The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1872-07-19

Railroad Meeting I'm the Court House
Monday nfGht-A large Crowd Mani
! fest Evidences Of Public Spirit.
| At half.past s O'Clock Gen. w. @
Whitthorne took the chair and called
the house to order. The Court HOUSE
was well filed, and the crowd enthusi.
astic on the subject Of railroads. Al
though the weather was threatening
and the night augured to be unpropit-
ious, many of the Oldest citizens Of the
CITY were present, and gave evidence by
their words and acts that they meant
business. After stating the object OF
j the meeting,
} GENERAL wHITTHORNE
ssid the object Of the road was to con-
meet the iron regions west of us with
| the rich coal mines lying upon our east.
] He believed that man was social being,
and ought not to live for himself alone,
but should discharge his full duty to
his neighbcr, his country and poster
| ity, and he believed it to be the duty OF
every man to do all that would have
a.tendency to promote the general in
terests of the country.
| He stated that the commissioners pfo>
posed to raise money enough to make
a preliminary survey from Columbia to
Cowan, on the Chattanooga road; and
| that an appeal would be made to this and
other counties to organize corporation
| in order to be able to receive PROPOSE
tions from other parties, to INSURE THE
CONSTRUCTION OF THE RAILROAD. He
appealed to every man interested in the
future prosperity of Columbia and
Maury county, to give all the aid in
~ 20 har hn r,f he
enterprise. The people of this county
had been burdened and taxed with
heavy charges on freight too long
already-that it cost no more ship goods
from New York to Nashville. than it
did from Nashville to this place; and
that the only the thing to correct the
abuse would be a competing road. In
this regard everybody would be imme-
diately benefited. Maury county had
peculiar advantages in locality. Sit
uated in one of the most fertile and
prolific agricultural regions in the
known world, with excellent timber
and abundant water; and at the same
time having upon her one side splendid
iron beds, and on the other exbaustless
coal mines, making her facilities for
manufacturing unsurpassed. There
was but one thing needful-a road con.
ing through Columbia. He said that
some men were cry ing for turnpikes;
that they were good enough in their
places, but could not supply the place
of railroad. That he would help
build them, If turnpike men wOlld
lend helping hand to railroad enter
prises. That many were resorting to
the plea for turnpikeS merely as an
evasion of the more important question
of railroads. Turnpikes bring in some
country trade, but will never build
cities. We must keep apace with the
progressiveness of the age if we expect
to prosper. Railroads will bring us
manufactures, and they will cause an
influx ofcapitalists and skilled laborers.
This is what builds up permanent
wealth. If the people Of these coun>
ties make an effort they can make this
the most attractive point-in .fact, it
already is-in the country, and great
focus of wealth. In every regard it is
within your grasp. You can build the
road and not feel it, and thereby double
and even treble your wealth. A road
is being built from st. Louis to Cairo.
and continuation of it will run Though
your town if you do your duty.
1t would only cost three hundred and
fifty dollars TO rake the survey. He
would subscribe as much of it as was
necessary or as much as anybody would |
say he ought to. He had subscribed for |
similar enterprises in days gone by, and |
never regretted it. The parties moving
in the matter are in earnest and will |
certainly build the road. The question |
is not shall the road be built? 1t will |
be. But shall il pass around or through
Columbia? The road is all that is nee
essary TO make Maury the first county |
in the State in every regard.
MAJOR w. ]. SYKES,
of Shelby county, being called for as |
cendeds the rostrum. He said that |
although for two yeas past he had been |
making railroad speeches in various /
parts of the country, he had never be-
fore had the pleasure of addressing SO
large an au 1ience as the one before him
He did not intend to speak upon the /
subject ofrailroads generally, but more
in regard to the interests
of the town as effected by the projected
railroad. Most of the crowd were citi>
zens of-the town. He was not-did not
own a foot of property in The county,
and would not be affected personally if
the town had 1900 or 10000 inhabitants.
whether the place " as rich or poOr-had
or none. The fate of CO.
umbia depended on what would be
lone this year. The road would be
Quilt. No doubt about that. In Sep |
,ember last they had made no progress
whatever. Nowstock has been obtai ned
or grading and cross-tying Is miles, and
he work is rapidly going on. He had
said everywhere that Columbia was an
objective point. Her fate was in the
lauds of her people. Some men would
Jay, if it is such good thing, and the
,oad is going to be built anyway, what
S the use of working for ita They
would meyer get il unless thew did work
or it. Other people who were alive
lbout the matter would take it
rom them. Nothing was ever accom-
olished by inaction. Hercules refused
% aid the unfortunate man until he
)ut his shoulder to the wheel, and did
Ill he could for himself, and if they
would not work for The road they ought
lot to have it. But the same men
would object to the town being boilt up
or fear OF competition, They say they
ire doing very we'll and don't want the
place to grow any larger. He would
Idvise those who didn't want any COM
,edtion to so to Newburg, aud they
would certainly not have any. Compe-
itionwa the life of trade. A. T. Stew
l
,reat metropolis, aud the universal YER
lict was that competition makes bust
,ess. You can swell your town to
5000. Every, class ofcitizens would be
,epefitted even before the road is built, | I
-'her during its construction. The
ands that w--k the road would receive
bout $4,000 per mon..-. your mer,
hant would sell them their goouS, S"ur !
rocerymen their sugar, coffee and
obacco, your farmers their produce, {
nd men in every calling would be
enefitted.,
Twenty-Five years ago the idea of j
uilding railroad through this country
vas ridiculed. 1t was then said it ,
rould ruin Columbia,-that people
would go to Nashville for twenty-five
ents worth of calico. The contrary 6
as been true, the place has been built S
p. Then you had one drug store, now
hree splendid ones; then no hardware '
ouses, now three very large and hand !
ONE ones; thea one livery stable, now
hree, with the finest horses and bug
ies in the land. Then your cotton was
Iauled to Nashville on wagons, and the II
armer bought his groceries and goods {
'efore he returned. No cotton could be {
old here at all. 1t was argued that it {
would cost more to go on the cars than
would on the stage. You can now go,
ransact your business and return the
anne day at a cost OF about 5000; then,
t took three days and cost $40, includ-
ng expenses. The advantages from
he road we now have was not a circum-
lance to those that would arise from
he projected road. One did not give
L., ,rcI