The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-07-14
WILLIAM B. DoDDR1DGE, u
President Tennessee Constructions
Company.

husky negroes to start the operation Of
blasting the clin The only way the Oppose
ing parties could resist this construction q /
an inlet to the heart Of the city. was hY {
resorting to petty means Of redress.
mo sooner had the work Of excavations
begun, tho mines been fixed for blasting
the rock. followed by q bombardment %
fierce that It reminded one Of the taking Of
q fortress. than a warrant was served upon
Contractor Smith. This happened always
in the afternoon. but early the next morning
Smith was back at work with his 500 blacks
to renew the days siege.
TN this way Smith was systematically arr
rested every day for violating city ordi-
nance. His fine was regularly assessed al
SO. Which, Of course. the company cheer
fully paid. 1t took six weeks to blast oue
the cliff in question. 5000 lineal feet Of side
cut, elevated above the river some forty
feet.
1.-THE bulk Of the rock. thus excavateds
landed on the slope Of the Cumberland Riv.
err. Occasionally few stones would block
the channel. causing the Government engi-
neer to complain, but he was reasonable
and made no trouble. Sundry blasts. how
ever, would explode and send a shower OK
rocks clear Of the river. and into lumber
yard on the other side. You may be sure
there was trouble then. Hundreds Of negro
hands, bowling and shouting. would fee
from the yard. refusing to return uotll
the intrepid Smith was again placed under
arrest. have been tod repeatedly thae
the oldest citizens OF Nashville said the
bombardment reminded them Of the cannon
boom Of the Battle Of Nashville. during the
war.
TT Is the purpose Of the Tennessee Central
Railroad Company. after completion Of the
line from Nashville to Emory Gap, to ex.
tend It eastwardly to Knoxville and the At
lantic Coast. and westwardly- toward St
Louis. and eventually to the World Fair
City. 1t Is the intention to construct q low
grade line, thereby cheapening the trans.
portation OF coal from the Cumberian0
Mountains developing the natural RESOURCES
Of that part of the country and stimulating
its latent industries.
II also intend to build a spur OF, the line
] to the Hermitage, the old home and buf1A1
place of General jackson. which IS to the
South what Mount Vernon is to the entire
nation. The Hermitage is situated about
| twelve miles from Nashville and reachablo
only by turnpike. which makes It an exc
pensive, as we'll as q 1aborious pilgrimage
Il 4nlS 1puf Will faSS on us way TO 6euofoA
Jackson's tomb the Confederate Soldiers
Home. another point OF interest to thou
sands Of people"
i Subsidy Of . Millfon.
In August next the city Of Nashville win
vote on . proposed subsidy for the new line
Of q 100000. and In order to make the cam
paign effective and educate the people ok
Tennessee to the benefits which they VIM
derive from the building OF the Tennessee
Central. Colonel Jere Baxter has begun the
issue Of . little paper called the Independ.
ent. This sheet. which is edited by the
doughty Colonel. Is two-column octasoI
and 10 devoted exclusively to enlightenino
Tennesseeans. and especially the citizens OF
Nashville. on the subject Of their new line
the proSress made in construction, the benz
efits to be derived from the opening up Of
the now fields Of natural products and in>
dustries, now lying dormant.
Tho prospects for the subsidy sill going
through at the August election are very
promising, and If 50. it will put the road IN
shaps which viii soon make 1t one Of the
formidable competitors Of the great trunls
lines Of the United States.