Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1878-12-12
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Montgomery, Ala; ssf
n AsHvILLE As 1T is. "A COR
respondent of the. Cincinnati
Commercial furnishes the follow
Ing sketch of the capital Of Ten
nessee as it is now seen:
Before the war broke out
Nashville was a prosperous, and
was just. becoming, a populous
city. ss According tothe bestes-
Inmates ] can obtain, its popula-
ton before the war was about
"a, 1000. Since the war it has
largely increased, though that
increase4is neither healthy nor
abiding. While there has been
an exodus of many of its male
inhabitants to swell the rebel
army, and not a few Of its love-
ly females, who followed them
rather than suffer the contami-
nation of the Yankee presence,
there has been an immense in
flux of drifting, specializing per-
sons. who have not come to stay
permanently. These have aug
mented its population consider
ably above $4,000, though there
is such an amount of fuctuatior
and mobility that its exact cen-
sus, cannot be certainly known.
OF this number there arc more
than 10000 q give the officia
statement persons employed il
the Government service. This
includes all who labor in any
branch of military industry
whether in the railroad shops
the commissary or quartermas-
ter departments, or in construct.
ing warehouses and corrals, and
excludes, Of course, every enlist
ed soldier. They are in every
respect citizens, and wear citi,
zens' dress, though they draw
Government rations, are treated
in military hospitals, with Gov
ernment transportation, and arc
furnished with collins by the
Government undertaken, as sol.
diers are. Probably one-fourtl
of these persons have with then
families of one or more persons
but whether they have or not
they are properly reekonedas ;
part Of the citizens Of Nashville
Here, as elsewhere in the in.
.surrectionary States, Tie Coy
ernment finds it necessary t.
maintain a system OF permits
None arc allowed either, to buy
Or sell any kinds of goods with.
out having taken the oath Of al.
legiance aud obtained a specia
permit. In each one of these
documents is specified the a
mount per month which the in
dividuaI or firm may import
The whole amount for the city
of Nashville per month, cover
ing, of course, only those sup
plies which are not contraband
is 81, 100000. From this mus
be subtracted great part of til.
supplies which go to the sup
port of the posts below here, a.
Knoxville an d Chattanooga
since many traders from ther,
go no further north than thi,
point. This with a population
of oyer75,00 Before the war
when it was much smaller, til,
value Of importations exceedet
IS, 000,O 900 per month. Beside
this, there was. a vast quantity
of flour and other produce ex
ported from -this@point, Will,
now there is none.az q
How, then, Gan the people OF
ashyille live on such a reduce,
ALLOWANCE? The contrast Nigh
sta:tie and alarm the eaters ant
driakefs of this city, did the,
not knew that there are non'
who actually starve. They al
do continue, to live in some,way
and that great disparity in thu
statistics is partly accounted to
in this way. Before the war
Nashville supplied far more
small villages and cross roat
groceries than now. Now NONE
purchase here except the few
that live on the line of the mill
ltary railroads that lead out from
here, and they are more spar
ingly than then. Despite al
regulations, too, there is grea
deal sold here without permits
-smuggled, III short. The In
crease in the population has no
brought a corresponding IN
crease in the amount OF con.
sumption, since those who LEFT
to go South were wealthy ano
costly Iivers; While those who
have taken their places are, ii
great part, the laboring poor
whose wants are simple, and
whose bills are short. After all.
though, when one remembers
that it takes two dollars and 4
half Low 10 buy what formerly
could be got for one, it is nc