Arkansas true Democrat., 1860-05-26
Memphis and Little Rock R. R.

To Me Editors ct the Memphis Enquirer:
 No railroad coming into Memphis has so much of locGI interest to her. as that intended to connect us with Little Rock. The others will doubtless be greater lines of trade, especially of through travel as connecting important commercial cities; but this road will eventually bring more trade to Memphis than any of them. Each of the others commands the trade of dozen or more wealthy counties, rapidly growing in population and wealth; but there is a pivot on each, whence trade turns from us.
 We may not expect to command any trade of Mississippi, south of Jackson; nor any trade of Alabama east of Huntsville; nor any trade of Kentucky north of Russell ville In other words, what we may term the local business on the Memphis and Charleston, Memphis and Ohio and Mis- slsSIppl and Tennessee roads will not reach Memphis after we get two hundred miles away, for then other great competing markets are open to the planter; and dis tance is against us, especially on the north and south.
 But there is no competition acest,' and a 0hole Stote will trade ,h Memphis if we can push out our western line.
 None of our roads have been managed more quietly, or with more ability. Mr. Robinson and the present directory took charge of 1t when all was chaos, and with out credit; and they have had forty miles running for upward of year, with good portion of the division between Little Rock and White River ready for iron. The completion of the road, so as to put us in connection with the capital of Arkansas in six or eight hours, at an early day Is now certain.
 But this is not all We must not stop at Little Rock. Our Arkansas friends must not relax their energies because of this certainty. There is no competition west of us; but there is a formidable rival to us on the soutA, for the trade of the South ecest part of that State.
 With all commendable energy, Nicks- burg is pushing out toward Shreveport, La.; and glance at the map will show that she must soon have leading interests to back her. In two years more there will be continuous line of. railroad from Charleston, $. C., to Shreveport. That is literally an air line, passing through Augusta, Montgomery, Jackson, and Vicks- burg When it shall reach Shreveport 1t will be but eighty miles from Fulton, and, therefore, much nearer the south west part of Arkansas than is Little Rock Our Little Rock friends must not, therefore, stop, when they finish the Memphis road. Ii they would concentrate large interest at the State capital, they must be moving still. Southwest and north west from that point, there should be line of railroad the one going to Fort Smith and the other to Fulton; and the sooner the citizens con- clude they con be built, the sooner they will be built. The census of 1850 showed that but two States in the whole Union had in- creased more rapidly in population, sigce lo4O, than Arkansas. The highest increase during the ten years, in any other slave State was in Mississippi--6 per cent; while Arkansas increased at the rate of l15 per cent. The increase in slaves, during that time, was l36 per cent, in Arkansas, and but oS In Mississippi, the other highest. The increase since 1850 has been even greater than from 1S40 to 1850; and the resources of the State are vastly larger now than then
 This main line to Little Rock, with the branches to Fulton and Fort Smith, would command for this city the commerce of almost the whole State; and there should be such union and concert of action be- tween Memphis and Little Rock, as to give proper public sentiment about this system of roads. If the Little Rock road could only be completed by the next session of the Arkansas legislature; or if such sub scription list could be obtained as to leave no anxiety upon the minds of its friends as to its being finished with but little doubt upon it, the moral weight with the people of all parts of the State would be sncb as to create an entirely new railroad spirit; spirit guided and governed by the expe- rience of the past.
 The Fulton and Fort Smith roads should have new energy infused into them. Active steps should be at once taken to give them