Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1868-10-14


SELMA, Ala. oct0bsrT 1858.
Editors Msmphis Appeal:
On Monday night, the 5th Inst, Maj
Sykes addressed q large sssemblaSe Of
the citizens o. Selma, in the hall Of the
Chamber Of Commerce Of this town.
The following are the main points Of the
address
"The Selma end Memphis road was 8
connecting link in a great chain Of rail-
roads which would ultimately extend
from the Gulf at Pensacola, and the At
lantic at Savannah Ia 6 ~aCTthwssterly
direction to San Francisco on the Pacific.
Already the road was being built from.
Mempais towards Little Rock in ArksD-
sas; thence il would be extended in the
direction of San Francisco. When this
taxes place, the rich mereh2pdise Of In
dia. China, aud other countries would
pass over the road through Memphis and
Selma to the Gulf and the South Atlantic.
But aside from the value OF this pro
iected road, as 8 link 10 8 road between
the Atlantic aud Pacific, It has q para
mount local Importance u value.
Selma needs o direct Foute TO some
great city on the Mississippi river,
and Memphis is that city. 1t Is
several hundred miles nearer Selma than
st. Louie, Louisville or Cincinnati. IL
has perpetual navigation, and is on the
dividing line between the cotton and sn-
gar regions OF South, and the grain,
tobacco, Fork end cattle regions Of the
Northwest. troH selma to Memphis is
only about go miles, through the finest
agricultural regions Of Alabama snd Mis-
sissippi, there not being q single poor
county on the route. The counties be-
tween Selma and Memphis produced be-
fore the gar near five hundred thousand
bales OF cotton per snnum, with a vsri-
ETY. Of other articles Of great value. Al
though the cotton crop is much reduced,
there viii be raised this year in the coun-
ties through which this rOsd viii run,
near two hundred thousand bales Of cot
ton. Your merchants oan bay Western
produce as cheap, or nearly so, 10 Mem
phis as 10 St. Louis or Cincinnati, and
ship il over this road and sellit as cheap
10 small quantities as 1t eau be sold in
any ofthe Northwestern cities. Memphis
merchants will in the course of q
few years be able to buy 1sur, bacon and
other Western produce in large ouanti-
ties from the Touring mills aud slaughter
houses up the Mississippi river and send
them down in boats TO Memphis so IS to
sell them almost II not quite 81 cheap as
they can be sold by merchants In Gin.
cinnRti or st. Louis. But Memphis will
itself become in q few years Q great city
for the making Of flour and the slaughter
of hogs and cattle. 1t is far enough
North Tor that purpose, and there is no
reason why il should not be the case. IF
then, the building Of this road would
give to Selma twenty tEoEssnd bales OF
cotton, which she does not now receive,
and should make Il the distributing point
Tor Western produce for central Ala
basa, YOU can see how much your city
would &c benz fitted. The speaker then
proceeded to show thRt 1t was not, how
ever, s. q cotton market alone, or q pork
or q grain market that Memphis or Sell
ma could hope TO become great and
powerful cities. 1t must be by mAnufse-
turing.
ale ALEC warned the people against
zone staple planting, and proved that
no people who rely solely upon a crop 50
uncertain aa cotton can ever be prosper
Gus. In conclusion ne said that there
was nov no longer any possibility of 8
doubt about baiidtn2 the road. We pro-
pose 30 ret lands from the people, and
with their lands to build this road and
ssttle the Immigrants along tbs road as
we build. Lands are now considered OF
but little value, and daily growing worse.
Babscribs these lands saG we Cannot
only buId the road, bat also all the
country with q worthy and industrious
population, and in that way the remain
der Of the lands will be made worth
twice IS much rs the whole ere now.
Orchards and vineyards, grain fields,
spd small cotton patches yielding 9 bale