Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-09-28
rwADpLE AND TRASH.
senssIess History Of she Chamber Of
Commerce.

/ N""uo'h W N~"~'>" - 49, 49,
1868, as compiled by Mr.. W. L. Trask, Is
. ssuseless document indeed. How so
much stupid stuff could becrammed into
50 small a space is almost inconceivable
The fourteen pages addressed to Mr..
Nelson, purporting to give q history Of
the Chamber, are full Of blunders, and
don't contain q suggestion worth cent
The writer opens thus:
In commencing this report 1t will be
proner 10 make few remarks in relation
| to this Chamber, of its benefits to BUSH
ness men, the influence IL exercises at
home aud abroad upon the commerce OF
our city, and the necessity OF keeping 1t
alive, 10 regulate, promote and encour-
age our commercial interests.
Closely following this flourish Of "in-
nuence" and exercises" are "remarks'
to the effect that the first Board Of Trade
in England was established in 1886, the
New York Chamber Of Commerce in
1853, the Baltimore Board of Trade in
1921, and the Philadelphia Board in
1893. observations not quite "in relation
to this Chamber" and Information which
every intelligent man possesses, in this
time of cheap travelling, cheap printing,
and cheap books. Then comes the "bis-
tory" of the Memphis Chamber OF Com
MERGE. Here tits:
About thirty years ago an effort Was
made 10 organize q Chamber Of Com
merce in Memphis, which resulted in
twenty or thirty persons meeting two or
three times, getting off fen jokes, and
then degenerdting into kind OF Trade
Union Association, when strike for
higher IMAGES took place, and the Cham
Der Wds broken up. Several Of our old
est merchants will doubtless easily recall
to mind the result of that organization.
This tumble of meetings and jokes, de-
geueracy and higher wages, broken
Chamber and striking Trade Union is
nearly exceeded in absurdity by. the
statement that "chieay through the eff
forts and influence of 7. A. Nelson"
was the Chamber mended and set up
straight in 1860. This to Mr.. Nelson,
and Mr.. Nelson to read it perhaps to "sev-
eral of our oldest merchants" this evening
at the annual meeting of the Chamber, is
decidedly modest. More amusing, how
ever, are the scraps of anecdotes credited
to Wiley B. Miller, Esq, that gentleman
afording us hearty laugh by saying the
commerce of the Bluff in 1860 afforded
an interesting study" that an old fash.
toned stage coach was the "only res
pectable travel in existence in 1885;
that supper country produce was
vended" by a floating population"
who "did their business" and "kept
house" in " fatboats, moored at the land
ing" In October, 1860, we are told:
The organization exercised salutary
influences upon the commercial interests
of the city, as we'll as upon the municipal
and State Legislature, that were ex-
tremelv beneficial to our mercantile and
manu- featuring interests, and, at the
same time, giving it tohe and reputation
abroad
If anybody understands that clearly,
zoe don't; and the succeeding sentence is
as "cleapas mud:
From this time until the 9th of June,
1862, when the city was taken by the
Federal forces, after phich, until the
close of the war, no regular meeting OF
the Chamber soas held, it is no eragera-
ton to assert that three fourths Of the
produce business Of Memphis scas trans
acted within the precincts of the Cham
Der.
After these STEW remarks" the writer
gives history" of the reorganization
of the Chamber in 1865 by poorly cpl
series of resolutions ito the
memory" of the late Thomas W. Hunt,
Esq, and jumps to the time when the
Chamber "became fully reorganized,'
under the presidency of W. M. Earring
ton, Esq, and the sscretaryship of VIM.
Roselle, neglecting, however, to say
word about its Influence and "exer-
cises at that particular period. Then
Mr.. Nelson is told he was elected
President of the Chamber in 1866,
and reelected in 1867, when "Col-
onel" John Heart was chosen Sec
rotary in place of "Mr." Freligh,
who, with his family, had some
time previous emigrated to Brazil" The
:" few remarks" are then summed up
to the writer's satisfaction:
Having thus given a condensed history
of the Memphis Chamber of Commerce
and Merchants Exchange, it remains to
urge upon every member of the COM
mercial community the necessity incum-
bent upon them, alike for their own as
well as the public veal and the future
interest and prosperity of Memphis, to
keep up live and actively working or
ganization of the. Chamber, which if it |
does not seem to benefit firms and indi-
viduals directly, certainly does so indi-
rectly in numerous ways.
The necessity" is thus solemnly
urged" wherein the morbid drowsiness
of our merchants is referred to in no be-
coming manner, and they are put down
as bees which make no honey. This is
funny.
If we will awake from our lethargy, and
prove that we are not drones in the COM
maro;al hive and will shoW ourselves