reQuir-
ed only to subscribe one thousand
dollars per mile either i'm money or
in uncultivated lands, and capitalists
are ready to Immediately construct
the road.
l.. ID. MYERS, Esq, and o. A. Nix
ON, Esq, reviewed at length the du-
ties of the friends of this enterprise,
and showed clearly that it was pub
lie necessity, and that the chief d fl
culties were already overcome, so
that there is no longer any doubt as
to its success.
The people north of Duck river be-
tween Centreville and Williamsport
desire that the road should run from
some point at or near Williamsport, |
north of Duck river to Centreville. |
The commissioners agreed that if
those people were willing to SUBJ
scribe the required amount of stock,
and also the expenses of prelimina-
ry survey, (about Sl50.00), that the |
desired change would be made.
The Commissioners determined |
TO make an effort to raise this amount |
and also in accordance with sugges-
ton of Gen. Whitthorne to raise |
sufficient subscription of stock to Or
ganize their company, and be pre-
pared to receive propositions and
take action. The Commissioners re-
quested Maj. W. j. Sykes, of Men,
phis, who is connected with similar
enterprises in West Tennessee look
ing in this direction, to canvass Lin
coin, Marshall, Maury, Hickman, and
Humphreys counties in regard to
this road.
A very good feeling pervaded at
the meeting, and they seem deter
mined to make every effort to sue.
coed in this grand and noble works |
upon which the future wealth and |
of Columbia and Msury |