The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1874-06-25
TENNESSEE CENTRAL.
DIR. lea Crises 20 Explain .

Bf. Lea Kisses 10 Exp1afn-"
Editor Of the Milan Erchange:-In
the Nashville Union and American of
the 18th inst. find the following ex-
tract from a late number of your
paper:
There has been money plenty
raised, our people think, to complete
the road from Huntingdon to Trenton,
if it had been judiciously used"
presume that you can have no
disposition to publish anything that
does injustice to the officers of the
Tennessee Central Railroad, or that
may be detrimental TO the interests of
the community in connection with this
enterprise. Such, however, is the
obvious tendency, if not the intention,
of the above extract as to require from
the undersigned some notice.
Before application was made to the
corporate authorities of Trenton and
Milan to submit an ordinance to the
vote Of the citizens for subscription
in aid of the railroad, n complete
survey was made of the whole line
and an estimate of the cost of con-
Struction submitted, under oath, b.
the chief engineer, to the boards Of
mayor and aldermen Of the corpora
tons. The estimated cost of con-
struction, at cash rates, was,
From Trenton TO Miian................... SO lS2
From Milan to McLem0rcsVile .............. Il ZIG
Repairs Of the old rOad-bed from McLe-
mOresyille to 1850
Whole cost Of road IV4. 7is
With this estimate before them, the
city Of Trenton was applied to for Il
subscription of 100000, which was
voted alnost unanimously. The town
of Milan was applied to for subscrip-
ton of 100000, but they cut it down
to $4,000, which was voted unanim-
ously. At the time these subscriptions
were made, it was supposed that the
bonds Of the corporations would be
taken by merchants and other public
spirited citizens at par, or at such rates
as would have kept them very nearly
up to that value in the market. I'm
fortunately, from the pecuniary panic
and pressure, and the absence Of Il
disposition in the community to foster
and encourage the building Of the
railroad, the bonds have become
greatly deprecated, the few who are
disposed to take them offering half or
less than half of their value, most Of
the individual subscribers paying the
calls on their stock reluctantly and
slowly and many refusing entirely.
With such inadequate means, can
any one reasonably expect the work
to be carried to speedy completion?
Yet. with the limited resources at our
much has been accom-
plished- In the opinion of those
whose judgment is worthy of notice,
more has been done on this than on
any ether work of the kind in this
portion of the country. Let the citi-
zens interested come forward in Il
liberal spirit, pay up their subscrip-
tons, furnish adequate means, and
the work will speedily be carried to
successful completion.
WM. W. LEA,
PreSt I e. II. Il. Co.
From the above it Will be seen that
DR.. Lea thinks We have done the
officers of the read injustice. Now,
it is not our intention to do either the
officers or the road the least wrong.
Personally, We have no feeling in the
matter. We claim to be us friendly !
to the road lbs anybody. We merely
published what our people felt to be
true, and We do not see that Dr. Lea
has cleared up matters in the least in
the above letter. he states the sums
by Trenton and Milan, but
he does not tell us what other sub
public or private, be has
secured. He does not tell Us how
much money has been expended, and
for what purpose. He does not tell |
Us what he has done with the bonds
placed in his hands, especially the
seven thousand five hundred dollars
last drawn from Milan. When he |
applied to the Mayor and Aldermen
IF Milan, some six weeks since, for
the balance of the bonds subscribed |
by this city, he stated that he thought !
they would be amply sufficient to cam
plete the grading between here and |
McLemoresville. Now, if this sum
was sufficient, why does he want ten
thousand dollars more? This is what |
,ur people do not understand and the |
reason they are unwilling to invest |
more money in it. We understand |
here are now only about twelve men
1t work on the road between here and !
Huntingdon.