The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-08-08
Important a d Interesting
Facts for the People of Hick.
man County.

II
man County.
In his speeches in Hickman Coun-
ty week before last and last week,
Maj. w. j. SYKES made some points
and gave some figures which
were we'll calculated to produce a
profound sensation among the peo-
pie ofthat county. He said he would
present both sides of the question,
would show them what they would
have to pay and then show them how
much they would save each year. A
payment of $4,000 each year would
pay the interest on the amount of
bonds proposed to be issued, ($l75,-
OOO). An additional payment of $4,-
600 per annum would pay the princi-
pal in less than twenty years. This
together would make $4,000 per an
mum to be paid by the county if no
dividends were paid by the company
and the stock should be worth moth
ing, This was the worst view of
the case. Having ascertained how
much would have to be paid, let us
see what would be gained. Take
the staple crop of Hickman county,
which was the peanut crop, and
which amounted to 100000 bushels
per annnm. 1t now costs thirty
cents per bushel to place these pea
nuts in the Cincinnati market. With
railroads through the county it would
only cost ten cents per bushel to place
them in the same market; and that
makes difference of twenty cents
per bushel, and that OH 100000
bushels makes $4,000 per annum on
this crop alone, saved by having
railroads through the county. Take
from this amount the sum paid by
the county each year upon its rail
road subscription, $4,000, and it
will leave $4,000 clear gain to the
county after having paid its railroad
subscription, and this in twenty
years will be $4,000. After the
twenty years have expired the whole
$4,000 will be saved each year, as
there will be no longer any railroad
subscription to be paid, and this in
ten years will amount to 100000
additional, thus saving in thirty
years, after paying the railroad sub
scription, $SSO,OOO, and this saving is
to continue every year through all
coming time. Ought not this to be
enough, of itself, to make every man
in the county vote for the subscrip-
ton? But this is only a small part
| of the benefits to be derived.
WHEAT.
The saving on each bushel of wheat
will be fifty cents. 1t costs sixty
cents per bushel to put your wheat
in a good market; with railroad it
could be put there for ten cents a
bushel. This on 10000 bushels of
wheat would be $4,000. Hickman,
though one of the finest wheat coun-
ties in the State, cannot now raise
wheat for market, because of the
high price of transportation. Rail-
roads through the county would
change this.
COTTON.
1t now costs four dollars per bale
to haul cotton to market; with rail-
road it would only cost one dollar
per bale: thus saving three dollars
on each bale raised in the county.
On 5000 bales there would be a saw
ing of $1,000.
POULTRY AND EGGS.
Before Henry County had any
railroad, the value of eggs and poul-
try sent from the whole county was
$1,000. After the railroad was built
the valud of eggs and poultry ship
ped from Paris Station alone in one
year was $4,000, and this was not
half what was shipped from the
county. With railroads through
Hickman, which could and would be
one of the best counties in Tennes-
sector this business, the value of eggs
and poultry shipped each year could
not be less than 100000 or more than
three times the amount the county
would have to pay.
HOGS AND BEEF CATTLE.
The saving OH hogs, in transport
ing them to market, would be at least
two dollars per head, and on beef
cattle four dollars per head. This on
five thousand hogs, a very small
amount for Hickman, wo uld be $1O,-
$50 per annum, and on three thou
sand head of cattle would be $4,000
each year. He estimatee the saving
on these articles at less than it really
would be, in order that no one could |
say he had exaggerated the benefits |
of the railroads. Add all these items |
and see to what it would amount:
Saving on peanuts.................S $40, 900.
loSS..'-..'.' IU.OOO.
beeI caJCIe .--......-lZ,OOU.
Zoo.
Wheat..-..... ...,.... -. ............-.15, 200.
$4,000.
Take from this the amount to be paid
by the county, each year .........SlS,OO
Balance in favor of the county each
900.
This does not include the decrease
in the cost of transporting articles
into the county, nor does it include
the eggs and poultry crop which,
though to many it may seem insig-
is no small matter. Nothing
has yet been said about the mineral
rocOnpcoc apI tho iucpaorod xuoo1fb