The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-05-09

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committed.
On motion the board adjourned.
| JAMES l.. GUEST,
| Recorder.
Gen. whitthOrne's speech.
Gen. Whitthorne made a speech to a
large crowd in the court house, Monday.
1t was one of those pointed speeches
that never fail to please and interest the
hearers. His object was to account to
his constituents for his conduct IN Con-
gress-to tell them what he had done
and what he had not done. He opened
| with terSe and perspicuous exposition
of the Credit Mobilier swindIe and
made thiS,--to the public-perplexing
subject, perfectly plain and comprehen-
sible. He spoke OF it as one of the most
gigantic frauds ever perpetrated against
a people. He said that the future poll
tics OF the country would grow out of
commercial questions and said great
deal in regard to the way in which rail-
road monopolies were tyranniZing over
| the country aud depressing the people.
| That the farmers of the West were al
ready taking steps for selt-defense and
| that they would have to do so 10 all
parts of the Union. The next point he
mentioned was the Banking question.
He said he was in favor of changing the
| law on this point. He wanted to recall
all the National Bank Notes, and substi-
| tute in the stead thereof the National
legal tender notes /; for the reason that
| there was discrimination in favor of
| the last named denomination of curren-
| Cy, and for other reasons. In conclusion
| the speaker said that great deal had
| been said about the "back pay grab"
| aud made full explanation Of the mat
| ter. He said his first impulse was to
| feave the money in the Treasury and
not draw it but after rejecting that his
| a hA TO cd n haI
! termined to give them the benefit of it. |
| To accomplish this end he had donated |
! the amount to the Southern Methodist |
! University. soon to be established at |
! Nashville. The money is TO remain in |
the hands of the trustees OF that institu- |
| ton as perpetual fund and the inter- |
! est is to be applied TO the education of
such boys as may be recommended by |
the several County Courts of this Con-
greSsional District. What wiser, better, |
or more generous disposition could have
been made IF the money? In regard to
the passage of the law Gen. Whitthorne
stated, as matter of history, that he was
the only man from the Southern States
who made speech against it.
Railroad Meeting Last Monday.
Below is an account of the proceedings
of the railroad meeting in this place on last
Monday. The meeting was much smaller
than IT should have been, but there was de-
cIded feeling among those present. If we
wish the railroad at all, we should go 20
work, and raise the necessary subscription to
put the road under contract to Lewisburg
without delay. We NOW NEED ACTION
Maj VIM. j. Sykes said that these roads,
the Memphis and Knoxville road and the
Duck River Valley road, would, if built, do
far more to enrich Maury county than the road
IN. & D. which had been built, and even added
more than two millions of dollars to the value
of land in Maury county. These roads would |
connect the iron regions on the west with the
coal-felds of the Cumberland Mountains on
the east and would make this great manu-
featuring county. The amount required to
secure these roads would not be five per cent
upon the present property Of the county, and
not three per cent upon the property of the
county after these roads were built. This
was upon the superstition that the roads
would pay no dividends, but if, as would be
| the case, these roads should pay eight or ten
| per cent, then the county would have moth
| ing to pay. These roads, unlike the other
| roads of the State, penetrate the mineral re-
| gions, and the transportation of iron and iron
| ore alone would make them profitable as in
| vestments for capital.
| MINERAL WEALTH.
| Major Sykes said the counties of Wayne, |
| Lawrence and Hickman contained world Of |
uudeveloped wealth which when brought into |
| full operation would make them the richest |
| counties in Tennessee. Iron fully equal to |
! that sold by the Iron Mountain company, of |
|
| let, and which is worth sixteen dollars per ton |
at Pittsburg, Pa, Is delivered at the Wayne |
| Furnace at two dollars per ton. These coun-
| ties, on account of the abundance of ore and |
| of timber, must be the greatest region in |
| America for the production of Charcoal 1rol, |
| which is superior to anyOt her kind, All that |
| they need for the full development of their |
| wealth is system of cheap narrow gauge |
railways, which will, by their main lines, or
by their branches, reach every important ore
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the Importance of penetrating these counties
| by railways, and bringing out their hidden |
| wealth be fully realized
DANGER TO MAuRY COUNTY.
Notwithstanding the importance of these
| roads to MauTy county, he felt bound 20 say
she was IN danger Of losing them. The road
from St. Louis, through Huntsville, to the
South Atlantic, would be built, but it might
not pass through Maury county. The road
from Memphis to Knoxville might take an
other direction, and not touch Maury. Mar.
sh all county must and would have a road or
roads, but if Maury would not meet her, she
might seek an oatle! IN another direction. If
| Maury does not wish these roads, she can
easily lose them by inaction and indifference,
and when once lost they can never be regain
ed. Delay at this time may be fatal. He did
not say these things to arouse their fears, but
that they might act advisedly in view of sur
rounding circumstances. He had done all he
could to secure these roads to Columbia and
Maury county. He felt he could do no more.
If you lose those roads, said he, the fault will
not be mine. have warned you of approach
ing danger. If you will not heed these warn
ings, you, and not |, will be the losers.
Maj. \. Z. Cheairs said he was fully aware
of the truth of Maj. Sykes remarks about the
danger of Maury county losing these roads.
He had been to Giles, and the people of that
county were in earnest in this matter. They
were determined TO get the Memphis and
Kno xville road, and if we stand still we will
lose them all. He was willing to be one of a
number to raise the money to put the Duck
River road under contract without delay to
LeWisburg. His remarks were forcible, point
ed, and meant business. Who will unite
with him? Mai Cheairs set noble example
! on Monday Who will accede to his PROPOSE
| ton? If we do not intend to have these roads,
let us quit talking about them, and let other
| counties have them. Let remain as we
are, whilst they press forward in the paths OF
progress and improvement.
! Mr.. l., D. Myers said be had recently visit
| ed and inspected the three feet gauge road
from Middleton, Tenn, to Ripley, Miss. Al
though very lmperiectly built, it was sue
cess. The cross-ties were too small and too
short, the embankments were too barrow,
and the excavations did not have sufficient
slope to their sides. The road was built with
too much haste in order to get the State sub
sidy, and consequently there were many de-
fects which could be remedied, and which
they were now remedying. The system, he
I was satisfied, was perfect. The passenger
: coach ran with great smoothness ease and
! comfort. The kCarS carried twice their
I weight in freight, whilst cars on the broad
: gauge roads only carried pound for pound.
| The train, if 1t should happen to run of,
l | could be put on with little difficulty, and no
danger. The engineer assured him he could,
! when he got the road in good condition,
= which would be soon, carry a train of thirty
- loaded cars up grade of lis feet to the mile
: He said that they could turn very sharp
! curves with ease and safety. Take it all in
all; it was, with all its imperfections, a salts
! factory example of what narrow gauge roads
/ ceud do.
We have received the first number of