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those exports of the Cumberland, Tennessee, and Ohio valleys, which are destined to double Cape Florida, and to reach foreign, or Atlantic ports.

Another element in the estimated profits of this road, to wit, that arising from passengers, has perhaps been placed too low. In fixing upon 30,000 as the number of passengers, no reference was had to the number of foreign, or European emigrants, who would travel this route to the west. Emigrants, landed in Charleston, might reach Nashville in from one to two days; and, from Nashville, they could reach St. Louis in thirty hours more; thus finding themselves, in four days, 800 miles from the Atlantic in the bosom of the West, instead of spending from two to four weeks in the voyage on the Gulf, and on the Mississippi. Of the 150,000 foreign emigrants, who find their way into the United States yearly, not less than 30,000 land at NewOrleans; but at least 20,000 of these would stop at Charleston, and travel by this rail-road, during the first year of its operation; while, perhaps, not a few of those who land at New-York, would seek the more southern latitude at Charleston. Having regard to this consideration, the number of passengers might very well have been placed at 50,000 per annum.

But, other articles of expert, and the rapid increase of those already in existence, would soon swell the catalogue of the resources, on which this road would depend for its revenues. For, instead of seeing in her list of productions, the miserable and contemptible item of 1 ton of pot and pearlash, it would soon swell to 263 tons, as it is in Pennsylvania; and eventually, perhaps, to 7,613 tons, as it was in New-York, in 1840. Her lumber list, amounting, in 1840, to only $217,000, would soon become a more important item in her production; and might approach nearer to what it was in the same year, in New-York, viz. $3,800,000. The forests of Tennessee contain an immense number of valuable timbers, and, in her groves of cedar alone, she possesses a mine of wealth.

Her marble quarries, the one in East, and the other in Middle Tennessee, might then become valuable. But the beds of limestone, which appear every where in Middle Tennessee, affording the most valuable building materials for bridges, houses, barns, and other edifices, convertible

into lime, might become a valuable article of export; and the immense forests, which generally surround the beds of limestone, would be thus profitably employed in the production of lime. The item of bricks and lime in New-York, in 1840, was, in value, $1,198,000, employing 3,160 persons; in Pennsylvania, $1,733,000, employing 3,888 persons; while the same item, in Tennessee, where limestone, fuel, and mortar are equally abundant, amounted, in value, to only $119,000, employing 400 men. This item, of course, does not admit of so great an increase in Tennessee, as in New-York ;—but so far as it depends on lime, it might be made larger in Tennessee, than in New-York. For no where in the world is there a greater abundance of timber, and limestone, which can be appropriated to no other use.

It is a fact, not generally known, perhaps, that corn is exported from the United States in very considerable quantities. Exports of indian corn and meal:

1834,

303,449 bushels of corn, value,

$203,573

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The production of corn in the following States, in 1840,

was as follows:

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It will thus be seen, that Tennessee and Kentucky, are the greatest corn growing States; but the former exceeds the latter nearly 5,000,000 bushels, although having about the same population. Yet it is a fact well known, that the corn boats from the Wabash and Ohio, are, on their descent in the Mississippi, before those of the Cumberland and Tennessee have reached the Ohio. This advantage in favor of the Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana corn growers, arises from

the fact, that corn is usually freighted on flat boats, which can only descend on a flood tide; which is generally from two to five weeks earlier in the Ohio and Wabash, than in the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers. Thus, Tennessee, the greatest corn producing State in the Union, raising a surplus sufficient to supply Georgia and South-Carolina, and the whole foreign export of the country, although the nearest, is the last in the New-Orleans market. The eastern and middle counties of Tennessee produced, in 1840, 36,000,000 bushels of corn; and more than half of these corn-growing counties would be in reach of the contemplated rail-road, by means of either land or water carriage. Corn is sold in Tennessee at from 10 to 20 cents per bushel; oftener at 15 cents, than either of these extremes. It might be carried to Charleston, or Savannah, for from 10 to 15 cents per bushel, making it cost from 25 to 35 cents per bushel; which would be less, by 10 cents, than the usual price of corn at these ports. And it may be safely estimated, that, with the facilities which this road would open to the corn market, Tennessee might supply the whole wants of South-Carolina and Georgia, besides furnishing most of that which would be required for foreign export.

