The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1873-03-13
RailroadHspeech.

Monday at the courthouse. He started
out with a general review of railroads
in Tennessee, institsting comparisons
illustrating their usefulness and show
ing clearly the notwithstanding to ali
classes by their construction. His ar
guments were variations of facts g:,th-
cred from records and his conclusions
were invincibly correct. He showed
that the value of real estate in Tennes-
see, including slaves, in 1852 was $780,
100000, while in 1870 it was S276,-
100000. To prove that this increase
was owing to the system of railroads
commenced to be built in 1852, he fur
ther stated that the value of her
land had been decreasing for sixteen
years up to that time, when they sGdden-
~ began to increase, and in eight years
were valued at more than double the
amount they had ever acquired before !;
and although to day debt of twenty
millions in all its pondereus magnitude
hangs threateningly over our heads, yet
il it had not been for the very cause
that placed this debt upon US, Tennessee
to-day would be languishing in utter
and crushing ruin. The speaker next
produced facts to prove the advantages
of a narrow guage road over all others,
which are unnecessary here to rehearse,
as the bare statement is a patent fact to
those who have taken the trouble to in
stitute comparison Of the merits of the
different guages-rendered still more
unnecessary when we reflect that it is
barely possible that we shall be able to
raise sufficient money to build even the
narrow guage. at cost Of less Than hair
the amount necessary to build a broad
guage. One fact, however, stated by the
speaker carries with it a weight which
viii operate greatly in favor of the mar
row guage system in this age of railroad
smashups and disasters, which is, that
there never has occurred a serious acct
dent upon any Ofthe many narrow guage
roads now in successful operation.
Maj. Sykes appeared before the peO-
pie an advocate of a general railroad
system in Tennessee, but more especial
ly in the interest of the Memphis and
Knoxville Railroad, which, he AYERS,
and on good grounds, is of more impOr-
lance to this country than any project
that could be submitted to this people.
The Memphis g. Knoxville Railroad is
designed to join the great coal beds of
the mountains on the east with the vast
iron banks of the western counties-the
great sources from which is to spring a
wealth to our people that shall make
them famous and place our State in the
front rank of States. 1t is to these in
terests that we must look for our future
prosperity, and profiting by the past,
which reveals our weakness to have
been in the neglect of the development
of these resources, grasp the rod that is
to be our support in the upward march
to fortune and renown. We are now the
slaves and .sservile patrons of the North,
which skins the very cream from every
dish of wealth at the South. 1t was re-
marked by an eminent man at the north
that the secret of the defeat of the South
in the late war lay in the non-develop-
ment of her natural resources-that if
these resources had been developed fiji
teen years ago she would never have re-
belled but having once rebelled, never
could have been conquered.
Maj. Sykes was the bearer of a resO-
luton adopted at Fayetteville in Con-
vention last Saturday assuring Giles
I,af oh TnI-
through her borders to the line, Lincoln
would take it up and carry it on through
her rich domains. The line of the road
has been located to Saltillo, on the
Tennessee River, and this action of Lin
coin now throws the responsibility up
on our shoulders. VIII Giles county
consult her own interest in this matter
The speaker brought the question right
home to this people, clearly proving to
| the farmer that it was as much to his
interest to favor the building of rail
! roads as it is to the interest of Pulaski
| He showed that it was a good invest
ment for our people, from the fact that,
although our slaves are gone and much
/ of our property was destroyed during
the war, Giles county property is worth
1 million and half more than it was
before our road was built. The sugges-
ton that the companies should be re-
quired to grade five or ten miles of road
in the county as evidence of their good
faith before they receive our bonds is q
good one. The speaker made many
points which we cannot attempt TO elu-
| cidate, and we must confess that we fee
we have done him an injustice in cut
ting down his arguments as much as we
have. The subject, however, is so pro-
life that it is impossible to give it JUS
tice, and we appeal to this people to
study well their duty to themselves and
to their country before the time come:
to take action in the premises. The
large assemblage last Monday testified
their interest in the subject by tho
MAJ ked attention th9y gave the speaker
who has an inexhaustible knowledge
concerning railroads; indeed, every day
! come in from all parts of the county
| evidences of the enthusiasm thati pen
Grating and permeating the hills an6
hollows and fields of old Giles, and thu
idea of early and decisive action is gain
ing ground. The fortunes of this cOm
try are now in the scales. The lever
our railroad system-has been inserted
underneath us; Giles county is made
the fulcrum upon which the lever rests
and with our mighty interests bearing
down upon the long arm, our Lowell!
land is TO be raised TO an estate of power
riches and renown. Let us all labor il
the field that promises such an abund
ant harvest.
The CITIZEN from now till Christina
aud a splendid copy of "Industries G
America" both for s.. The book alon
Is worth $3.50. If
Bethany.