The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1879-12-04
CLEAR THE TRACK.
The Fayetteville Railroad Booming
Towards the Tennessee.
Maj. Sykes Shows the Advantages
and Possibilities Of the
New Road,

Maj. w. j. Sykes spoke in the
Circuit Court room Monday upon
the importance and possibilities of
the proposed line of railroad from
Fayetteville through Pulaski to the
Tennessee River. We regret that
his. audience was not larger, for to
know whereof he speaks is to coin
eide in his views. The matter is
pregnant with Importance to Pu-
laski and Giles county, and we feel
: we are doing a good service in pub
= fishing full synopsis of his speech l..
He said he came here to-day TO
speak at the request of numerous
citizens, to show the value and i'm
portance of the construction of a
railroad from Fayetteville to the
Tennessee river. He first under
took to show that its construc-
zion would prove a pecuniary bene
fit to every citizen of the county.
Before the war Giles had the repu-
tation Of being one of the most pub
lie spirited counties in che State,
and il it had not been for her ener.
getic action In the matter, our
Great Southern would not have
been built. Since the war it is diff
ferent. Maury had not only built
another railroad, but she had pixies
in every direction, while Giles, as
good a county in every respect, was
content with one pike now 80 years
old. He urged that Giles must be
up and awake, or take the conse-
quences. Maury is building a pike
TO Campbellsville and will soon cut
off that trade, together with the
Lynnvllle trade. She commenced
by building railroads, and the pixies
followed as consequence. Lewis
burg is also reaching down for
part OF the Giles trade. With
Maury and Marshall fanking Giles
on the north, the Lawrenceburg
road drawing from her on the north
west, and the Fayetteville outlet to
Atlanta sucking her vitals on the
east, where will we DE If we continue
IN our lethargy. Some country PEG
plethlnk they are not inter ested in |
building up Pulaski. This is a
mistake. AS she grows she as
sumes a larger proportion of the |
taxes and thus lessons the burdens |
of the country people. If Pulaski
was growing and thriving as it
should, country lands would be
worth more This is illustrated in
Maury, where lands are very high.
Lands for five miles about Colum
bia are worth $40 per acre. Can
Giles say that OF her lands? Others
think a railroad is no benefit. Car
thage has no railroad, and although
she is only so miles from Nashville,
wheat is worth 35 cents less than in
Nashville, corn 20 cents less, and so
on. Actual figures show her losses
for want of railroad to be $4,000
a year, and yet her whole tax is
only $4,000. Hickman county
without railroad gets 20 or 80
cents less for wheat than Giles
farmers. Before the Decatur road
was built, farmers here never got
more than 80 cents for wheat. Now
they get from 80 TO $1.30. He did
not cite Maury county to create
envy, but because the two counties
illustrated his subject. There is
and should be no antagonism be-
tween the interests OF Colum bia and
Pu.askl-nO rivalry except that
which seeks to excel, not by pulling
down but by putting up; by i'm
prOvemenC, not by depreciation.
Towns and cities are like the scien.
ces, which it is said flourish in the
OF each other. This ;
is illustrated North, where every (
few miles carries you through a
manufacturing or commercial city. (
Whatever benefits Columbia will
not injure Pulaski. and the property
of Pulaski will operate beneficially {
on Columbia by stimulating enter I
prise ana improvement 1t cannot {
be denied that the people Of Colum-
bia have exhibited a public spirit |
and an energy second to no town of
its size. in Middle Tennessee, and s
they are reaping and L hope may I
continue to reap the benefits. Pu !
laski, however, has advantages of s
position of which if your people
will avail themselves will make her |
one of the most fourIshing and ,
towns in Middle Ten 6
nessee. You are on the short line l
from Fayetteville to the Tennessee
River at point below all obstruc i
lions and also on the shortest and
most direct route from Huntsville
to Nashville, and in addition the
line through Huntsville to Atlanta {
is nearly if not quite as short as by t
Chattanooga, and much more level 1
and advantageous. This line will I
be built and the quicker the better. {
Another great advantage. The J
Illinois Central will build next year c
from Bolivar to the River, and if t
this road meets it there it opens up I
a competing line to Memphis and t
all the northwest. Hickman and
Lewis are also about to build a road J
and it will bring Pulaski in straight
reach of these rich mineral beds. t
Next winter it is stipulated that t
Colum bia is to get her coal by Fay t
eLteville for 120l5 cents She now {
pays 22@25. This alone is a say {
ing to Columbia Of $4,000 a year. I
Pulaski can do the same and better s
with her shor ter road. This is only |
one item of a thousand. With two i
you get better prices, and s
with two roads you get cheaper {
rates. Maury's wheat crop next {
year will net her $4,000 more than I
if she did not have her other road.
People everywhere recognize Pulas-
ki's great advantages of position, G
and yet VIXEN he has said anytime 8
about 1t elsewhere he has been met '
with the expression, ugh, Pulaski
will never do anything" This PEG Y
pie are as enterpr'sing as others, e
and all they want is to know the
facts and they will move. When
he spoke of Pulaski he meant the
country also. If Pulaski goes
down the country goes down with
her. Pulaski was not to blame for
the failure of the NJ. d K. R. X. 1t