Mississippi palladium. [volume] (Holly Springs, Miss.) 1851-1852, 1851-10-24
NUMBER 81.

is a fact too obviously true to be denied by
any one who is informed upon this subject
There are supposed influences, L am a.
ware, which some have attempted and will
attempt to bring to bear upon the citizens of
our County and the members of our Legis-
lature in order to effect change of the
Charter. Among these influences the most
prominent are the capital expected to be
made out of the Branch road to Holly
Springs the extension of the Jackson and
Holly Springs railroad through the State
of Tennessee TO the Ohio river and the
threat that unless the Company is permit
ted to build the road where it is now locat-
ed. they will either abandon the enterprise
altogether, or construct the road entirely
ontsde of the limits of Mississippi. will
notice each of these points as they are
stated and, first, as to the BRANCH.
The preference of our citizens for the
main trunk of the road and their opposition
to the branch has been SO frequently and
explicitly made known, that, until very re-
Gently, scarcely an individual could be
found to advocate the latter except as a
dernier resort, when all efforts to obtain the
main trunk had failed. Within a few DAYS
past, as L learn, demonstration has been
made in favor of the branch, predicated as
l found upon inquiry, on the rumor that
the Memphis & Charleston Company scere
wiilimc to build as the branch for nothing,
in consideration that we would consent to a
change of the charter, and permit them to
build their road on the present location. As
soon as | ascertained the source or cause of
this branch fever, L felt confident it would
very soon subside, as had not the reno
test idea that the Board of Directors of
that Company had agreed, or would agree
to any such proposition. At the meeting
of the Board at Huntsville, in January last,
to which have before referred, Mr.. Good
man and myself submitted the enquiry in
writing among the other propositions noted
above, whether, if our people were willing
to accept of the branch, and efforts were
made to raise the necessary amount of
stock to build it ESTIMATED by the Engi-
neer AT S187 ,5OO) the Board would give
us credit as part of the branch subscrip-
tions, for the amount of unconditional stock
which had at that time been subscribed by
the citizens of our county. We were an
swered in the negatiUe and told by the
Board that we must raise the required a.
mount of stock INDEPENDENT of the uncon-
ditional subscriptions. With knowledge
of this fact, knew it must be most idle
and fanciful supposition that the Board
!. would agree to build the branch free of e,e
pense to us. Information from high au-
thorIty which has come to hand within a day
{ or two past, proves that my anticipation
: was correct, and will of course throw a
damper on the branch fever For myself
!, l do not hesitate to say that would not be
willing to accept it upon any such terms,
and would regard it as a reproach to the
populous, wealthy and enlightened county
of Marshall thus to hold herself out to the
world either as a mendicant or an obi ect OF
charity; or as a speculator seeking to play
the extortioner upon Company struggling
for existence, or as willing to accept bribe
for the surrender of her just rights, and
the betrayal of her sister counties. Let
US neither do, nor ask any thing in this
matter inconsistent with honor and Justice
and the respect due to ourselves. And
even if we could honorably obtain the
branch as GRATUIrr, and the main trunk
by PAYING FOR 1T our fair proportion, do
not hesitate further to say that, for the most
obvious reasons, we should, in my judy
ment, but poorly consult our interest in
preferring the former.
Let us for moment compare the rela-
tive advantages of the two:
The main argument, indeed the only one,
l have ever heard urged in favor of the
branch as opposed to the trunk, is that the
former will give to Holly Springs an impor-
tant local traffic, whilst the main road run
ming through the town would rather iniure
than benefit it. Now agree that whatever
benefits the town benefits the country and
that their interests are more or less identi-
fed with each other. A thrifty and dense
country population gives business impor-
tance to the town; and large and thrifty
town affords market to the country But
insist that whilst the main trunk, in con-
sequence of the elbow or divergence il
makes at Holly Springs in the direction of
{ Memphis, would give to the town all, or
very nearly all, the local advantages of the
branch, the former would impart to the
country benefits of immense value which
the branch would not, and thus also, as |
above remarked, exert an indirect and re-
f1ex influence upon the town. The branch
would extend through our county dis
q tance say of 90 miles, and the main trunk
twice that distance or 40 miles. The incl
dental benefits conferred upon country by
railroads judiciously located are. am a
ware regarded as fabulous by those not ia
miliar with the subject, and ye. their bene-
4 fits from actual experience, and authentic
instances may be reduced to almost mathe-
matical certainty. Thus Col. Stevenson,
President of the Nashville d Chattanooga
Railroad states that the effect of that road
was to inpart an additional value of SIS 90
per acre to lands ten miles upon each side of
the road. Taking this as the basis of the
estimate, and | might mention other in
stances still more striking, the branch would
add S5 per acre to 200 square miles or 1885,
900 acres, being S640, 900, and the main
trunk would increase the value of real es-
tate in the county just double that sum, Or
81 ,28O, 900.
This statement is based upon the assump-
ton that the branch and the trunk would
confer equal benefits in proportion to their
length, but every one familiar with the his
tory of Rail roads knows that in conse-
quence of the comparatively limited traffic
andcommercial Importance OF branch roads,
the incidental benefits resulting from them
are not at all proportioned to those derived
from leading trunk lines; SO that the trunk
i would be more than twice as valuable to
our county as the branch.