The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1874-05-22
LAND SUBSCRIPTION TO RAIL
ROADS AND IMMIGRATION

General J. D Imhoden, Of Virginia,
has been to Europe, and spent two
years, and whilst there has taken a step
which may have a most important bear
ing upon railroad building in the South
ern States. He has published IN the
Louisville Courier Journal the result Of
his lahors, ami his letter is a most fOrci-
BILE and eloquent description Of what
may be the future of Virginia and Ken
lucky, and we may add of Tennessee
also. His object is to connect the Ohio
river at Louisville with tide water in
Virginia at Norfolk by means of cheap
narrow gauge railway, penetrating the
rich minera, counties of Virginia and
Kentucky He says: / spent six
months in London last year, AMI have
there interested parties abundantly able
and willing to carry it through on such
a basis of local aid as the charter pro-
vides for" His description Of the lire
reminds us very much of she line Of the
railroad from ibis city to Knoxville. 1t
runs. says General Imbodep, through
nine counties that ere without railway
facili les The region of country to be
traversed abounds in enormous unde-
veIoped wealth" He further says
4" We can bring these people here, and
without bnrdening ourselves TO do 1t
Even n small portion of the now uncul-
tivated and mineral lands alone, lying
within five miles of a railway line be-
tween Richmond and Louisville now
uDproducsive to the owners, if put into
the common stock of the railway COM
pany would form basis of credit on
which every dollar of the money needed
to construct the road and unite our
cities, can be raised on first mortgage
bonds in England before this year of
of grace 1874 passes away. The best
contribution the people can make in
aid of the work, would be q sale of
part of their surplus lands for railway
stock. Speaking of the character of the
men who would come here, General I'm
boden says I" He will not let the lands
lie idle. II there be minerals below the
surface he brings all the mighty agen'
cies of science and modern invention to
his aid, and invades the very dOminions
Of Pluto himself, and wTest5 from his
/ grasp the treasures he has watched ever
since the foundations Of the world were
/ laid. If the soil be fat and generous,
/ he proclaims the fact to his cnuntrymen,
/ and they Join him in countless numbers
! TO share the prize he has found" This
/ road is intended to 90 by Cumberland
( Gap, and will be, says General lmboden,
/ the shortest route " geography admits of
/ from Louisville To the sea" Many Of
/ the remarks made by General Imbcden,
apply with equally as much force to the
Memphis and Knoxville road as they do
/ to the Louisville and Richmond railroad +;
/ in fact the Memphis and Knoxville road
might be extended to connect with this
| road near the Virginia State line, thus
giving an unbrOken line of narrow-gauge
/ railway from the Mississippi at Memphis
! to Underwater at Norfolk. The railroad
/ convention ID this city on the tWenty>
! second Of April adopted resolution IN
I favor ofeyt0nding their road to Norfolk
/ so coon as their revenue will justify
them in so doing The scheme of Cen
eral Imbodsn can and will be united
with the proposition now being urged by
1 the friends of the Memphis and Knox
/ vile road. The waste lands between
/ this city and Knoxville, within Eve miles
I of the road, now unproductiye to the
I owners, If put into the common stock Of
/ the railway company, would form a
! basis of credit upon which every dollar
, Of money needed to build this road
! would be obtained before this year cf
/ grace 1874 passes away. Let the two
I roads be common from Norfolk to the
+ Tennessee aud Virginia line, and then
; the Tennessee road be extended through