Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-04-09

for an amount exceeding it Capt. Inman'
estifnate) very little If any," So it appear
we can stand the touchstone Of inyestiga
ton, and have made a sound report OF thu
cost of our roadbed ready for the iron.
But 1 must hasten. Is the County o
Davidson interested? This brings m'
TO speak of the country through which oul
road rum. Diyerging from the Nashville
Chattanooga and ST. Louis road at Hun
tingdon, it runs through the best half Of
Carroll, leaving Madison close TO the left,
then entirely through the heart of Gibson,
then through the new county Of Crockett,
leaving Dyer close on the right, then
through one corner of Haywood, and then
entirely through Lauderdale. This tiakes
a central road through West Tennessee,
and the best part of it. All these counties
are amoung the best in Tennessee; and
Lauderdale; though among the younger
counties, will soon be Ct the. yerF head OF
the list. Let me refer TO Gibsonrc county;
as some evidence of the character of the
country through which our road passes-a
section, sirs, that has a rich trade to give,
but o cut off absolutely from this quar-
ter. By reference TO the census report OF
1870 of industry and wealth, il will be
found that Gibson cotinty stood second in
the State on the aggregate Of agricultural
productions, her aggregate being $3,327,OOO
that year for cotton, this county stands
fifth in the State. Sins, there is a rich local
trade for n~inety-seyen miles along our line,
that desires to come here, and yet it is pro-
hibited. We're this road built the county
of Davidson would have an outlet for sur
plus stock, meat and grain, and the city OF
Nashville for manufactured implements
and fabrics, and for her healthy and in
c~reasing wholesale trade. Besides, two
very valuable connections would be gained.
One at Milan, the other at Ripley. The
first a New Orleans connection SO much
desired By intelligent railread men. This
connection would be exceedingly valuable
to this place. And the mutually that
would exist between the n. C. and st.
Louis road and the Mississippi Central,
would afford cheap freights on that line.
AT Ripley a Memphis connection is formed.
At present our West Tennesses system is
adverse to commercial intercourse here.
Let us see. The Memphis and Ohio road
at one end points on Louisville, at the
other on Memphis. The Mississippi Cen
trail on New Orleans, and connecting at
Cairo with the Illinois Central, at the
other on Chicago. The Mobile and Ohio
on Mobile and by the Iron Mountain road
on st. Louis. And the new road being
built, called the Memphis and Paducah,
brsrs on other points: The old Sorthwes-
tern, which SHEARS Gne side Of West Ten
nessee, finally ending in Kerttchs, is the
only West Tennessee road that is operated
in the interest of this section. Partly as a
result Of this isolation, a new State move
ment some months ago sprung up with US,
snd 3 convention was holden TO form a
new State out Of Kentucky Purchase, West
Tennessee and North Mississippi. am
no adyocateOf a new State; nor do / charge
your county, gentlemen, with the duty
of holding West Tennessee in the old
fold, but what l say is, if, while promoting
your great interests here in supporting
the proposition submitted, you in any
measure throw a blbck in the path Of the
new State movement, l shall only rejoics.
What will be the value of the stock that
your company will deliver Us in return for
the stock asked to be transferred? some one
may ask. In reply, / say it does occur to
Ire thst II. viii certainly be worth as much
as your Louisville snd Nashville stock, |
Col. Cole is of this opinion. In fact, if
this county take Col. Coles road up in the
proposition made, that proposition is about
equivalent to saying the road shall be built
and the stock in il shall be good. But /
hold out no bright and alluring pictures,
for if the transferred stock of itself were
forever sunk, there is yet a big value re-
ceived, a large return to this banner county
of Tennessee.
/ have spoken, gentlemen, Of the West
Tennessee trade, but l have not presented
4 still larget, and even thrilling; view of
the case. On reaching Fulton; the First
Chickasaw Bluff on the Mississippi river,
and the best point from the Ohio river TO
the gulf, either for transfer ferry, or in the
great future that awaits US as a people for
a suspension bridge, we are within ~ miles
Of 4 oonrection with the st. Louis and
Little Rock line, that at once coEnects US
with all the great Western and Southwest
ern railways-by which this line by Nash
vile becomes one of the great inter-Oceahic
lines-either sweeping to upper California,
and superseding the Northern line that is
for 90 long a time blocked by the rigOrs of
iuid-winter. or reaching the Pacific Ocean
at San Diego, Oh sill better reaching the
Pacific at Mazat1n, Mexico, which last con-
nection when made will draw the two
oceans up nearer at least 800 miles, as will
certainly be done. At present, fromtwO able
dSSuidllOtH udNC UNNil XVIII Nldl |
Fhen Our road Is built to Fulton, the gap of
1zmiles shall be f6rthcoiring; or at all events
either of these sources will Co operate to
that end. Indeed, with our road finished
to such a point, its western end, no one can
prevent the building of a connecting link.
Then, gentlemen of this court, you and
your people are on one of the most favored
~irter-oeeanic lines correcting westwardly
- e4,tol 80 l,-4ur1t- 81 Gnr4allr 1
Charleston, and other points on the eastern
seaboard. and with eastern cities. ] have
heard it said here that you desire more
eastern competition than you have. 1t
seems to me you ought to be more anxious
about your western lines. But with this
great inter-oceanic line adopted, and the
roads east of you having an outlet
by your city. and still westward by means
Of roads that it will be necessary to use,
the strong pressure of selfinterest will
compel your present Eastern lines beyond
Col. Coles road to reduce their charges to
the lowest possible rates. Here will then
be a competitor clear through to the Louis
vile and Nashville road. Self-interest in
this case will prove onnipotent.
But l must close: In conclusion, gentle
men, do not let any prejudice to railroads
sway you. The war has interviewed, and
very different results, in many cases, have
been brought out. The owner of the soil
is very much interested in railroads. In
1859, when our internal improvement
policy was adopted by the Legislature,
the value Of real estate was, perhaps,
about SIOO,OO0.O00. In 1860 it was
over double that sum-, without taking
into the account the increased value of
real estats in towns and cities. You have
here, gentlemen, a great county, and one in
the past that has been alive to enterprise.
But you can not now afford to sleep. Rail-
roads adds to the value of labor, the labOrer
getting more for his products, as charges
are reduced. Commerce has built Chicago,
St. Louis and Cincinnati. And they ap-
--eciate this. Look at Cincinnati, giving
ten millions ever for cro treat southern
road. You have some great things mere.
You have the capital OF the State. You
have the great book concern and the
Vanderbilt, and otter great foundations are
n