The iron trade in Tennessee forms a considerable item in her available resources: yet, owing to her inland position, and the difficulty of procuring coal for her rolling mills, this branch of her industry has never yet received that attention which it would receive, if a communication could be opened between the Cumberland and Sequatchey Valleys, and the Atlantic. It has been seen that, in 1840, her iron manufactures amounted, in value, to the sum of $1,986,000; this being the product of 34 furnaces, and of 99 rolling mills, bloomeries, and forges.

The State of Pennsylvania, during the same year, had in operation 213 furnaces, 169 forges, bloomeries, and rolling mills, producing 178,000 tons of iron, worth $9,408,930. Yet Tennessee is said to possess mines of iron richer, and more abundant even, than those of Pennsylvania: and but one obstacle remains to be overcome to render her mines as productive,—and that is, the requisite supply of coal, and a cheap avenue to the atlantic seaboard.

Dr. Gerard Troost, State Geologist of Tennessee, in one of his late reports, says, that there is an inexhaustible mine VOL. VIII. NO. 16.

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of coal, on Battle Creek, in the Sequatchey Valley, of sufficient thickness to admit wagons to be driven into the mine. It is situated three miles from the Tennessee; and it was from this mine, that the 13,000 bushels set down in the statistics of Tennessee, were obtained.

This stratum of coal lies on the direct route of the proposed rail-road, and is only limited by the extent of the Cumberland along the Sequatchey Valley. Another mine, equally rich, has been opened at the foot of Waldon's Ridge, on the Tennessee River, near the Suck, lying also upon the route of the proposed rail-road.

The opening of these mines, in connection with the proposed rail-road, would give a new impulse to the iron trade in Tennessee; and, at the same time, be a source of revenue to the road. A gentleman who has been engaged in the coal trade, states, that there is annually used in Nashville 16,000 tons of coals; and about 5,000 tons at the rolling mills of Woods, Slacker & Co., below Nashville, making 21,000 tons. All of which has been sold at from 12 to 18 cents per bushel. It is brought from the mines at the head of the Cumberland, in Kentucky, and from the mines on the Ohio River.

It may be safely estimated, that the consumption of coal would be doubled, if its cost were reduced one half.

It might be delivered at either of those mines at 1 cent per bushel. The Baltimore and Ohio Rail-Road have recently undertaken to carry coal from Cumberland to Baltimore, 188 miles, at one cent and a third per ton per mile.

The ton is estimated at 2240 lbs., and the bushel of coal at 70 lbs. The distance from the mine on Battle Creek to Nashville is 110 miles. From a calculation, it will appear, that coal could be carried to Nashville at about 4 cents per bushel,-making the cost of coal, per bushel, from 5 to 6 The revenue arising to the road from the transportation would be from $50,000 to $60,000. Even Charleston and Savannah might be eventually supplied, at from 13 to 14 cents per bushel, from these mines.

cents.

In addition to the facts and arguments already advanced in favor of the construction of the road from Chattanooga to Nashville, it may be proper merely to add a list of the taxable property, population, etc., of Davidson county, and of the city of Nashville, in 1842.

Davidson county, 399,189 acres of land, value, $4,337,936

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V. We have thus gone through a compendious account of the resources and products of Nashville, and of the State of Tennessee. It would have been easy to have magnified these resources, and to have suggested others not mentioned; but it has been thought better to confine these remarks to a plain unvarnished statement of facts, and to fair and honest deductions from them. Enough has been shown to satisfy any liberal mind, that the best interests of Tennessee require the continuation of the Charleston and Georgia Rail-Road: to prove, that innumerable benefits would flow from its construction and that it may be constructed for less than the average cost of American rail-roads: and that, when constructed, it would yield a dividend ranging from 6 to 10 per cent. per annum.

The total value of all the property and real estate of Tennessee, has been estimated at $200,000,000. Her public debt is not quite $3,000,000. Her population, in 1840, was more than 800,000; and is now, probably, 1,000,000. The resources of Tennessee are equal to those of almost any other State in the Union, and require only to be rendered available, to make her one of the richest States. She has her mountains filled with minerals; her table lands, adapted to the purposes of grazing; her extensive plains, and valleys, affording the richest fields in the south, adapted to the culture of cotton, tobacco, corn, or hemp; her extensive forests of timber, running into wild luxuriance for the want of means to render them profitable; and her beds of limestone, now unproductive, but destined to become an important means of her prosperity; and, yet, with all these mighty resources, she is still far in the rear of many of her sisters. Possessing a climate neither too hot, nor too cold, and raising within herself all that is necessary to support her own population, all that she can produce beyond these wants would be added to her wealth. And all now needed to develope these vast resources, is a direct, cheap, and speedy

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