The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1872-11-21
HUNTSVILLE & PULASKI R. R.
How to Build it without a Dol
lar of NJ Oney,
And at the Same Time Induce
Immigration.


And ut the Same Time Undue
immigration
] A Railroad meeting IS advertise
f to be held at Elkton tomorrow an
: at Pulaski Saturday. The Railroar
: in contemplation, from HuntsviIl
via Elkton to Pulaski, will be Of in
ealculable benefit to those tw,
towns as well as to the county an,
country. We take it for granite,
that all win admit this to be fact
. but the question is, how are we t,
build it? All of Us would De gIac
to see the road built if it could b,
done without a heavy tax, and ",
propose to show that this may b,
done. We are indebted to Hon. w
J, Sykes, the great Railroad advo
cate of West Tennessee, for the sug
! gestion, and es he is a man CT en-
Iarged and liberal views, and de
sires the prosperity of the whole
South, we know he will allow US tC
use his suggestions freely. The
plan viii burden no one and benefit
all, and we may not only build the
road now in contemplation, but as
many roads as we please by the
same plan, not only without bur
densome taxation, but with abso-
lutte advantage to each individual
who helps, and to the county at
large. There are between Pulaski
and Huntsville at least 100000
acres of land within three miles of
the road. OF this not more than
one-ffth is in cultivation or re-
alizing anything for the owners
Now let one-ffth of this be sub
scribed to the company, which
would amount to, say, 10000 acres.
Let the land be sold in tracts of
60 to 100 acres upon a credit of ten
years, with interest. Say the aver
age value o. the land would be $I2
per acre, and this would bring near
ly 100000, which would give over
$4,000 per mile to the road. This,
together with the liberal subscrip-
tions which Huntsville and Elkton
and Pulaski would give, would be
amply sufficient to build and equip
45 miles of narrow gauge railroad.
There would then be from 300 to
500 additional families of settlers
upon these lands, which would in
crease our producing population,
enhance the value of adjoining
lands and increase our general pros
perity. Maj Sykes says further
that in this way the road would be
built, and the country settled with
an industrious, working population,
who would afford business to the
road. The subscribers would re-
tain four fifths Of their land, which
would then be worth nearly twice as
much as the whole now is. They
would get settlers in the country
who would be in debt for their land,
and would not only cultivate the
land they had purchased, but would
assist in cultivating the lands re
tanned by the stockholders of the
road, at fair wages. This is the
best plan, not only to build rail
roads, but to secure immigration
and labor. The difficulty rs in oh
tanning the land subscriptions, al
though men are doing nothing with
their land, and it is going to waste.
Another suggestion might te made
in regard to locating depOts, and
that is, the company should own at
least one hundred acres wherever
they locate a depot, in order to
build a handsome village at every
station by a liberal policy in estab
fishing schools and churches by
making donations of land. The
company should encourage the set
Element of good citizens by selling
lots at cheap rates and on long
time. In this way the depopulatiOn
of the country might be stopped,
and the tide turned in the opposite
direction. By adopting the plans
here suggested, railroads, immigra-
ton and general improvement
would 60 hand in hand. To build |
a railroad through county of large |
is very difficult, and i'll
the country remains in that conts
ton, it is of very little comparative
benefit. If we cannot get one-fifth |
of the land, let us get as much as
we can, and the country will be ben
Gifted tosthat extent. The policy |
here advocated win, if generally !
do more to advance the |
cause of education, to improve the
system of agriculture, to render
homes in the country attractive and |
desirable, and give political power
to the country, than any other
which can be adopted. The desire
on the part of our land holders to
retain their extensive tracts OF
lands, which are yielding them no
profits, and their antipathy to part
ing with a small portion to improve
and render valuable the remainder,
is, in my opinion, most uuwise and
most injurious to the country.