Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1866-06-29
Go and see the cheap goods, at MAJ
tin Hollands, alb Main streer. q 28 Ct

RAILROAD MEETING There was a
meeting yesterday evening at Odd Eel
lows Hall for the purpose Of considering
the propriety of connecting this city by
railroad with Columbus, Miss Mr. Mel
son acted sas President of the meeting
and Col J, I. Irrelevant as Secretary.
The chairman stated the subject of the
meeting and introduced Colonel Sykes,
of Columbus
Col. Sykes said that the road was OF
great importance to Memphis and the
country through which it would pass.
The cost of the road would be about five
million dollars to build it to Columbus,
Miss. II There. was no road terminating
in Memphis that could compare with a
road from Memphis to ,0kalona, thence
to Selma, thence to Montgomery, thence
TO Columbus 90,
Memphis was the natural place to
which all the trade Of the country through
which the yailroad he had just referred
to should flow. From Columbus large
portion of their trade went to Mobile,
while it ought to come to Memphis and
if the road referred to We're built they
would have direct connection with this
city, and Memphis would be thirty miles
nearer Columbus than Mobile At Oko-
Iona they would be within one hundred
miles of Memphis, and yet at the pres
ent time all the trade went from
that place to Mobile, and hence
the necessity for the road being
built with as little delay as possible.
He, commended that the country round
Memphis, for radius of $50 miles, was
the finest in the world through which a
railroad csuld pass He enumerated the
several counties through which it was
proposed to carry he.rosd, and said that
for fertility they we're not to be compared
10 any 10 the western country. He gave
it as his opinion that the Pacific road,
whatever might be its starting point,
would have to come within the same
parallel of latitude as Memphis and
the road proposed to Columbus was a
part of this great Pacific scheme. 1t
was the most direct route to the Atlantic,
and went through country that was first
class. When this railroad was built,
Memphis would get all the trade of this
magnificent country through which it was
proposed to carry the road And he felt
certain the trade of the section referred
to would increase. to an extent that could
not be determined; in fact, it would inn
prove to far greater extent than ever
before. The negroes at presentget one
third of all that is produced on the farms,
or they are paid wages. They spent all
this money, and it was constantly kept
in circulation.
Before the abolition of slavery diff
ferent system existed The planters, it
they had any surplus money, they either
bought negroes or land, and this kept
them always in debt They we're bound
to have more negroes to work their land,
or more land on which to work their ne
eroes Now it was entirely differenti
they could not buy any more negroes,
and they did not want to buy any more
land, for they had more than they could
work already Many persons were OF
opinisnthat the country was ruined be
cause the negroes had been freed but he
was not of that opinion. He might per
sonally be ruined by the abolition of
slavery, by losing all his slaves, but this
did not ruin the country. The negroes
we're still in the country, and he con-
tended that as the lnborers still remained,
the country could not be free. Col. Sykes
then went on to remark that the farmers
and planters would be greatly benefited
along the line of the proposed railroad;
and be thought, therefore, that they ought
to give great assistance during the year
he approximated the amount of cotton
that would be raised this year in. the
counties through which the road would
pass. he thought that. at $50, the
value at least this year would be Eve
millions. of dollars, which in Eve years
from tbe present would be thirty mil