NASHVILLE, Tenn., capital of Tennessee, the second largest city in the State, and county seat of Davidson County, 186 miles southwest of Louisville, Ky., and 234 miles northeast of Memphis. Nashville is on the Cumberland River and the Nashville, Chattanooga and Saint Louis, Louisville and Nashville and Tennessee Central railroads.
The city has an area of 18.2 square miles and is regularly laid out on gradu ally rising ground, sloping back from the river to an elevation of 654 feet above the sea. The streets are wide and well paved, about 242 miles of thoroughfare being covered with mac adam and about 39 miles paved with granite, brick and bitulithic pavement. Around the city in every direction are the green hills of Middle Tennessee, where there is much commercial timber and mineral wealth. The soil in the vicinity produces every fruit and vegetable not absolutely confined to the tropics. The average rainfall for 31 years has been 48.82 inches; the average winter temperature 39° and summer temperature 79°; mean temperature for the year Nashville has a commission form of government, of five commissioners, of whom the mayor, commissioner of police and public welfare is chairman. The other com missioners are commissioner of finance and street lighting; commissioner of streets, paving and sewers; commissioner of waterworks, street sprinkling and alleys; commissioner of fire and buildings. The various other officers are elected by the city commissioners, who also serve as a board of civil service commissioners; the vacancies on the park commission, however, are filled by the surviving members of that commission which is self-perpetuating. The city expends annually $2,000,000 for mainte nance; the principal items being $467,000 for schools; $2,000 for interest on debt; $213,000 for police department and $230,000 for water works. The waterworks are owned by the city; the system which comprises 200 miles of mains cost over $2,000,000. The electric lighting plant is also owned by the municipality. Over $1,000,000 has been expended in recent years on a new and improved sewer system. The street railways operate over 95 miles of track, all converging at a central transfer station.
Prominent among the noticeable structures are the State capitol, costing $1,500, 000; United States Government building; Davidson County court house; the city hall: Tennessee School for the Blind; Tennessee In dustrial School; the State penitentiary; the Parthenon; city hospital,• Confederate Sol diers Home; Vendome Theatre; the Union depot; Hermitage hotel; Stahlman building; Independent Life building and the various churches and educational institutions.
There is no city in the South as prominent in educational interests as Nash ville. Here is the seat of the Vanderbilt Uni versity; the University of Nashville; George Peabody College for Teachers; Ward-Belmont College; Boscobel College; Watkins Institute; Buford College; Nashville Bible School and many others; Saint Cecilia Academy; Fisk University; Roger Williams University; Wal den University. The State Library contains 40,000 volumes. The Carnegie Library cost $100,000 and has a fine rapidly increasing num ber of volumes. The Tennessee Historical So ciety has a large and valuable library, many rare manuscripts, portraits, etc. The public schools are of the highest rank: and embrace, in additioin to the ordinary studies ranging into the high school education, departments of in dustrial education, stenography, typewriting, bookkeeping.
Parks and Nashville have 480 acres in parks. In the park surrounding the State capitol building is the tomb of James K. Polk (q.v.) and an esquestrian statue of Andrew Jackson. The Hermitage, the former home of Jackson, is 10 miles east of the city. To the north is the National Cemetery where are buried 16,643 soldiers who fell in the Civil War. A Centennial Park has been made on the grounds of the Tennessee Centennial Expo sition of 1897, and the former history building is now a museum and art gallery. In the park is a fine monument honoring James Robert son, the founder of Nashville. Watkins Park is to the west. Shelby Park, to the east of the city, is a natural shaded tract with a river frontage. Glendale Park, to the south, is a place of unrivaled beauty. There is also here Mount Olivet Cemetery, with the beautiful Con federate soldiers' monument, and the Cumber land Driving Park.