Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1883-07-28

through could not break the spirit
of her people, but only aroused
them to put forth greater energies
and uncomfortable courage, what
may we not expect as the result OF
the next decade of people just re-
leased from the shackles and bonds
of political and financial troubles
and longing to take a part in the
great achievements of the age.
Shall / say that we are gaining on
those who for ages fattened and
grew great on our labor and toll.
Already Pennsylvania is beginning
to feel the effects of the now just de-
yeloping iron industry of the South.
The manufacturers of goods in the
north are besieging Congress, and
imploring railroad companies to a.
sist them in the conflict with the
new South. The ''irrepressible
conflict" is still going on, but this
is not a conflict of arms and hostile
armies it is a contest i'm which the
South backs her resources and I'M
developed wealth against the adj
vantages the North has long had
over her. In this contest the South
will be successful, for already North
ern capital has begun to look with
in her borders for profitable invest
ment. Her great natural resources,
only needing capital to develop and
enrich, have attracted the attention
of the Northern capitalist. The
war is over, the passions and the
prejudice between the two sections
engendered thereby have been for
gotten. The people of the South
poor, with no capital, possessing
and owning wealth ineXhaustable,
but which needs to be developed,
welcomes the Northerner. his per-
son and his capital, and invites him
to enlist both on the side of the new
South i'm this new conflict. The tidal
wave of prosperity has just begun
to lash our shores, but it is coming !;
we feel its great throbbings, and the
North feels it, and it will be felt
still more every year, until in a
few years the great centres of rail-
roads and manufactures and trade,
will be in the new South, leaving
hundreds of smoke stacks in the
North to decay and fall into the
shafts and mines which have been
abandoned for the new and richer
mines of the South. For one / say,
let the "irregressible conflict" 60 on.
We are here to-day to give it d
push in the right direction. Every
spade full of dirt that is thrown
from the bed of this road will be
an impulse given to the grand work
of building up the new South.
Who knows but that this day inau-
gurateS Il future for the city of
GAINESVILLE that will be perfectly
astonishing. / do really believe 1t.
| see no reason why GAINESVILLE
may not be the equal of Memphis
in everything: and see many rea-
sons why she may expect to surpass
her in few years in commercial
importance. With the immense
beds of iron ore on the south bank
of the river, the fields of coal
stretching away to the Ohio on the
north, the grand forests of timber
in almost its virgin state on every
side, the rich and fertile soil that
surrounds you, nothing is lacking but
quick and easy tranSpOrtiOn, ener-
gy and enterprise to make your
city one of the great commercial
emporiums of the South. / believe
a grand destiny is before you. |
believe that this railroad which |
have the distinguished honor of
breaking the first sod for its bed,
will in few years prove to be one
of, if not the grandest thOrOughfares
in the country. / believe that in
less than ten, aye, in less than five
years, furnaces, mills, manufactO-
ries, of all kinds will line the banks
of your riVers-that these beautiful
hills that surround us will be COW
cred with stately dwellings, that
your streets will be filled with mar
BILE store houses, your merchants
will become princes in wealth, and
your manufacturers millionaires.
Every man will feel the impulse
and every one will reap the bless
ings which will flow from the new
order of things if he has but the en-
ergy to put forth his hand and
grasp the advantages that will be
opened to him, and the road will
i'm advancing your interests en-
nance its own. 1t will run through
banks of iron and coal ineXhausti-
Bile in quantity and equal in quail
ty to any to be found in the United
States, and through agricultural
reagions second to none.
But, my speech has been ex-
tended long enough for the Occa-
sion. You have done me great
honor in inviting me here to per-
form this most agreeable duty. |
could not resist accepting it, though
| felt that there is one who should
have been preferred before me,
one who is entitled really 10 more
credit than / am. One who has
furnished the sinews that has en-
abled us to push forward this great
enterprise to this Inauguration day,
and who will, if sustained by your
sympathy, confidence and assis-
lance push forward the work to
grand and successful completion. /
accord the highest hOnOrs to Major
E. G. Gordon, the president, for
whatsoever good may result from
the building of this road he de-
serves it and he is worthy of it. /
need not assure you that feel that
[ should take a lower seat than my
friend Judge Smith. | do not be-
lieve that we could have succeeded
without him, but you will all hon.
or him as he deserves to be, as the
first and certainly the most untiring
and energetic railroad man of your
city, and that too when there are
so many noble and enterprising
citizens.
Ladies, / have always felt that
no man should ever undertake any
great work without first invoking
the blessings of kind Providence.
Next to that we want the smiles
and influence of the ladies. Say
what they will, / have never
known anything to succeed where
the women were opposed to it, and
there is never failure where they
indOrse il. / have felt the effects
of their influence IN this as well as
other undertakings. l rejoice to
know that you are always on the
side of that which will benefit the
human race. For your smiles and
influence, your good wishes and en-
enlargement accept my most sim
cere thanks.
And now | proceed to perform
that duty assigned me of lifting the
first shovel of earth from the road
bed of the Indiana, Alabama and
Texas Railroad. May the work
progress with rapidity until the
hooks of steel shall be firmly fast