Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1890-01-04
Tennessees Wealth and Progress.

Mr.. G. A. Miller, Secretary of State
of Tennessee, spent the holidays in
St. Louis, and here are some of the
things he said to st. Louis Repub-
lie reporter regarding Tennessee:
"We are enjoying a period of great
prosperity in Tennessee. A great
deal Of foreign capital is constantly
coming into the State. There has
just been established at Chattanooga
large steel furnace, which when
completed, will cost 100000. 1t is
being built by English capital. They
calculate upon tuning out more and
better steel than anywhere in the
United States. This is but one in
stance of our material prosperity. It
is true of the entire State, and l may
say largely so of the entire adjacent
South. Our taxable valuation has in
creased over 100000 during the
past two years. Our population has
also increased. That of Nashville, as
an illustration, has increased over 100
per cent. When the census of 1880
was taken we had hut $4,000 inhabi-
tants. We now claim 10000. The
same ratio of increase is noticeable at
Chattanooga, Memphis, Knoxville,
Jackson and GAINESVILLE. Eastern
and Middle Tennessee, perhaps, show
the greatest material growth and in
crease of population. 1t will reach
over 100 per cent in two years. / per-
ceive that our State Treasurer says
we will have surplus in the Treas
ury at the end of the fiscal year, the
10Th of next December, of $750,0O0.
Railroad construction in the State
has reached enormous proportions,
the building being principally
through the undeveloped coal and
iron regions. There are millions of
acres of this land that have never
been touched. 1t has been bought
up but never worked. 1t is almost
entirely owned by capital foreign to
this State. Gen Alger, Of Michigan,
recently purchased $4,000 acres of
coal land, paying S24O, 900 cash for it.
He bought at bargain because it was
inaccessible, but it will ultimately be
the source of an enormous income.
Gen. Alger is now on his way to Ten
nessee, doubtless with the intention
of developing his property. Tom c.
Plat, the New York politician, has
been elected president of the Tennes-
see Coal, Iron & Railroad Company,
which owns 100000 acres of coal and
iron land, and has ten large furnaces
in operation. Their stock has run
from 81 to IS cents, see by today'S
Republic. We have one company with
in the State making 1000 tons Of pig
iron per day, and they are doing it
for Sc a ton less than it can be manu-
featured in Pennsylvania.
) "This business prosperity, which
, benefits and permeates all classes will
effectually and permanently solve the
: alleged race troubles. AS a matter
of absolute truth, however, | know of
} no race troubles in Tennessee. Every
thing is quiet; the relations of the
two races are as satisfactory and prom
0 ising as can reasonably be expected.
The negro is accumulating wealth, he
!, is prosperous and with it comes con-
J. tentment. We pay more for the
: maintenance f our public schools in
: proportion to our assessed valuation,
It than any other State in the Union,
e The negro gets his share of it. The
a negro population, should judge, is
= increasing in about the same ratio as
: that of the white population. All
q these rumors of discontentment, cir.
= culated for political effect, are exag'
q gerated, if not untrue"
The Tariff a Local Issue.