Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1872-01-17
LECTURE BIZ HON. 4. A. r. NELSON.
Protection, Immigration and Education
Our Hone.

The second of the series Of lectures before the
Board of Trade was delivered last night by
Judge Nelson. He said he did not know what
more appropriate subject he could choose for
uch an occasion than the Past, Present and
Future
Having lived in this city since he was sixteen
wears old he was familiar with the earl y history
of Knoxville and he gave many interesting in
cidents connected with the limits population
and points of local interest in the first days of
the place. The facilities for transportation in
his early years were limited. The six horse
teams and stage coaches transported merchan-
disc from the East. Then came in order the
steamboat and the railroad. He told with what
difficulty the first railroads were built; about
the convention Of 1887, when the road from the
Ohio to Charleston was projected; and how
financial reverses delayed the enterprise for
years. .a.HsE
The College used TO bo where the Coffin place
now stands. East Knoxville used to be called
Hard-Scrabble, and where AIr. Cowan's palatial
residence now stands and where the depot is To-
Gated was then woods
After reviewing thepast, Judge Nelson spoke
of the present of Knoxville and how to incFease
its wealth and population. We arc now twice
as large as during the war; and would still in
crease if We pursued the proper course. Fast
Tennessee needed more capital and population.
| We can not now compete with the rich, agri-
! cultural Western States without the Develop
lDellG Ol our mineral wealth. DN CdplGal ana pO-
! puation from the North. 1t would be well for
US, he thought, if we would agitate this subject
| We needed more men with hobbies, like Charl-
| ton with his fair and Butler with his school.
WE NEED PROTECTION
| for our industries. The good old tariff doctrine
Of Henry Clay would help to build up the coun-
try. When he thought about our railroads get
ting their iron in Europe, he fcl: as though they
could better afford to pay two, yes, four prices
to home establishments. and thereby build
up the country. He cited the benefits that used
to accrue to the farmers in Washington county
from Mr. Emory's little mill How they used
to get so much more for their produce, and he
thought if we had rolling mills aud furnaces all
through East Tennessee, the farmers would
have no trouble in getting high prices for their
produce. Judge Nelson elaborated and several
times Illustrated his protection theories by fig
ures and expressed his belief that if Clay ideas
had been acted upon at once, this country would
now supply the world with e- --- r---. "a
##. IMMIGRATION.
We very much needed more population. He
thought while we should look to Europe for
emigration, We ought particularly TO look to
citizens North looking here for homes and we
ought to invite them to come. We ought to
make our lands reasonable, especially about
Knoxville, and he named certain cases in which
parties had been deferred from coming here be-
cause Of citizens asking too much for real estate.
EDUCATION.
On the subject of Education, Judge Nelson
was very decided, We ought to have leading
educational institutions here. Our East Ten
nessee University with the Agricultural College
fund, ought to be made one of the leading col
leges of the country. The people of Knoxville
ought TO sustain it and take an interest in it and
work for it. The same was true Of The Female
Institute Both establishments ought to be
aided.
Judge Nelson spoke without notes, fuently,
earnestly, and was listened to with great inter
est by very appreciativo audience, who ap-
plaudcd him when through.
On motion of Perez Dickinson, Esq, the
thanks of the meeting were rendered for the ad-
dress. President Woodruff announced that
the next lecture would he in two weeks
We think the Boardiof Trade descrqeS thanks
for these lectures and we hope they may all
prove as profitable as those already de-
livered.