Washington telegraph., 1856-11-26
The Memphis and Little Rock Railroad.

me memphis ana Little k0cK halIroa0'
We learn from the Memphis Morning
Bulletin of the 18th inst, that Col. james
NJ. Williamson, former President of the
above Railroad Company, has resigned his
position as such. After complimenting
Col. Williamson very highly, the editor
of the Bulletin makes the following very
practical and instructive remarks, which
we very earnestly commend to the perusal
of our readers. There is world of sug-
gestive knowledge contained in the facts
set forth therein. Why will not the peo-
pie of Arkansas take hold as they ought
to do of the great work of internal i'm
provement.
We learn, though it has not yet been
officially promulged, that the controver-
sy between the Company and the Contrac-
tors has been defnitively settled. So soon,
therefore, as the vacancy occasioned by
Col WILLIAMsoN's resignation is filled,
we feel justified In assuring the public
that active operations will be resumed
with renewed and increased energy. We
hear the name of one of our citizens men,
toned in this connection, which-if past
signal success of administration in an
other complex and difficult public station
be any index of capacity for this-will
afford guaranty that the enterprise viii
be pushed ahead, and the credit of the
Company, so far as it may have been de-
pressed by these generally unknown and
therefore unappreciated causes of the de-
lay, retrieved and advanced.
The time lost has not been misspent.-
| Within the period Intervening between the
first organization of the enterprise and
now, the means of the Company have been
fructifying and getting into available and
solid shape Thus the Bonds of our city
have had added to their market value the
States endorsement; and the amount and
quality of lands been definitely ascertain
ed Of this last item there is about 4S0.-
900 acres, which at S5 per acre, would
suffice of itself to build tho road. Inas-
much, however, as these are not available,
or sales of them at such prices to be coun-
ted upon, until the road is built, the en-
terprise will have to depend upon other
resources for its rapid prosecution, reserv-
ed these lands as a reliable baisis for reim-
bursement. That they will form such a
baisis, is indubitable, if experince, else
where is any criteron by which to Judge.
The Chicago Tribune OF late date, has
the following:
'sOf the 2, 100000 acres of land granted
by the State to aid the construction of the
Illinois Central railroad, over 100000
acres yet remain unsold. Taking the sales
made since the land Office of the company
opened in this city as test, the fund re-
allied from the lands alone will not fall
short of s45, 100000! 1t is thought that
the road, completed and fully equipped,
will be clear profit to the company, to say
nothing of the s2O, 1000, 900 of money that
will in due time be piled up in. their trea-
sury. This great work promises to be the
most successful speculation of the age"
That the lands donated to the Memphis
and Little Rock Road, will appreciate,
soon after its completion, to a point of
value per acre, equal to that which the
Illinois lands have been sold at, cannot be
doubted by any one who will look into the
: facts. With the reclamations going on, by
the levees, the construction of the Railroad,
and by settlement, these lands will become
the most fertile in the world They lie
along the line of a Railroad whose ''mani-
fest destiny it is to become the Main
Trunk Terminus on the Mississippi, of the
great PACIFIC RAILROAD; and are bound
to reach. within a very few years, market
value which would nor seem fabulous.