Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-12-08
Mississippi Correspondence.
SHuBUrA. MISS, December


EDITORS LEDGER: On reaching the
depot of the Memphis and Charleston
railroad, l found the gate locked, and
was told l could not enter unless / pro-
cured ticket. If / had had bayonet
pointed at me, and my orders demanded,
/ should have concluded was dreaming
and that it was still war times. But as a
ticket only was necessary to gain admis-
sion to the cars, came to the conclusion
appearances will not always indicate q
true state of things. The required doc
ument was produced and was told by
the crusty official to enter the second car.
/ did as l was ordered, and found on en-.
tering there we're in this car mixed
assem- mblage of persons of different colors.
The atmosphere was filled with tobacco
smoke and redolent with the odor of the
weed and Of the volatile portion of q
substance which is freely drank by some
men away from and at home. | saw in
this car a man who is doing business in
the country, surrounded by several jolly
good fellows, all in great glee and hilsr-
ity-one with a snall barrel in his lap
and another a small bottle in his, from
which they took draughts occasionally.
The liquid imbibed seemed to increase
the red and watery condition of their
eyes and to loosen their tongues
/ recognized one of the party as the man
who last summer called me carpet-bag-
ger, because, forsooth, l happened to
pass through the town in which he re-
sides with carpet'bag. This man, Twas
informed, was engaged during the war
running the blockade, and is now en-
gagged in trafficing upon the money he
wrung from the starving condition of the
wives and children of poor Confederate
soldiers. Now, Mr.. Editor, after this
depression, wish to know why men who
are permitted to sit beside their wives
and daughters at church, and to associate
with ladies in private and public parlors,
are thus, on our railroads, thrust into
car with such persons as above described
and not allowed to go into the ladies car?
Are we all so debssed as to be unfit for
the company of fair ones2 | see adver-
tised in the papers tobacco antidotes,
and hear of institutions for the cure of
inebriates, but / verify believe the best
one for the cure of both of these bad
practices, would be to shut up in one of
these cars, at depot, where there could
be no ventilation, all who are addicted to
these unpleasant vices and let them chew,
spit and drink. If oil / hear from mer-
chants, travellers, stockholders and en-
ployers be true, the Mobile and Ohio
railroad is badly managed. Merchants
along the road say the freight is thrown
in many instances from the cars
while in motion. The freight in
some instances is injured, and no
damages can be recovered, as the
road is bankrupt If what the employees
on the road say of each other be true
there are few Of them that can be trusted
with money they receive from passen-
gers, or with goods. l stated to you in q |
former communication there were signs |
of improvement at all the little towns \
along this road, aud the sound Of the |
hammer and the anvil are to be heard. |
Meridian, however, is outstripping them
all. The change here is almost magical, /
and she has q population of nearly four /
while at the close Of the war
it did not amount to two hundred. When
one looks around at the poor, spsrsely
settled country contiguous 70 this place,
be is at loss 10 account for this rapid
growth. A company Of Boston capitalists
have purchased that portion Of the North
eastern and Southwestern railroad be-
tween Corinth and the Alabama State
line, and intend TO buy the other portion,
70 York. They have also pur-
chased the Wills Valley road, and ss
sOon as they get the right Of way and the
Iiock Of the old company they intend to
connect the two roads This win give
corinth connections BY rail With Liv-
ngstou. GAINESVILLE, Eutav, Tuscaloosa
lud Chattanooea, and thence With al the
arEe cities North and East The crops
u eotioa through the rich prairies from
)kolena 70 Livingston are net as
looi as ihey we're last yesr. 1osn