The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-12-05
Predictions Verified-Birmin
ham. Ala, and its Surround

ham, Ala, and its Surround
inss.
We publish to-day a letter from
Major w. j. Sykes, taken from the
Bolivar Bulletin. We are. aware
that some have been dispose to con-
slider Maj. Sykes visionary on the
subject OF railroads and other i'm
provements, because he has not. out
of them, realized large private for
tune. Not only he, but many other
men, have worked for the public,
and their works have been eminent.
lv beneficial, whilst Individually
they have sustained losses, either OF
time or money and sometimes OF
both. In addition TO the facts given
IN his letter, which we to-day pub
railroad speeches, made in Alabama
since the war, that show how he
fOresaw and predicted results. In q
speech at Elyton, Ala, made in Sep
TENDER, 1869, near where Birming-
ham now is, he said:
Goal is taken from Pennsylvania
and iron from Missouri to Cincin-
natl, and yet they manufacture tie
iron there and eend you and all of US
their iron manufactures. You have
the coal and the iron here, and with
sufficient capital and sufficient ener-
gy you can make this the Birming-
ham or the Pittsburg of the South"
This was said before there were
any railroads in that country and be
fore there was a sign of a house
where Birmingham, Ala, now a town
of 5OOOinhabitants, at present stands.
Maj. Sykes not only predicted that
there would be city in that region,
but he may be said to have given it
its name. At a subsequent period,
in March, 1871, at the same place, he
suggested and advocated the lease
of the Nashville and Decatur and of
the South and North railroads by
the Louisville and Nashville railroad
company. During that year the lease
was made, and as consequence we
have tire great through route from
Louisville and Nashville to Mont
gOmery, Pensacola and Mobile. He
then said:
"This is the true policy of Louisville to
csunteract the movements of Cincinnati. She
cannot long delay the building of the Cinciy
natl and Southern 70 id, but she can build
road, and it will only require a short one,
that will give her the advantage of the South
ern markets. From Cincinnati to Elyton, by
wav of Chattanooga, is 4S0 miles. From
Louisville to Elyton, by way Of Nashville and
Ne ,atur, is 392; difference in favor of Louis
vile of IS miles.
From Cincinnati to Atlanta, byway of Chat
tanooga, is 474 miles, from Louisville to At
lanta by way of Nashville and Chattanooga is
All miles, difference in favor of Louisville of
three miles. The route might perhaps be
a little by road from Decatur to
Atlanta. So far then as Louisville is concern
ed she has and must continue to have the ad-
vantage over Cincinnati in nearness to the
Southern markets. Her interests, then, point
u lmistaksbly to the extension of the road from
Decatur to Elyton and Montgomery, Alabama.
This will CO lnect her with the whole Alabama
system of railways. Let her cease her
opposition to the Cincinnati and Southern |
road and employ a little of her great capital in
building the road Southwark from Decatur. |
With the aid so literally granted by Ala, and |
With little assistance from the Louisville and |
Nashville road this work may soon be ac3omP- |
ished. In connection with the road which /
will be built in a few years from Meridian, |
Mss, TO New Orleans, this Decatur and Ely |
on road will furnish a shortest route from
Louisville 10 New Orleans, il being only 7G6 |
niles from Louisville to New Orleans by De-
,atur and Elyton, whilst it Is 154 miles by
humboldt and Jackson, Miss. / may say with /
ruth that the Decatur, ElytCp & Montgomery
o Id Is the great Southern road for Louisville
$ we'll as Nashville"
AS he then said, it has become the
GREAT SOUTHERN ROAD"
Then as now he was a warm advo-
ate o. cheap transportation, a SUBJ
ect which is exciting intense inter-
st throughout the whole country.
In the same speech from which we
AVE quoted he said:
Railroads are only means of Develop
lent and intended to encourage population
nd improvement. Il is, therefore, important
nat railroads, to be profitable, should foster
peal trade and travel BIZ low rates and there
V build up the country, for, in so doing, the
Dads will reap the benefits by an increased
usiness, and whilst the railroads should give
Encouragement 10 local trade and travel, the
eople on the line of the roads should sustain
nd defend the roads. The great misfortune
nd error of many Of eur roads has been that
aey sRcrihced the lossl to tho through bush