The true Democrat., 1856-12-09
Mississippi, OuachIta and Red River
 ai a

We give with pleasure the following letter from Maj. Richard Pryor. of Hempstead coup. rs
 ty: er1
 Spring RjH Nou 19, 1856. oJ
 MEssRs. JOHNSON 6e YERKEs-
 Allow me- gentlemen, through the me. ' z dIum of your paper, to call the attention oi,rr| lnls Legislature to the claims of the Mississpp, 1 Ouachita, and Red river railroad to the na. la| tronase of the State. It seems to me especia.n nl
 proper 10 do 50 at thlS time when the pub ldl lie mind is wholly expressed with the Cairs Il and Fulton road scd
 It i' not my purpose to say aught in dspr
 asement of this road, for whenever built jt will on ntase new life and vigor into all the iudn,t-J Il pursuits of the country. It should. howevs req be remembered that this road has already b+e, II richly endowed by munfceut grant of lands ba1 from the federal government; and forming. a arl It will, necessary link ia the great chain oInid railroad connecting the Atlantic with the Pac, ne| nc, 1t is reasonable to suppose 1t will be buiva by capital out of our State Nv object uove IS to call the attention of the Lesslature to tbs H important fact, that the Cairo and Fulton road set Will not answer the purposes of south -weser.e| Arkansas or northeastern Texas. The peO fid pie of the south do not desire to take tber is cotton distance of 450 miles to Cairo, whas sn9 there Is no market nor three hundred miles ,d| Memphis, which is but second rate market Il It Is well known that three -fourths of the cot, t
 ton sold at that place is sold again in New Or.s
 leans. They need a certain direct and speedvie
 conveyance for their cotton and other nrodpc.ar rons to New Orleans, (the great southern mat Ill for their staple) This can be approached by'sp| the Mississippi, Ouachita, and Red river railroade and by this alone. The distance from Ferop NJ sons on the Mississippi to Fulton on Red riyerae being only l60 miles, bale of cotton can bs M transported from the latter place, (the extrem,le
 western end of the road, at about half tb,o. price it would require to take it to CaroC NJ Memphis he In asking the aid of the State in behalf of f'es@ thls enterprise, it is quite significant fact .art| and altogether worthy of remark, that thsIud counties immediately interested in this road on,| and most of which it traverses in its route tsar. T.
 to the Mississippi, pay into the State tres. S] Sury nearly or quite half of the revenue oilefI the whole State; hence it would seem but O| sheer justice that it should receive as grant, our| all.the unappropriated swamp or other land held by the State, Tying in the southwestern coun s| ties along the line of the road P| It may be proper in this connection to stan ainl that this road, up to the present time, has be Al carried forward by private enterprise alone Me
 That the grading and trestle-work from the Mississippi to Camden, distance of 100 miapors| will be completed by the lst of March, al!act the cost of the same paid out of the preseuiM call on the stock, leaving in the hands of hasala company ample means to complete the cradignild |" ton. In view of all these facts, it woub Coi| o1 'e A1'siS'a'ure an eniis" sprj ened discernment of the true interest of ths Phi State to give to the Mississippi, Ouachita, sDiColl hed nver railroad, all the lands which ts app State may now or hereafter own along ths M ''''e ol the road. ton| May not hope, MT Editor, as an enlightena H pubic journalist, looking to the aesrandse ter ment ot every part of the State. that YOU ma adid Feel It both your duty and pleasure to give ? dayI thls important work your earnest support leas|
 With much esteem, are
 am your ob't serv't N
 RTru.n ppV0R