Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-11-24

merco took place IN inc nail ~ the ouu
Fellows buildiug-Mr. 7. A. Nelson,
President, In the chair, and Mr.. Ridgely,
Secretary. A large amount ofimportant
business was before the Chamber, which
would be quite interesting TO our readers,
but our space will not permit US TO give
Il. Col. J. 7. Trezevant was invited to
be present and address the meeting, and
VIXEN called by the President, he arose
and in a few brief and pointed remarks
urged upon the body the importance
Of sending delegates to the National
Board Of Trade Convention, which
will meet in a short time in Cincinnati.
He thought that the subject Of building
the Southern Pacific road would come up
before the convention, aud il was impor'
tant we should be represented by some Of
our best men 10 the capacity Of delegates
He was highly in favor Of q Southern
road, and read the following resolution
which he had prepared;
The Memphis Chamber Of Commerce
and the citizens Of Memphis have noticed
with much interest the rapid progress
made by the Pacific railroad toward
completion. What was deemed but q
dream Of visionary enthusiasts fifteen
years ago will soon be an accomplished
fact, and the tvo oceans will be con-
nected by an iron stream running across
the widest portion of our continent.
When finished, Europe and Asia will
hold commercial aud postal intercourse
across our borders, aud immigrants from
the latter will seek the new world via
our Pacific coast as those from the for
mer have for many years been seeking II
via the Atlantic. As electric shocks
startle and excite the nervous system, so
the progress Of civilization is startling
the millions Of Eastern Asia from the
| Iethareic sleep Of thousands OF years /;
and a country holding one-third Of the
population Of the globe will soon be in a
constant and growing intercourse with
the enterprising minds Of our own land,
while the coveted wealth which has en-
riched all European nations by turns
will be poured without stint into
our laps. This vast volume Of trade
and travel will require more than one
stream for its distribution across our con-
tinent; and hence, even for our foreign
interests, we shall need more than one
railroad from the Mississippi to the Pa
cifc. East of that stream to the Atlantic
our avenues Of transportation are ample.
The country is called upon to provide
great thoroughfares west of the Missis-
sippi to the Pacific Hitherto the ocean
route to California has been almost the
sole one; but that it is so Objectionable
| in most respects as to cause that favored
land to be regarded as almost beyond the
limit of the Union. Time but develops
the fact that one line of railroad across
our continent will not answer the rapidly
| increasing demand of commerce, and
while the Central Pacific road is drawing
toward completion, another and a shorter
one between the two oceans challenges
public attention. We allude to that which,
beginning at Memphis, on the Missis-
sippi river, passes through Little Rock
md Albuquerke, to San Diego, on the
Pacific. II is the line which was sur
veyed about twenty years ago, by Iotten,
Marcy and Humphreys, of the United
States typographical engineers, via
| Fort Smith, Ark, and the Canadian river,
on and near latitude 35 and 80. On this
entire route there are no physical or Gu
matte difficulties, while it crosses some
of the largest streams and most fertile
valleys on the continent; streams and
valleys that were known to the Spanish
explorers more than two hundred years
ago; and on which are some OF the old
est settlements in America. This line
crosses the celebrated Colorado river,
which Captain (now GENERALLY Marcy re-
CARDS as the center of the most remarka.-
Bile gold region ever yet discovered.
Such region as this, from western Ar
kansas to the Pacific, calls for sach
development of it's wonderful and varied
resources as a railroad alone can effect;
and an enterprise of so gigantic nature
can be successfully prosecuted by the
Government aid alone. The central
route from New York to San Francisco
ia about two hundred miles longer than
a line from Norfolk to the same city;
about five hundred miles longer than one
| from Norfolk to San Diego about six
hundred miles longer than one from
Charleston to San Diego, and about one
thousand miles longer than one from
Norfolk or Charleston to Guyamas, Ma
zatlan or San Bias.
Cincinnati, Louisville, st. Louis, and
the Ohio valley cities, are more directly
interested in the Southern Pacific than
in the Central Pacific, which sweeps on
from New York to San Francisco on a
line more than two hundred miles north
of them while the commerce and travel
over the Southern Pacific, in reaching
New York, would pass through these
cities.
We therefore resolveI
l. That the wants of the country de-
mand several routes from the Mississippi
river to the Pacific ocean.
2. That neither States, territories, nor
individuals, can prosecute such enter
prises with success; and, therefore. the
Government is requested to aid in their
completion.
3. That the cities in the Ohio and
Mississippi valleys are particularly and
urgently requested to memorialize Con-
gress upon this subject, and ask for such
aid to the Southern Pacific railroad and
its western stems as was given to the
Central Pacific, now nearly completed.
4. That these "stems" are the Cairo
aud Fulton, tho Memphis and Little Rock
and Fort Smith, and Vicksbprg, Shrevs-
port and Texas, and the New Orleans
and Opelousas roads, all conyergng into
the "Southeru Pacific" in Western
TEXAS. and ending at San Diego or San
Francisco. San Bias aud Guyamas.
5. That the Memphis Chamber Of Com;
MERGE appoint c snitable number OF
delegates to the National Board Of Trade
Convention. TO be held at Cincinnati on