Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1861-09-04
FIRST ANNUAL STATEMENT
OF THE
TRADE And COMMERCB
MEMPHIS,
: THE YEAR ENDING AUG. 81, 1861.
REPORTED TO THE
MEMPHIS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
JNO. 5. TOOF, SECRETARY.

ton 70 present through its members and the pub
lie In general co1densod staten Mt and dgest q the bu-
siness operations Of the city during the past twelve
months far as they may have under my o.ser'a
ton II the Discharge Of this task, imposed upon ne "
tb ru es Of the Chamber shall eHdaavor at a times TO
hear 70 mind that zas eEi agrreg are the only Te76e
BS E- any correct expose Of business ana Commercial
Affairs and -lsi rerasn as fras possible from indulsne
in remarks and specuI ons upon any and ell subjects nor
warranted BY ths CfcisI figures tables and statements
herewith presented.
In very many respects the past year has been TIE most
remarkable in the history Of city and country II
has wi messed the DISRUPTION Of rrupt National Gov
oruent snd tie esab shmeut eleven Of our sister
Son hern States Of vigorous, equitable, republican &c
lnnstrati D. based upon the m Of the people aud jut
rsrd r their rights and material interest. That events
such uaguude should transpre ia country, una'
tended by mara Influences upon its commercial Interests
were impossible; ara while fnd thar the biightng
effects Of aaio8al reFouton havs arrested or annihst-
ed the business a every city aad town in the oosn-
try Memphis has susrea TO inc1mparaby limited eK
tsnt and that The gregat OF her trade has been larger
than In any previous year And wnat is stll more re
narkaIe it vii also he seen that in all the articles Of
prime eoessty this Increase has continued through The
da mouths Of summer AID in STATE Of actual hostitie
around U.s. The fountains Of prospert ty and growth
have had, in the political and mgercal oonvulsens Of
the year severe and searching test Of tbeir 6e2ths an
strength The rapid and unparalleled "h Of Memphis
during n, past Eve wears has to Many ap cared TO b
srlt,rial and pseociousthe result OF fruitous and
fortunate crcrmstances which the FIRST revulson II %
aRrs Of the country would dissipAte OF ssrou'y s.
tub-but the commrsl statement We present. consider
1 with the Bortant events Of the year proves that the
currents Of trade aud unsing as that Of
the mighty Missss ppi. on which mEeo Of 1t is borne
Init
their ho with these and ether ev eEoes OF the ndes
tructs advantages Of our geographical position, and o.
the immense benefits Of or present works Of internal in
troveIneut the people Of Memphis may conhde ty look
forward-when peace, with It's benign influences, sba
restore the trade country TO its Wontsd activity ano
the ndspsndencof he C5nieracy assur protection
from Eathern composition TO our home irdusr' ahd in
terpfise-to cAreer ofunpaFaesi growth and prosperity
Tae disastrous .yeuts-in commercal sense-'f the
past ytar proven the noalculat- advantages
Of ur railroads which have pre- srved prosperity il
the mi fst Political and financial commissions thar have
ovehrovn the old Repubc and given Ne, in the midst
OF these stirring scenes rich return for al our past Ia
t'rs end pscuuary sacrifices in their tealE What it
may well be asked, woad tie condition Of Memphis
now without her roads9 Instead OF the life and active in
dut they now exhibit in the very midst q wars slarunls,
III dssertd condition OF streets and thorzughiares
would farlsb bnt rrowfl counterpart CT those Of hun-
dress Of Northern cities In coutsR plating present
happy condition. our people scud be deeply impressed
with the ol.atous they are under 20 the pubcspritso
and obe men whose genius and energy accomplished the
works have coufrd Rauy benefits upon the city
Over tie grave Of 'JoSEs monument should be reared
that shall airy his name to tbs latest pos-rity the
grea; aBd d.sinteres ed benefactor Of the etE---
As fortunate a. we are, comparatively in cur com
ercial ssr- how many additional adVsutsges could We
have secured 10 ourselves had few ysars ago, put
forth our streng and completed our road Lite Rock
and Fort smith d but the pr jseted rosd TO the Iron
Mountain and by it had dur ng the last few months
omen communication with St Lousg The sacrifices We
have made this sumner fo- the want Of the latter read
