Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-09-29

machinery, engines, boilers, aud castings,
that then de6ed competition; and 10 the
manufacture Of Wagons. carriages, and
plows, we we're fast driving from our
market all foreign competition in
that line. We: had railroad car
factories that were composing for build.
ing large per cent Of the cars, both
box aud passenger, for our Southern
roads, and many other minor branches
Of industry we're taking root 10 our
goodIy city, and naturally and necessa
riIy driving all foreign from our midst
But the war came, and with its close We
found our agriculture destroyed, our
labor system entirely changed, aud the
labor almost utterly demoralized, our
factories consumed, our commerce de-
troyed, our wealth scattered, our whole
country bankrupt, the hearts Of our peo-
Die crushed, our entire industry almost
obliterated by system ofpeeulation and
a tax on our industry unbearable, thereby
inducing dependency and gloom, re-
firing all active capital, creating doubt
and distrust where confidence and enter
prise should exist; and the more wonder
OF your committee Is, that You have q
single branch Of industry in operation in
POUR city. And yet, with all adverse
legislation, and the doubt and what Of the
future, we still find we have six foundries
and machine shops at work, and two
sash, door and blind factories, one box
factory, one soap factory, and one tan
merry on limited scale, with few minor
wagon factories struggling against adver-
siiy, yet they still live. Then, If these
things be so; IL Memphis has to-day
foundries, machine shops, planning mills,
etc., unaided by capital, contending
against that too oft repeated dogma, you
cannot Manufacture 10 the South, against
our preconceived prejudices, is not the
existence Of these industries one Of the
arguments in favor Of our great natural
advantages as manufacting point
Then, having brought proof positive that
these industries do exist, and have stood
through storm and sunshine, IL remains
for us TO show some Of the natural advan.
tages possessed, and thus suggest what
can and would be, and ioiH be done, I'M
der the fostering care Of judicious legis-
lation, aided by money requisite to sus-
tain all new industries in new communi-
ties.
After referring to cotton, timber, labor
and prices of living around us, the COM
mittee arrive at the following conclu-
siops:
First. That Memphis is the great
highway of the nation, and occupying
that central position in point Of climate
that has ever been the seat Of empire,
and in which the largest amount of pop
ulation to the square mile has ever and
can ever exist. Second. That nature
has furnished her with facilities for dis
tribution possessed by no other place in
our country, having such desirable eli
mate. Third. That no other point is
susceptible of so many artificial
channels of commerce at anything like
double the expense in building. That
no other city does possess such advan-
tages for grand trunk line railroads,
that can have no possible competition
when finished, penetrating into and
through territory whose productions has
and must ever be sought by a nation
cotton, rice, sugar and tobacco; and
most of these roads are in fair way of
completion. Our Orleans road, our Ohio
road, our Charleston road and
our Little Rock road. The latter
road, as soon as finished to DuvalPs
Bluff must and will bring trade
and travel to throng our city that has no
parallel in Southern roads. Then there
is Porter's road, and our Selma road, and
our Mississippi river road, that are fixed
facts. With these roads finished; with
the natural resources developed, as few
years must and will develop; with our
labor system supplied with intelligent
labor and the fruitful fields yielding
their rich harvests, sffording abundant,
cheap food, who dare say that in the
next ten years that smoke from thou
sand stacks will not rise in our city, or
that the hum of busy spindles and the
noise of the tilt hammer forge will not be
heard in every quarter of our city I Your
committee would offer these general ideas
as preliminary report, proposing to take
up the subject of the several branches OF
manufacture that present the greatest
inducements for Investments, iseriatim,
and will endeavor to show to this body
some of the peculiar advantages that we,
as citizens of Memphis, and Memphis as
the great center of Southern products,
are to derive from manufacturing.
The election of officers for the current
year resulted as follows:
President-T. A. Nelson.
Vice Presidents-W. 81. Cherry, j. u.
Stratton, s. M. Gates, W. S. Pickett, f.
NJ. Mahan.
Committee on Appeals-W. R. Moore,
Napoleon Hill, D. q. Townsend, W. B.
Greenlaw, James Elder, John johnson,
J. P. Trezevant.
Treasurer-W. W. Schoolfeld.
On motion of F. NJ. Mahan, the Cham
Der adjourned till o'clock this evening,
when the subject Of establishing line of
steamers between Memphis and Vicks-
burg will be discussed. ia
- -
Fresh BALTIMORE OYSTERS, by the