Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-09-19
HICKMAN COUNTY.
The Most Extraordinary County In
the State-Immense Mineral wealth.
From fhe MemDhis Appeal,

From the memphis Appeal
CENrREvILLE, HICKMAN COUNTY, Aug |
u, 1S73.-This is one of the most extraor-
binary counties in Tennessee. 1t contains |
more mineral wealth than any of the Mid
die Tennessee counties. There have been |
three furnaces in operation in this county,
the Etns, the Oakland, and the Sugar |
Creek furnsce. None of these are now
worked because they are so far from rail-
road or water transportation. There is
more and letter iron ore in this county
than in any in Middle Tennessee, but it is
now practically worthless, because they
have no railroads in the county. The iron
| ore of this county wonld MAKE Middle and
West Tennessee both rich, if it we're brought
| into use. Not only is this county rich In
minerals but it is q fine agricultural
county. Il has more and better
| streams of water than any
county in the State. They have in this
| county the following excellent water courses:
| Leather God, Lick creek, Spring creek,
Pfney, Mill creek, Jack river, Sugar creek,
Beaverdam, Swan creek, and Cane creek,
all of them furnishing rich bottoms and hne
| water power. No better grain, stock and
provision country can be found anywhere.
| But unfortunately they are so far from
market that they do not utiliz their natural
| wealth. It costs than go cents bushel TO
get their wheat to market, twenty-five cents
q bushel to get their peanuts to Nashville,
and all other things in the same proportion.
Il takes one-fourth of what is made in this
county to get il to the Nashville market.
This is what keeps this rich county in the
back ground. With railroad from Nash
vile to Memphis, passing through this
county, it would in q few years have as
much wealth as any county in Middle
Tennessee. Millions of dollars would
be invested here in furnaces
and other iron works, to say
nothing of factories which would be estao-
lished all over the county. The people are
anxious for q road through the county, and
a large majority would vote for a county
subscription. but that unfortunate clause IN
: our State constitution requiring q three
fourths majority, keeps Hickman poor and
deprives the State of the great wealth.
which lies useles in her bills. Tennessee
has made very little progress since that con-
stitution was adopted. NO Improvements
ara being made in this part of the State OF
any consequence, and not mile of rail-
road has been built in Middle Tennessee
since the adoption of that constitution.
! Missouri is improving daily, and increasing
? In wealth, but Tennessee, equal to her in
q all the natural elements OF wealth, Mss
been ted down by that constitution
: Ncr will she ever improve much until
. this is changed. The people IN
= this county feel it most sensibly
They are bound hand and foot, with nc
j. hope of relief. They feel that it is wrong
. and unjust for two hundred and hfty-one
q man to control seven hundred and forty
:, nine. as is the case under that constitution
= The rich counties of the State, as they are
called, bad q chance to make improvements
D and build railroads by majority votes anC
> nv State aid to the extent Of millions o
:. dollars, but those counties that most neeC
d it. and where it would do the most good
!. are deprived of cheese things and almos
doc ned to hopeless poverty, with millions
;. of hidden wealth in their bills. Thes
q COMMITTEES would no. only become ricl
y themselves, bat they would make q
~ other parts of the State so, II
e liberal policy had been p1rsued towar
., - them, or if even now it should be pursued
~ ~ They have a species of stone IN this coSnt
- that is fire-proof, and will split Into beauEl
VI full slabs 1t is used for mixing chimney!
o0 hearths and tombstones. How valuEol
}, wonld If be If YOU had it in West Tennes
" see. This is the region of cheap CORE, cbes
Of | Wnodl, CISdp pun oAlu NhSoP :.
=. but you cannot get it in your part OF u
otf State, because of the policy pursued by OF
"a law and constitution makers. Tenness'
eo must and will have change or she new
will improve. All necessary guards shou
ne be adopted to secure faithful spplicatio
ne of county funds and to protect the Peep
ny from misspplcation of the money tn
ne vote to public improvements, b
eau such q restriction as that which g
ne abIes two hundred and ffty-one men to co
eye troll seven hundred and forty-nine, is u
oSe reasonable, and will, if continued, keep, t
OF State in the rear of all other States viii
lsy possess anything like equal natural adVa
iiic tages. Money expended in bringing {
the mineral wealth of Hickman ana
Joining counties will richly pay all parts
The State, and will do more to enable
State to pay her debts than all the den
an gogues. Justice requires that those COT
en- ties should receive aid from the State,
lin if the constitution forbids, let that part
was the constitution be changed. A beauIi
|. all article of cannel-cosl has been discover
The in this county, which furnishes another
|, to ducement for building railroads throt
ose, this county.