The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-03-14
Railroads and Turnpikes.
Spring HILL, March 8, 1873.
10 the Editors Of The Columbia Herald:

Spring HILL, March 8, 1873.
TO the Editors Of The Columbia Herald:
l read the article in your issue, of the 14th
of February, with pleasure. l allude to the
article on railroads. We understand that a
bill has introduced IN the Legislature to pre-
vent the I'm just determinations of these arbi-
trary and soulless corporations. If our law
makers will enact law to compel these soul
less corporators to equalize their through and
local freight, and passenger rates, upon fair
and equitable scale per mile, they will save to
the people of Tennessee enough money, in a
lew years, to extinguish the State debt, new
issue and old issue combined. Tennessee
stretches from the Allegheny Mountains, on
ne east, to the great river, on the west. The
travel and commerce of the North aud South
must pass over her territory. Nearly every
railroad in the State is now owned by foreign
c. pitalists. Is it right, is it just and equiLa-
bic, that the hard toiling sols of our State
lalready impoverished by the great war be-
tween the States, who built these roads, and
who must, for years, continue to pay taxes for
them-Shouid have to pay double the amount
on their shipments that the foreign shipper
does? The cities lying north and south OF US
ale foStered and built up at Tennessee's eX
pense. Although our State presents more
advantages for manufactures than any State
in the Union, yet railroad determinations (if
continued viii forever keep her in the back
ground. barrel of flour can be shipped
from Louisville, Ky, to New Orleans for fifty
cents, while Columbia must pay one dollar or
more. What wide-awake business man
would invest his capital in Columbia, in a fine
Touring mill, whilst Louisville and other
cities (all railroad centres) by the advantages
of cheap freights, virtually offers him a bonus
OF S15 600 TO $780, 900 to locate in their midst on
years business. Our Legislature has in its
power to do more to promote the prosperity
OF he State, by passage of fair and just
10 to ali thrOuuh and local frniOhtS and
passenger rates, than all the Legislatures that
have met in ten past has ever done. Roll on
the ball. gentlemen, keep hammeFing-it
takes hammering in this country to get any
thing aecompiished-Our people are very
slow and conservative-too much So for our
good, sometimes. The railroad grip is on our
throats, choking out our life, will our legisIa
tors have the manly courage to do their duty
and release us from this railroad vampire?
''Sed huius salts est We turn our thoughts
to another subject urnpikes. The Italians
say, "see Naples and die" Maury Countians
USED to say, see Maury and buy Why not
say so now? Alas, 1t is an iInpossihiity to
see Maury County now. If stranger get of
OF the one line of railroads and our few short
turnpikes, he is a GoNER, sure. There should
be sign board, at all the dirt roads, with the
warning, Navigation suspended; unless each
traveller brings his own pontoons to bridge the
impossible gulf of mud and mlre. No Won
der that so few strangers locate amongst US.
The exceeding fertility of our lands, and its
beautiful landscape scenery, would invite
healthy immigration and bring into the county
an abundance of capital, both OF brains and
money, if it were possible to get produce to
mark IF cheaply and eXpeditibusly. Although
there is ghost of u turnpike between Spring
Hill and Columbia, yet it requires good
steady nerve and courage to undertake the trip
in a wagon, or on horseback; for pleasure We
hicles, mo go" at all. We can get il our
buggies and go to Franklin and back about as
soon as we can 90 to Columbia. The city OF
Columbia is the loser. City, did | gay! the
VILLAGE meant. Where is the evidence of
| a city? Is it found in her numerous railroads
aud turnpikes, bringing TO her market millions
| of dollars worth OF producer No! Columbia
! is nothing but u small country town and rail
| way station, and will forever remain so--un-
less her people and the people of the county
awake from their Rip Van Wrinkle sleep.
| What others have done we can do. Go to the
| Blue Grass Region of Kentucky, a country in
| no respect originally superior to ours, we
| lind splendid turnpikss biseeting the country
/ IN every direction, and landG are worth from
| 500 to 800 per kaere. Lands with US, that
| were once worth from $75 to 500 an acre,
cannot now be sold for more than $40 to $50
! an acre.
In the Blue Grass country, of Kentucky, the
turnpike roads are al brIlt by the county.
| As soon SIS one road IS built, Il is sold to the
highest responsible bidder, and the proceeds
of the sale invested in building another road
that, in turn, is sold, and the proceeds again
indebted. Sometimes these roads are SOLD
for profit, but generally at small loss; bu
the increased value of real and personal prop
erty is immense. Suppose Maury County is
sues $780, 200 in 80 year bonds; the VILLAGE
of Columbia 100000 in similar bonds, to .bt
invested in building turnpikes, and as fast as
bniit, sold. In less than 10 years the county
would be cut up in every direction with goOC
roads, and her taxable property would bt
dunn property would more than pay interes
aud bonds. How long will our people ga
about the past and croak of the future. Go Il
work, and use the many advantages God ha
gwen us, and prosper; croak. do nothing, die
Yours truly,
MONTGOMERY.