Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-01-04
MEMPHIS AND THE SOUTHWEST.
Correspondence of The Star.
MEMPHIS, TEyy., Dec %. 1853.

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MEMPHIS, Tenn, Dec. %, 1855
Perhaps it is great blessing to the readers
Of the Star that / am 80 constantly on the
wing" as to render it impossible to write you
as often as l might desire.
Since / wrote last from here, have hardly
been still long enough to write, for have been
going all the time, and only now have Just re-
turned from away down in Mississippi, where
the cotton grows SO luxuriously and so abund-
antly as that IL is almost impossible to pick it
all out. went out to Grand Junction, and
there taking the Mississippi Central Railway
another link in the great thoroughfare be-
tween your city and New Orleans steamed it
away down into Mississippi some seventy or
eighty miles, (the distance the road is now in
OperstiOn) where bag and baggage / trans
ferred to Sims Co.'s stage line and pushed
on. Railroad and stage took good care of me,
md as far as 1 went the trip-barring the
weather-was an exceedingly pleasant one
The weather, however, has been gloomy, rainy
and disagreeable ever since L have been in this
country. True, have seen a few, but very
few clear sunny days. Ii has been either
cloudy and raining, or cloudy and promising
rain, almost every day, and, as you are aware
that the soil is rich and soft it will require no
very great stretch of the imagination to pic
ture to yourself the very beautiful condition
OF the streets and roads, though the roads any
where out Of Memphis are in far better conli-
tlOn than the streets in Memphis. Some of
them (the streets) are really impassable, and
very few Of them are even $3.50. Now, sup
pose everybody is too busy to look to this mat
ter, but IL really seems to me that If lived
here my pride would revolt at the idea of per-
mitting the streets to remain in the wretched
condition in which they now are. And vet, il
is not at all unlikely that if I did live here
should, Ike others, allow the make money
mania to absorb every other feeling and make
me entirely obliyiOus to the state Of the streets
and other public interests.
/ do not say that the people of Memphis are
lacking IN enterprise and public spirit, but
only that they don't give themselves time TO
think OF anything but their business pursuits
They are constantly in a hurry work in a
hurry, walk in a hurry, eat in a hurry, and
sleep In hurry, and many OF them make mo-
hsy IN hurry too, and am sure they earn ii,
for, In addition to business and energy in fol-
lowing it never saw their equals A week or
two in Memphis in the winter season. would
serve to drive away the blues from any man for
in the midst of the hustle and activity around
him, he would be sure to find life enough to
spare him qt1antam suficit for all practical
purposes, and to drive and keep the devil
away.
On dit, that Hon. Jere Clemens is coming
here to take charge of the editorial department
OF the Eagle and Enquirer, an anti-democratic
journal. He is expected to be here this week
for that purpose.
The fragments Of the different wings of the
Opposition are endeavOring to scrape together
a sort Of union, and shall not be worry greatly
surprised If they permit Mr.. Bell to be their
candidate for Governor of the State, and after
wards unite their strength, and all they can
get North, to try and put him in the Presi-
dency, along with Dayton, Mclean, or some
other such
There is great deal of cotton, and q great
deal OF money in the southern country. The
planters have nearly all done we'll, except
those who suffered by the summer overflow, and
although large quantities of cotton are daily
sold, there are yet larger quantities on the
plantations awaiting transportation.
The sunny south" is q great and glorious
country, and her people are thriving every
where, and turn which way you will you be-
hold evidences of advancement.
Mississippi now has more than seven hundred
miles OF railways and still others are contem-
plated. She has within her borders the main
link In the chain connecting the Crescent City
and the Federal Metropolis; and in twelve
months from to-day predict its entire CON-
pietiOn, so that there will be one uninterrupted
line Of rails the entire distance; and, so soon as
the road connecting Lynchburg and Alexan-
dria IS completed, it will vary but slightly from
sn air line. Then huEZah for old Mississippi
She IS lifting her head out Of the ashes Of repu-
diation, and will yet l sincerely predict, re-
deem herself by fepudisting reputation, and
paying up those bonds for which she knows she
will ever be morally bound till they are paid
But more hereafter. &**