The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1874-01-29


Murmured in my raptured ear,
EvermOre their sweet song fingers
We shall know each other there!
We shall know &c.
Notwithstanding
ham, Ala, and its Surround
ings.
We published a letter from Ma
jor w. j. Sykes, taken from the Bolivar
Bulletin. We are aware that some have
been disposed to consider Maj. Sykes,
visionary on the subject of railroads
and other improvements, because he has
not, out of them, realized large private
fortune. Not only he, but many other
men, have worked for the public, and
their works have been eminently bene-
fetal, whilst individually they have sus-
tanned losses, either of time or money
and sometimes of both. In addition to
the facts given in his letter, which we
have published, we give some extracts
from his railroad speeches, made in Ala
bama since the war, that show how he
foresaW and predicted results. In a
speech at Elyton, Ala, made in Septem-
Der, 1869, near where Birmingham now
is, he said:
''Coal is taken from Pennsylvania and
iron from Missouri to Cincinnati, and
yet they manufacture-thei iron there and
send you and all of US their iron man
ufactures. You have the coal and the
sufficient energy you can make this the
Birmingham or the Pittsburg of the
South. And when this is done Memphis
and Vicksburg are to be your great
markets. How can you best reach those
markets? To Cincinnati it Is $50 miles,
to Louisville 1872 miles, whilst to Mem
phis by Aberdeen, Miss, it is only 255
miles. At Memphis you will reach the
Mississippi River below all distractions
| both Summer and Winter. You will
there be connected with a system OF
railroads running to al points West and
Northwest, even as far as the Pacific.
1t is the center of the finest cotton region
| on this or on any other continent. The
experience of the last two years shows
that if not the UeFg best, il is one of the
best cotton markets in the South. In
ten years believe more cotton viii be
sold in Memphis than in any Southern
city, because, cotton of the finest quality
will come there. 1t is In Memphis and
| Vicksburg that your manufacturers will
find their best distributing points"
This was said before there were any
railroads in that country and before
there was sign of house where Birm-
ingham, Ala, now town of 5000 in
habitants, at present stands. Maj
Sykes not only predicted that there
would be city in that region, but ht
may be said to have given it its name
At a subsequent period, in March, 1871
at the same place, he suggested and ad
vOcated the lease of the Nashville g. De
catur and of the South 81 North rail
roads by the Louisville and Nashville
railroad company. During that yea
the lease was made, and as q consequence
we have the great through route from
Louisville and Nashville to MOntgom
cry, Pensacola and Mobile. He theI
said:
"This is the true policy of Louisville
to counterfeit the movements of Cincin
natl. She cannot long delay the build
ing of the Cincinnati and Southern
road, but she can build a road, and
will only require a short one, that viii
give her the advantage of the Southern
markets. From Cincinnati to ElytOn
by way of Chattanooga, is $50 miles
From Louisville to Elyton, by way 0
Nashville and Decatur, is 1872; differ
ence in favor of Louisville of 50 miles
From Cincinnati to Atlanta, by way
of Chattanooga, is 474 miles, from Lou
isyille to Atlanta by way of Nashvill,
and Chattanooga, is Al miles, a differ
ence in favor of Louisville of thre,
miles. The route might perhaps b,
shortened little by road from Deca
tur to Atlanta. So far then as Louis
vile is concerned she has and must con
tinue to have the advantage over Gin
cinnati in nearness to the Southern
markets. Her interests, then, point un
mistakably to the extension of the rOaC
from Decatur to ElytOn and Montgom
cry, Alabama. This will connect he
with the whole Alabama system o
railways. Let her cease her opposition
to the Cincinnati and Southern road anC
employ Q little of her great capital il
building the road Southwark from De
catur. With the aid so literally grant
ed by Ala, and with little aSsistanc,
from the Louisville and Nashville roaC
: this work may soon be accomplished
In connection with the road which viii
be built in few years from Meridian
Miss, to New Orleans, this Decatur anC
Elyton Road will furnish a shortes
route from Louisville to New Orleans
it being only 736 miles from Louisvill,
to New Orleans by Decatur and Elyton
whilst it Is 754 miles by Humbolt anC
jackson, Miss. / may say with trutl
that the Decatur, Elyton & Montgomery
road is the Great Southern road fOi
Louisville as well as Nashville
As he then said, it has become tn,
"GREAT SOUTHERN ROAD"
Then as now he was a warm advocate
of cheap transportation, a subject which
is exciting intense interest throughOu
the whole country. In the same speech
from which we have quoted he said:
Railroads are only means of deYel
opment and intended to encourage pop
ulation and Improvement. 1t is, there
fore, important that railroads, to bC
profitable, should foster local trade anC
travel by low rates and thereby builC
up the country, for, in so doing, the
road will reap the benefits by an in.
creased business, and whilst the rail.
roads should give encouragement to 10
cal trade and travel, the people on tht
line of the roads should sustain and de.
fend the roads. The great misfortune
and error of many of our roads has beer
that they sacrificed the local TO tn,
through business, and, in that way with
out intending it. injured themselves"
We give these extracts to show tina
his views are now the same that they al
ways were, and that what many cOnsid
cred at that time the dreams of vision
airy enthusiast have become sober reali.
ties. 1t may be that be has not realizeC
Individually any benefit from thesi
N.-e91 Se-N eaA'tt e'oSS AAoS pEOhc budJ III
views were not sound. 1t is the fate o
some men 10 advocate enterprises o
which others often get the benefit.
Ii is perhaps due to Major Sykes {,
state that in his speech at Lawrence
burg on the first Monday In November
he said that il was his last RAILROAD
speech, ''that he could not, in Justice 4
himself, devote any more attention {,
such objects, and those who needed ans
would be most benefited by railroad
should not only build but advoeat.
them"
! Kaiser William, Of Germany, in or
der to stop the emigration of his sub