Year: 1874

| seen ana known for years that the
South was their best, if not their on
| " market for much of their surplus
products, and they determined to
| get up rival lines of transportation
and thus obtain the cheapest 2possf-
bic mode of placing their goods In
market and in so doing have largely
reduced the rates of freight-and
they continue to decrease. Hence,
the West is certainly ruling the price
| ofgrain, meat and -four in the South.
ern market, and well-nigh monopoli-
zed the same. And even now they
are moving for low rates, and doubt
less will soon obtain them; and this
reduction in freight inures directly
or indirectly i'm favor of and to the
benefit of the producers West and
East. The people of those Sec
tions uniting and working in harmo-
NY, and availing themselves of every
available channel to market that
they can bring into operation, both
natural and artificial. They avail
themselvee both of water and rail-
road transportation.


Your remedy. or how to obtain re
lief in this particular, is for your
mature and deliberate consideration,
acting on your better judgement.
There is a remedy, and of its final
accomplishment l have not the least
doubt-it is only a question Of time :;
Truth is mighty and will prevail"
The people are powerful when uni
ted, and can perform great works;
and effect much good when they
unite their efforts. You have a
natural channel. fixed by the God of
nature, which can be available at
small cost compared with the build
ing of Railroads : and that is your
beautiful Tennessee River, now
navigable at nearly all seasons of
the year, from Chattanooga to Knox
Vile; and doubtless can be made
navigable at all seasons ofthe year,
and, as / am informed, is regularly
navigated now from Chattanooga
to Loudon-boats carrying the mails
a part if not all the way.


Placing a regular line Of boats on





Knoxville would give you another
line of transportation, at least from
Knoxville and intermediate points
on the River, to Atlanta and other
cities of the South; and then by
cleaning out and improving the Riv-
err above Knoxville, or other i'm
provements, steam or slack-water
navigation may be had to the Vir-
ginia and North Carolina lines,
which would no doubt largely reduce
freights on your produce surplus to
all the Southern markets. am ln-
formed by one of the principal Off
GERS of the Western & Atlantic r.
R., which connects with your East
Tenn, Ga. & Va. Road, at Chatta-
nooga and Dalton, that they will
pro rate with your Road, or a steam
boat company, for a lower rate of
freight for the people of East Ten
nessee. / do not think hazard
much in saying. that if the people
West or East were encumbered with
such comparative heavy rates of
freight that the farmers of East
Tennessee are now laboring under.
and had as good natural channels
of transportation, they would avail
themselves of its benefits in the
shortest possible time.


It is a we'll known fact that water
transportation is cheaper than land
transportation; and the history of
Railroads teaches that, whilst they
are of great benefit and convenience
to the public, and that whatever To-
cal interest or art may direct or con-
troll lines of transportation and in
accommodation, yet natural routes
and channels finally become the
cheapest and most profitable routes.
Hence, we are forced to the conclus-
ion that it is Only question of
time when the Tennessee River and
tributaries will become the most
popular routes for the transportation
Of your products to the South
conceive that the people living i'm
mediately on your Road are deep
| lv interested in the establishment
OF competition lines, calculated to
| reduce freights; because every re
duction made inures to their interest
as well as those who reside immedi-
atelv on your rivers. All are bene-
fitted to some extent. Nor would
those competing lines seriously oper-
ate againstyour Road, because trade
and travel are increasing every year.
and. under any reasonable circum-
1 of Ia.
cal patronage, even Of reduced rates
together with their through rates
of transportation and travel, would
doubtless we'll sustain your Road
and continue it in a prosperous,
paying condition.


Permit me, my dear friends, to
also suggest that your County Roads
dirt need prompt attention; they
are as a general thing in a wretched
almost impossible, es
pecially in winter. I have been. in
many States of the Union, and
must say, although with regret, that
the Public Roads in East Tennessee
are in worse condition than | ever
saw. But time will doubtless change
your Roads for better. as well as q
great many ether things


In conclusion, l bid you God
speed in your noble and praise
worthy cause of improvement and
progress in Agriculture and the
Arts of Sciences. Improve your
lands, your stock, and all the arts OF
husbandry and horticulture add
to these, good roads to your towns.
depots and boatlandings, and by all
fair and honorable means influence
reduced ratessof freight the best
markets. Encourage education, in
dustry, economy, temperance and
all those moral Yirtnes and eXcellen.