The weekly Mississippian. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1859-1864, 1859-09-21
FIR the MississippiGn.
YszOO Valley and Ship Island Rail-
road.

road.
CHARLESTON, Miss, Sept IL, 1859.
EDITOR OF THE MIssIssIPPnN;-D Dear SIR
The question of building the YazoO Valley
and Ship Island Railroads, is beginning to re.
ceive the serious consideration Of both ex.
tremes Of the State Of Mississippi, and, By
way of introducing the subject more directly
to the people, with your consent ] will avail
myself Of your widely circulated Journal, u
the medium.
The arguments used, and the necessities
urged by yourself and other advocates Of the
Ship Island road, while the question was be-
ing so warmly discussed last year, is equally
applicable to the Yazoo Valley project as q
continuation of the great State work. The
contemplated road, as proposed, viii diverge
from the Memphis and Grenada Railroad, at a
point somewhere in the vicinity of the town
Of Pamela, pursue the most practicable route
to the base of the Tallahatchie hills, thence,
down the Tallahatchie and Yazoo bottoms to
a point near the mouth Of Little Black, in
| Holmes county; pursuing that creek to the
first (Cnigs) survey of the Mississippi Cen
trail road, thence to Canton, thence to jackson
and there connect with the New Orleans and
Jackson and proposed Ship Island Roads, the
construction of the latter which is now re-
earded as comparative certainty.
II we take the proper view Of these great
works of internal improvement, their import
ance to the vast extent Of country to be ben
Gifted and reclaimed by them, and through
them alone, will be easily and clearly aPpreci-
ated. The whole extent Of the YazOo VAL
ley route, from the point where 1t strikes the
base of the Tallahatchie hills to its interces-
sion with the original survey Of the MISSISSIPPI
pi Central road in Holmes county, compre-
bending in its course the entire valley dis
tricts Of three of the. most wealthy counties
Of the State; embraces one unbrol1en region,
the loyeliest and most desirable spot in the
cotton belt, the fertility Of which is unsur-
passed by any, and only equalled by the 'fn-
comparable" valley of the Nile. Much Of
this most valuable country IS now permitted
to remain an uncultiyated waste, and from
no other cause in the world than the want Of
. controlling impetus to reclaim, and render
It suhservient to the wants of the cotton
planter, and a source Of paramount aggTan-
dizement to our State. The immense wealth
consequent upon the reclamation Of the vast
bodies of submerged lands west of the Tai
lahatchie and Yazoo river, and incapable Of
reclamation by any system of leveeing now
inaugurated, or contemplated, becomes q
question too pregnant Of public interest to be
confined to local considerations. The whole
State should feel an interest in the project, If
that interest should have for its origin moth
ing more than heightened State pride, apart
from any selfish motives. The question
then arises, by what means shall this invalu-
able mine of agricultural wealth be opened
to the industry Of the country? 1t isa fact
patent to every rejecting mind, that the pres
emit marketable rates Of these lands; even
were they reclaimed aud placed upon an
| equality with those not deteriomted by the
annual foods of those rivers, would not jus
tify their owners in the immense expenditures
necessary to create permanent protection.--
Then some influence must be brought to bear
which win elevate the prices to standard
commensurate with the sum required for this
reclamation. This can not be done by the
mere act Of retaining them by leyee sys-
tenn. It is necessary to this end that the
lands should be brought in closer proximity
to means for conveying the products Of the
soil to market or the construction of perDaG-
scnt s0agon roads from each back plantation
to the rivers edge, and this latter alternative,
I contend, viii prove far dearer in time, than
the construction of Railroad, which, when
finished, is permanent, and the farmer reaps
all the advantages of having market as it
were, at his very door; and all the lands
within its influence win be infinitely more en-
HANGED in value than from any other cause
which could possibly be brought to bear upon
them.
Let us now take view of these important
public works from q different stand point and
examine the causes which must, of necessity,
render their construction profitable invest
ment Our State has, at Ship Island, the
best harbor on the Gulf coast, and one the
most easy of access. This harbor is capable
of receiving any tonnage employed as mer.
chants ships. In this, Ship Island possesses
insuperable advantages over New Orleans, for
ships will seek commerce where it is most
easy of access. If once that road is begun in
earnest from the Gulf end, warehouses and
commerce must mark its progress. We viii
then have q market within our own limits
where the farmer may dispose of his products
and get in return that which is needed for his
use and his comfort. The result win be the
springing up Of If not Large, populOus and
fourishing city" upon Ship Island, we viii at
least have point Of sufficient responsibility
to attract foreign factors, merchants, ships
and buyers Of our great Southern staple We
can there have port of entry and safe har-
Dor for steam and sailing vessels of much
greater capacity than can, at the highest sta
ges of water, reach New Orleans Under
| the circumstances it must attract the alton
| ton of the Government as most suitable
place for the establishment Of q navy yard
and place Of safe retreat for disabled vessels
in time Of war In fact If there are any ar
guments why 'populous city, should not be
the result of connecting that Island with the
Railroad system of the South, have been
unable to comprehend them In my mind it
is inevitable, and REORGANIZATION is mere
question Of time.
Let us next take map examine the geo
Biography of the country, and ascertain what
will be the influence exercised by the Yazoo
Valley rOnte, arising from the favOraHeness Of
its location. We must all concede as an &C.
centricity of trade and travel, that both seek,
as water does its level the cheapest, shortest
and most expeditions mode Of conveyance
Then place one Tiger upon the city Of St
Louis and another upon New Orleans or Ship |
Island, and you will discover that, after the |
completion of the Iron Mountain extension !
to Memphis, we viii have complete air line |
between ST. Lonis and either of the two first
mentioned points Granting then. the hypO-
thesis with which we set ont. i o, that COM
merce and travel seeks the nearest, cheapest |
and most expeditions mode of conveyance,
we then have supposition reduced to fact,
that the Yazoo Valley road win prove, in the !
very nature Of circumstances one of the best |
paying roads in the South, even were it LEFT |
wholly dependent upon trade On traasitu and |
brought to its platforms BY other roads. But
this cannot be 50. Distinct from the through, |
trade which it must Of necessity CON.
troll, it trayerses q country whcsa lOcal bust
ness alone would justify the building of a !
Railroad. The country which win be imme- |
diately and directly tributary to it, now Yields
an annual crop Of at least thirty-fye thous- |
and bales Of cotton, and other products in |
proportion and, in ethe event of the |
building of this road, the out-go:ne and |
local traffic would BE- increased Eve
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