ould have uaid COED share Of its Ifthe Confed
rsrv shall faclude Missouri that read VIII be hereafter
litlca and conn ercI neces.ity preserve iaJer
course with sister State fr TIE hostile late TupfioBs
Of the freterate repub leans Of Illinois. Whn hostites
sl. cease and resst-bished laws sa restore credit
and bring back the aid pursuits Of Pesce theeneTses
Of tie D. oe Of Memphis shogld be diree ed 70 the
cnsreon of all herprcjsctsi railroads. The first built
slould be the Iron Mountain R0sd linen road direct %
Jackson Miss the east + the Iazoo Valley another
direct to Ycksburg the Little Ro.k Road should be
pushed on to zed River in the soathwes to connect Wit
the Texas roads ad the western branch 60 Fort Smith ard
the rich prairie country bsyo D. hese graa works done,
Memphis q ght securely aud confidently await the deye
oront of the country be ond the Mississippi TO make her
the great interior mart Of the Southwest Fer growth in
aud in wealth would eclipse the past history OF
St Louis which, hencsfoth cut Of from her eeStaie
trade and as border city must nece=sar ly decline
While these great works being mp ished by con-
tfDss pube EFFORT our citizens should individually i'm
ove Che rich fields for private enterprise the various
schsn cal and manufacturing pursuits, which cur poti
"a ssnarstion from the Norih vii open 10 them Our
Beess for the past four months in the new branches Of
ducvr Industry tech how much we can do ioT cur
- ,s when ed 70 be self dependent If the people Of
ennhs viii properly improve her advantages the in
de- edsse of the Confederacy aud the en- ncipation Of
Son ben mechanical labor from ts thraldom to The Norh
will make our city hive Of busy industry her Close
proximity to and univaeI facilities FOR the distribution
Of her r uctons the roads and rivers o which she Is
,n e the eousummate skill Of our mechanics and arFi
sans the large number Of manufacturing estao men's
already in sl--szsfuI operation, smong the nnumera
NE avaprsres which should speedily rsusr her the great
cotton manufacturing dept and machine chop OF the Mis-
p Va ley as vel the ssat of large manufacturing
eo.o,rns ia every branch cf industry.
The absence. heretofore ofauy rigid system of.tatstios
the recsipts general articles iLto the city, uerryos
the opportunity Of iustituting comparison as TO tie
rivs iporesse r decrease Of impur ations during the
.s, vesr compared with former sessous- Enough is
t,ovn bvsver warrant the statement thst, in many
ftheiing articles of produce and uerchaudise iaeud-
e. ,r- s-d bac5n dry-gaods sng c0fos and M lassas
tobacco deaf an manufactured) four oorn "st' hay'
,.t coal, drugs, live eek, whisky leather Po9ter
cotton seed aud various manufactured articles the
- reeirtSlavs been the largest 10 the history Of tie
,r,i e o. the other hand. fnd very few articles
in i.b there mas en- decreasscoit1n GIN which he
fst,in of in receipts is comparatively sns) being the
l ronusut article in which the reverse has been ob-
y.Nte ,,bsu i. r-collected that during almost one
bafof the year We have bsen partially b:ockadea from
m neal sources Of supply ia various DIP u'nents q mer-
b.pdise these facts are doub 81 nifslnt as Dd'sns
tho rspid growth and expansion If cur trade.
z. would be uriust to close thess preliminary remarks
tbout sc reference % the Effect, upon our business
men cf the financial reyusons 4 The year. The financial
manic which presaged ths coming Of war swept over
The rouutry early the fall vh-L city was jusi enter
; anon the fnuease trade Incident TO the season, and
ep her eomueroal interests being widely extend
n were Of course mJst su5cep ib such influences.
II AZ sou,s Interruptions and deranzomsnts In business
r- rsulei from this cause, all admit, but that
~ merchants and traders breasted the nObly aud
ea4bred it 1sl0as The occurrence Of siags fIiluys
sessie are facts pbich peaks potentially ia their "a
- a Furnish the lest evidence that the business
and srtaiiss Of Memphis base their operations upon
li5 and substantial foundation which the seyere an
l -vuleions fI 10 unsetle or seriously disturb How
~ facts compare with the result elsewhere witnessed,
Iv throughout the cities Of tie Norh, are matters
,ti,to-v ana furnish their own comment and sugges-
toas.