Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1873-11-29
point. on the river, aud much cheaper

polnu, on the river, aud much cheaper
than by rail transportation
Sd. 1t will make the distance be
tween St. Louis and the Alantic and
Gulf Seaboards over one hundred
miles shorter than by any other route,
aid place the city Of Jackson and all
other points along the line, on the
/ sreat highway of commerce between
! the Northwest and Southeastern
States, the Lakes and the Gulf.
I 4th II viii enable you TO secure all
kinds of building material, sneh as
stone, lime, cement, marble, pine and
+ cedar lumber, etc. etc, in exhaustless
quantities, all cheaper than by any
other route, as they are accessible on
"a shorter distance from the Birming-
I ham line and from the Tennessee
River.
! 5th. II viii put You in direct com
munication with the rich country above
the Muscle Shoals along the valley of
the Tennessee River, where all kinds
Of farm produce, building materials,
coal, iron, etc. etc, are over 100 per
cent cheaper than with us.
The Commissioners appointed by
/ Congress have already made survey
! of the Tennessee River, reported on
! the same, and viii ask this coming
session for an appropriation of nearly
million of dollars to clear it of OBJ
structions, and make II navigable all
the way up into East Tennessee. The
advantages to US of tapping this great
water line at Pittsburg Landing, as
well as the immense mineral value Of
I North Alabama, are incalculable.
i could mention other advantages
which the people living on the route
of your proposed road would realize,
but enough perhaps has been said to
satisfy the most skeptical of its great
Importance, and justify its construc-
tiOn at an early day.
Now is the time to get ready for
work, when so many are out Of en-
plOyment and labor cheap, in antici-
patton of good times.
In order that the whole question
may be more thoroughly understood,
l have laid down the line from Jack
son, Tennessee, Uia Pittsburg Land
ing, on the Tennessee River, to Bir-
mingham, on a large Railroad map Of
the United States, showing its con-
neetions North OF Jackson and South
OF Birmingham, between the North
west and Southeastern States, the At
lantic and the Gulf. have also made
a map on large scale. showing the
results of the preliminary surveys be-
tween jackson and Birmingham, both
of which accompany this report. The
survey from Pittsburg Landing to
Birmingham was made by Bolton
Mickle, Esq, Civil Engineer. His
maps and report are in my possession
and can be seen at any time.
As to the means of building that
part of the road. 1 will mention that
the State of Alabama has granted a
subsidy of $1,000 per mile, cash, on
about one huRdred miles of the line
in that State, or say 100000, which
will be a donation to the company.
Mr.. j. Z. Evans, of Cleveland, Eng
land, whose company he represents,
and who has purchased largely (being
very heavy iron men, of the mineral
lands around Birmingham, says in a
letter to the Secretary of the Bir-
mingham & st. Louis Company:
81 am IN receipt of your communi-
cation respecting the construction of
the Birmingham & st. Louis Railroad,
(the jackson, Tennessee River & Bir-
mingham,) and from general infor-
nation that 1 have received, since I
have been in Birmingham, as 10 the
resources of the country through
which the road will pass, especially
its mineral and manufacturing inter
ests, as we'll as the commercial impor-
tance of your road to the great North
west and Southeast of the American
continent, l am fully impressed with
the value of this great enterprise.
I shall leave Birmingham, proba-
bly,, in a week, and will consult with
our Company and strongly recon-
mend their examining this matter
thoroughly, with a view to making
you an offer to construct the entire
road, from Birmingham TO jackson.
But may almost assure you that be-
ing largely interested in iron and coal
lands around Birmingham, our Com
pany would have no objection to
build, say twenty miles of this end of
the road, as start, (fOr the State
subsidy if you could induce the
jackson people to do the same on
their end 1 can not enter into any
positive arrangements until / see the
other members of our firm, and after
doing so, will communicate to you
the results of their deliberations. As
regards the financial ability of the
company l represent, l can assure
you, it is ample to perform the work
above alluded to, of which your COM
pany is fully aware"
We have other valuable resources,
in prospect, which it is not necessary
to mention here, but enough perhaps
has been said for the present, to show
the great importance of the enter
prise, not only to the people along its
route, the Northwestern aud South
eastern States, but as a grand national
highway of commerce.
Your very Respectfully,
j. ]. WILLIAMS,
Engineer.