The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1888-05-24
TRANSPORTATION.
The Rapid Progress o.
Events at Decatur.
The Sruth Fast Coming Into Posses.
sssiOn of Her Own Supremacy.
Energy and Activity Ever Mani
fest and Development Proceeds
in Rapid Pace.
The Wonderful Changes Wrought in Few
Short Month in the New City
on the Tennessee.

on the Tennessee.
What a change from two years |
ago! Then even Birmingham was
in doubtful stage of progress. |
Decatur was fourth railroad |
crossings little mass of tumble
down houses and very little local
business, muddy and dirty and di-
lapidated. Surrounding were un-l
dulating plateaus broken into cot
cotton fields and blackjack
groves, the lands being of very lit
tie value. Decatur then was place
to be avoided by travellers and
many sins stand registered against
some of those who were compelled
to lie over there to make connec-
tions on another road and who
vented their impotence with many
blasphemous Impressions upon the
horrid accommodations afforded.
To-day, where the feecy cotton
grew and the stunted BACKED jun
giles harbored the nimble tick and
the shrill-whistling mosquito a
city is struggling into being. Up
and down the river front for miles
where before was dreary desolation
can now be seen smokestack after
smoke stack emitting black vol
umes of curling smoke that voice
the activity surrounding them, and
the broad fronts of massive manu-
featuring structures present a bold
front to the majestic river whose
mighty bosom is just beginning to
bear mighty commercial burden.
Scattered across the country for
miles beautiful residences in all
stages of construction can be seen,
set in regular order upon streets
and avenues graded and macadam-
lied, and in places costly blocks OF
business houses loom up. Ham
mers and saws thum and rattle on
every hand and hundreds OF busy
workmen are hurrying to and fro
as they bring together and put in
place and dress off and beautlfy q
city. A magnificent hotel sits CEN
trally located upon a broard white
avenue, and the rumbling stree,
cars hurry past loaded to the guards
with workmen and busin ess men
and prospectors and investors.
All around in q radius Of some
three miles, from river to river, is
the same activity and rush. Squads
of worksmen are digging and lev
cling streets, laying water-pipe
burying sewers, excavating, filling
in, leveling off, identifying. Cities
are.'not built in day, although you
may buy a lot and live in his new
house on it within week. Hun
dreds of houses consume hundreds
of days in building. and yet in the
few hundred days that have elapsed
! since Maj. Gordon breathed into
New Decatur the breath of life
there are hundreds of houses.
| 1t is wonderful! To. think what
it was-to see what it is-to imsg-
inc what it will be! Decatur has
passed the doubtful stage. The
veriest croaker should he go there
and get into the rush would find
himself figuratively yelling like 6
crazy democrat at a Bob Taylor
convention. And yet it is not il
the nature of a boom, 1t is solid,
rushing business. One must tax.
in the whole scene to know the ex
tent of it. You may stand here ant
see things that will astonnd yor
and think perhaps that is all, but il
you will 60 over that rise or around
that clump of trees or beyond that
nest of buildings or around tina
hill, you will find that scene repeat
ed and repeated and repeated.
The Land Company has done {
mighty::work. There are hundreds
of thousands of dollars spent OF
J the streets and the sewers and the
| water-pipe, grading, macadamizing,
curling, leveliag, identifying and
there have been millions invested il
building and manufacturing, snG
the tale is just beginning to be told
Men realize what Decatur is be b,
by a study of the surroundings and
the tendency of events and they arr
Fastening to get there first. Ever
in this dull season when people ar,
busy at home and when business
languishes the activity continues a
J Decatur.
This fall is sure to witness {
blaze of energy down there and al
inpouring of prospectors. Thu
Land Company has pursued tn
wisest and most vigorous meas
ures in letting the world know
what Decatur is and what she may
J be and they leave DO stone unturn-
ed to do it yell. To-day there il
more harmony Of purpose and uni
ted activity on the part of the man
agement than ever before, we are in
formed by che papers. The little
differences that have cropped on
between individuals, always to b,
found more or less in any enter
prise, where . number of men of al
many minds and purposes ar,
! brought together, have beer
! smoothed away, and it is the an
nounced policy of the gentlemen
composing the management to sub
ordinate everything to the one
great, broad purpose Of building t
city.