Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1874-12-12

throughout our State. 1t would sool
become one of the garden spots of tn
world. The value of the land wouls
be increased to more than double. Th,
poor knolls of the gully washed land
and wild wastes would soon be made
to bring forth hundred fold all the
varied products that ever gladdens the
hearts of the weary sons Of toll
Churches, school houses and manufac-
tories would spring up as if by magic
and the bright curling smoke might
be seen to arise majestically from the
chimneys of many bright cottages on
every hand, where now naught but
dreary wild wastes and uncultivated
fields lay. Our roads would be kept
in good condition, and various needed
internal Improvements made, and our
taxes, that now seem so burdensome,
would be divided up among many until
they beceme so light as to be scarcely
felt by any. All Of this and more
is within the power of the people of
our State Of Tennessee.
| do most firmly believe that if the
entire good tillable land of the State
was divided up into fifty and one hun
dred acre farms, with comfortable i'm
provements on each, that in less than
three years every one of these places
would be occupied by good and re-
spectacle families, either as owners or
renters, and that the rented ones would
average fully, for the owners, from six
to ten per cent. on the value of the
land. including the cost for moderate
improvements. 1t is useless for us to
continue to cry out for emigration
whilst we offer them no inducements
to stay when they come. For instance,
suppose a merchant with his large
store-house stocked with goods adver-
tises extensively his stock, and when
the customers for whom he is adver-
tising come he simply sits down and
tells them that he don't wish to sell
any goods, or offers to sell them at
such prices or on such terms as he
knows they can't afford to buy. Of
course, it would be very natural for us
to suppose that he has had all of his
advertising for nothing, and his Gus
toners would go where they could get
better bargains, and upon more suit
able terms, which would certainly be
the case in almost every instance.
To prove, in small way, the ad-
vantages to our State Of dividing up
and selling or renting land. | will
simply state that about seven years ago
| purchased the farm upon which L
now reside. 1t had then but one
dwelling house and that one sadly out
of repair, whilst it has now six COM
Portable dwelling houses, all having
the necessary out-buildings attached,
and occupied by six families of good
and respectable citizens. These famil
les furnish ten tax payers and ten con-
servative white voters, besides being
neighbors and friends and customers
of our merchants, tradesmen, railroads,
turnpike, &c. Now if | had contented
myself with holding on to all the land
had, refusing to improve or sell as
many Others do who are crying very
loudly for emigration, five of these
families would have sought homes
elsewhere, possibly in Texas or some
other State, and In place of ten tax
payers and ten voters there would
have been but one, and that one my
self. Ali of this has been done on a
farm of two hundred and eighty acres
and with very limited means, and |
merely mention it to show what might
be done by hundreds in this county
who are much more able than l am.
Now, l do not intend to place the
entire responsibility of emigration and
anti-emigration upon our farmers and
land owners. Our towns aud cities
must come in for their share. for it is
from them through the medium of the
press that the loudest clatter for emf
grafton comes. Now, suppose we see
what some of them that are near by
are doing to encourage our citizens
that are here to stay at home, and also
to furnish the ways and means for
others to come and live with us.
In the first place, have they accom-
modations for the new conner when
he comes? Have they even comfort
able homes enough to accommodate
their own people? l am satisfied they
have not. In Clarksville alone, | be-
lieve that at least one hundred more
cottages than are there could be rented
if they we're there, at from eight to
twenty dollars per month each, making
for the owners from eight to twelve per
cent. on the cost of construction. In
Nashville, from FIVE hundred to one
thousand more than they have might
be readily rented at from ten to forty
dollars per month. Houses of this
class are wanted by mechanics, trades
men and laborers, the real bone and
sinew of any town or city, who caunot
afford to pay from FIVE hundred TO
eight hundred dollars rent, when their
wages as general rule only range at,
upon an average. from one dollar and
fifty cents to three dollars per day.
From ten to thirty dollars per month
is as much as they can afford to pay,
and though they are willing to occupy
small houses, they want comfortable
ones, and having the proper feelings of
self-respect, as we'll as other people,
| they are not willing to take their
families to live iu any kind of worn
out shanty.
Now the first thing an emigrant most
generally wants to know, when be ar
rives in strange town or city where
he desires to make his home, is the
cost of living there, and the first item
on that bill of cost is house to live
t N.I.,llo L., oo,,Il - IL =,