Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1873-12-13

On the first Saturday in January the
people Of Jackson will vote on PROPOSE
ton TO subscribe 100000 to the proposed
Jackson and birmingham Railroad. The
report Of Col. Williams, editorials in the
WING AND TRIBUNE and other City pa
pers, have laid the material facts concern
ing the enterprise, before our people. In
this article we propose to present the lead
ing points involved in the question that the
people may act adyisedly and intclligently
on a matter Of so great importance. In do
ing this we necessarily travel ever ground
heretofore occupied by us in the discussion
of railroad questions and ether questions
involving the future veal Of jackson.
It is the universal aspiration of our cIiI-
zcEs TO make Jackson a great commercial
and manufacturing center. To achieve this
high ambition we must first center here
commanding railroad interests with great
trunk line connections. We arc fortunate
in geographical location and in the enjoy
ment OF two parallel lines Of railway, con-
netting the Gulf with the Railroad system
Of the North and Northwest, and which
gives us the benefits OF first-class competI-
ton between the cities of Mobile and New
Orleans and the cities of st. Louis and Chi
eagO, as wen rs those OF the far West and
East. But great and valuable as these
competing lines are, they arenot sufficient
to make jackson the City our ambition
would have it be. As we have heretofore
argued, there can be but one other great
commercial and manufacturing city in
West Tennessee. Many large towns there
will be but there is not room for but one
other metropolitan city. Geographical To-
cation and other advantages point to Jack
son as that city. But every railroad built
around us weakens that hope, changes 4
strong probability into mere possibility,
and defers It not destroys cur high hopes
for Jackson.
Railroad enterprises which seriously
threaten the future Of Jackson are being
pushed forward with great energy. Some
OF them at least will be built either sooner
or later. To head of these enterprises, or
at least make them harmless 10 Us, II not
tributaries to our prosperity, jackson must
secure the corsummation of other railroad
lines (Which will make this point COM
mon ccnter) in addition to those already in
operation. We can not afford to be idle or
nigardly; we dare not practice Micawbian
philosophy; towns that assume to be our
rivals are active, and we must be indus-
trio,as, entsrPri-ins and liberal, n we would
make Jackson City without rival in the
interior Of West Tennessee.
The Jackson and Birmingham Railroad
! is, so far as Jackson is concerned, the key
to the whole question. Its construction
solves the problem Of Jackson's future
With it, Jackson can successfully defy local
| competition, while her progress towards
metropolitan Importance is assured beyond
peradventure. This road viii make a
grand trunk line connection between the
| great North, Northwest and the South,
and Southeastern seaboard. 1t will pour
the immense trade of those sections thro'
jackson, enriching our City in the transit
1t Will make Jackson a grand thoroughfarc
/ OF travel unequaled in importance by any
| city in the Southern interior. 1t will ne
cessitate the extension OF the Northwestern
/ Railroad from Huntingdon 10 jacksonville
| building in the near future Of the proposed
jackson and Evansville road, and within a
| few years a road from Jackson through
! Crockett, Dyer and Lake counties to the
| Mississippi River. In short, this road VIII
| of necessity, make Jackson a grand rail-
road center Of unriYaled importance. Ils
direct and immediate advantages may be
thus failly stated. 1t will give us direct
and cheap access TO the inexhaustible coal
and iron mines Of Alabama. VIII bring tC
our market thousands Of bales Of cotton
from the Southern counties of West ant
Middle Tennessee, and from Northern
Alabama and Mississippi. 1t will secure
against all opposition, the rich trade We
now enjoy and enlarge the area Of our com
merce ten fold. It will enable Us to manu-
facture on q large scale, by giving US tn
raw material cheap and cheap fuel. 1t viii
make Jackson distributing point 70
grain and stock As well as fcr cotton, thu
adding = new element of wealth to tn
grand aggregate. With it will come anoth
er Machine Shsp, which viii give employ
ment to hundreds of operatives and add, Q
itself, fifteen hundred souls to our popu
lation.
1t is the grandest scheme ever presente
to our people, and if carried not a clou
will cast its shadow over the future {
. Jackson. More next week.