The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1892-05-20


Hon. J. L. Girton, Winchester, Tenn.
DEAR SIR-The committee here
tofore appointed was this day called
together by the Chairman, His
Honor T. ID. Newbern, Mayor of
this city, and your letter OF 3rd Of
May was submitted by the Mayor
to the committee and fully discussed.
As result the undersigned has
been directed to answer rs follows:
/. The distance on an east and
west line through this, Hardeman
County, Tenn, will be twentY-fOur
miles.
2. The probable number of
stations will be five or six.
3. The character of the ground
10 undulating, and in some places
billy, though former surveys show
no obstacles to a cheap, excellent
line, with no rock, no considerable
fills and only one stream of any
size TO cross. viz: Big Hatchie Riv-
er, which can be easily spanned by
piling and bridges thereon, as is
now done by the Midland railroad,
fourteen miles northwest of Bolivar.
4. This County has population
of 10000. This town, a popula-
ton of 1850; it is a County seat, and
three miles west is' located the
State Insane Asylum, where inclu-
ding lunatics, servants etc., there
is population of about 600 souls.
5. About two-fifths of the por-
ton of the County through which
the road would pass is cultivated,
balance in finest oak, pine and
poplar timber.
6. Timber resources unsurpassed.
No County in Tennessee has such a
variety and abundance of choice
merchantable timber. We have
no minerals except traces of iron
on eastern border, but the soil is
underlaid with the most superior
kaoline, or pipe clay. Chemists
and manufacturers pronounce it
the finest known for thing, fire
brick, bric-a-brac, etc. Several
small potteries are operated.
About twenty steam mills in the
County are taxed to their utmost
capacity to cut the timber that is
offered, and which is shipped to
Boston, New Y Ork aud other
points. There are also number of
stavs factories, which ship inn
mense quantities of split slaves to
eastern markets and to Europe.
z. If any reasonable prospect of
building the road through Bolivar
and Hardeman County becomes
apparent, we will pay for prelim-
mary survey and donate the right
of way.
You can use the names of Hugh
Williams and r. Z. Nicely as incor-
porators if you choose when the
charter of Incorporation is obtained.
The com mittee directs me TO add
that an east and west line was sur
veYed in 1878 by the Memphis and
Knoxville Railroad Co., and the
roadbed graded for twelve miles
east of Bolivar, in this County, and
for much greater distance through
Chester County and Wayne and
Giles, and that the line taps the
best mineral and timbered region
in Tennessee and one not tributary
to any other railroad. The pro-
ducts of this County are about 90.
900 bales of cotton per annum, inn
mense quantities of fruit and vege-
tables, corn, live stock, ETC., which
find market in Louisville, Chicago,
Memphis and New Orleans.
This city, and the Insane Asy-
lum. which is the largest building in
the South, being over a mile around
its perlmeter, consume great guam
titles of coal, which is brought by
the L. @. r. r. from Illinois and
the north principally, but which
with your railroad completed
would be brought from Middle or
East Tennessee.
The committee directs me for
your further information to enclose
the printed circular letter, publish
ed in the Appeal of 26th of May,
1886, marked copy of which you
will find herein, and which sets
forth In detail some of the advan-
tages to be derived from the CON-
templated line of railway.
The original survey of the line
from Fayetteville to Memphis is
now In possession of Gen. R. P.
Nicely, and may be inspected at any
time by any persons interested, who
may be sent to us for that purpose.
/ am directed to ask that you re-
turn the Appeal, which contains the
report of The former committee, as
it is the only one of that issue in
possession of the committee. You
are at full liberty, however, to pub,
lish the same in your forthcoming
report, as well as any additional in
formation herein contained.
BY order of the committee, and
for them. Respectfully,
FRANCIS FENTRESS.