The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-12-02
MEaPaIS and NASHVILLE.
THE NECESSITY OF A RAILROAD
BETWEEN THEM,
Running Through the Iron Regions
OF Decatur, Perry and HEX
man Counties.

The Nashville American Of yesterday
contained the following special letter
from Memphis:
The necessity and importance Of a
railroad from this place to Nashville,
through the iron regions Of Decatur,
Perry ard Hickman, can scarcely be
conceived, much lfss described. The
best iron ore in the Southern s ates, il
no. In the whole United States, lies in
the counties on and near the Tennes-
ses and Cumberland rivers. Iron
made out of this ore has been tested,
and it has been found TO be OF very
superior quality. There is an abund-
dance OF this ore on the line OF the
contem plated railroad in the counties
Of Hickman, Perry and Decatur.
Here, Nashville-Whicb, ii proper
steps be taken, is to be the great
iron city OF the country must get
her iron. 1t is nearer to her than
auy other iron, and is of bet
ter quality. With cheap coal
obtained from the Cumberland
mountains and with railroad
running directly Though these ore
fields, what place will have as many
advantages for manufacturing iron as
Nsshville2 She will have cheap pro-
Vsors and in abu danes aud
healthy climate for operatives in
foundries and fac cries OF every de.
scrption. When Nashville becomes a
great manufa turing C ty railroads will
seek Nashville. They will come from
every direction as they are now coming
to Memphis. This road will furnish
TO every county in Middle Tennessee
another aud a shorter routs to Mem
phis, the great com mercisl metropolis
| Of the State. To show what manu-
featuring will do let US look at the
facts. The capital invested in manu-
featuring in Davidson county in 1879,
81 ITO, 343, the value of the msnufac.
tured products was f9,3S5,2l1. There
ought to be $4,000, 600 capital in man
uiactures. This road will not stop
here, but be ex erded in direct line
into Texas I'D thence west to the Pa.
ca. This is no Idle dream, but sober
reality. The only question is when
will il be built and what capitalists
will build it. On this side Of the Ten
ntsses river it passes through some Of
the mos, productive counties, Decatur,
Henderson, Madison, Hardem0n,
Fsyette and Shelby. In 1879
the counties produced as
follows: Decatur, 3l69 bales OF cot
ton; Henderson, 56l6 bales; Madi-
son, l9,257 bales; Hrrdemsn, 20,676
bales; Fsyette, 1921 bales, and
Shelby, 46, 1888 bales. The value of the
agricultural products in these coun-
ties wac: Decatur, $500, 925: Hender-
son, $l,043,923; Madison, 81, sol ,5l8;
Hardeman, $1,7l7,l73; Fsyette, ST.
6l9,52S; Shelby, $685. 22. The
County OF Chester, OF which Hender-
son ia the county seat, and through
which the road by Bolivar would run,
was n OF counted when the above es-
Inmates were made, and therefore not
included in them. II is true the value
OF land in these counties is low, but
this is owing to the want of railroad
facilities and other causes which may
be removed. The road coming from
East Tennessee through the Cumber-
land Mounta ne, or the road coming
from scottlvile, KY, should be ex'
tended to Memphis. The Gould sys.
tenn will soon be extended to Mem
phis. A direct line will be built to
Birmingham, Ala, and also, | am
satisfied, a direct line to Selma, Ala,
through Aberdeen and Colum.
bus, Mise., and through Eutaw,
GIeensborough, and Marion
Ala. This is to be the great
railroad and commercial city OF the
southwest, and it is of the FIST impor'
tauce that Nashville should have 6
direct connection with it. II seems Ia
me that II is far more important fol
Tennessee capital to be used in de-
velcping Tennessee wealth and in
building Tennessee cities than to be
used in enrichiDg other Statee, espe-
Cially when 1t can be done with more
profit 10 the CAPT alists themselves
There is no rivalry between Memphis
and Nashville, and should bs none
The growth and prosperity Of the one
will inure to the benefit of the other
and, in fact, of the whole State, moi
only 10 the cities but the couu ties o.
the State. Every citizen OF the State
but especially these of Middle anC
West Tennessee, should take an inter
est in it, some t. greater and some
TO less extent, in proportion to theil
ability and to their location. The
road will either go by Jackson, or i
will go by Somerville, Bolivar ant
Henderson. There is very little dit
ferance between the two routes. Thi
Ia n mattar Of praat imnortancp h