Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-09-14
Nj. sax. c. RAILROAD
It's Importance and Advantages to
Memphis.

Editors appeal: The question has
been asked me, what has Memphis
to send TO Missouri, and what has she
to gain by aiding in the construction
of this great railroad, for, to my
mind, it is by TAR the road of all others,
except, perhaps, the Little Rock road,
and I am not so sure but that it will
be of more real advantage to US than
even the Little Rock road. Andwhy?.
First, then, the history Of our Ameri-
can cities all go to show that COM
merce alone does not build up great
and %pOpulous cities. But, @6ied by
manufactures, the cities of Boston,
New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore,
Cincinnati, Chicago and st. Louis, and
even San francisco, has felt the bene-
fetal effects of manufacturing. New
Orleans, with her unparalleled adyan-
tages as a commercial city, mas not
improved like those of her sisters who
have ayailed themselves of the helps
OF manufacturing. Now, if these be
facts, 1 don't think any one will
question them as such; and, if
it be desirable that Memphis
should become a great And
populou5 city, then Is it not the
part Of wisdom to avail ourselves of
every advantage that presents itself to
is for the getting of cheap food and
plenty Of il, and not to be confined
alone to one sources of supply. To
my mind there Is no proposition more
clear than that cheap food, cheap fuel,
cheap rents, and cheap and abundant
raw materials are the true and solid
bases of manufactures, and that man
ufactures thus sustained, with the adj
vantages of egress and ingress that
our situation on this noble river, and
our climate gives US, we a defycOm-
petition, and, in fact, Memphis becomes
peerless. Now this Is 40 stretch OF
imagination, but is logical deductions
that cannot be refuted. Now let any
unprecedented mind take up the map
of the country and examine for him
self and see what a field there is to
draw from; and it is not gleanings
either, but is the virgin soil teeming
with the rich products of well culti-
waited acres of wheat, rye, corn,
oats, barley, tobacco andhemp in Mis-
souri,, and cotton and corn IL Arkan-
sas, and then the stock of cattle and
hogs that are without a market unless
driven for a very long distance, that
there is no other outlet, nor can there
ever be an outlet that a rival Us in a
market, for what they have 70 sell is
what we want to buy, and must have
and arc constantly buying from St.
Louis and. Chicago, second handed,
what we viii get by this road first from
the producers; and Just as certain as
vr-n hu.r fhnfr HON. rnrl- md hrvNNa-
Just so certain will they buy our gro
ceries. dry goods, boots. and shoes;
and just as certain as Memphis is on
the Chickasaw Bluff, just so certain
will this road be built, and just as GER
tain as | write some of you who will
read this note will wonder this road
had never been discussed before.
Now I am not opposed to any road
l welcome all-but it is foolish
ness on IA part to be spending
our money to build roads North
and East. Let our energies be spent
in building roads that will bring US
something; not in furnishing means
that is to take from us what is natu-
rally ours. Let Us aid this Kansas
City Road, and it will have feeders at
Jaeksonport, Springfield and OsceoIa,
and you will find its arm run cut into
Kansas. And let US build the Mem
phis and Selma Road 10 Okolona, and,
if need be, throw out feeders that will
sap the supplies of the Mobile and
Ohio Road. Let US recognize this
road as our natural enemy, and let
Us lock facts in the face, and let Us |
give all the aid and influence in our
power to build the XazOO Valley
Road, and thereby neutralize the in
jury we have and are receiving from
the Mississippi Central Road. With
the Little Rock Road complete, POr- |
ter's Levy Road complete, our Kan
sas City Road complete, our Sell
ma Road complete, and last, our
HazOO Valley, from Canton to PIANO.
la, the Tennessee from Pamela to Mem
phis, and Mississippi River Road
from Memphis to Paducah, and Burn
sides road to Eincennes, and the new
line of the Illinois Central, from Mat
tOon to Paducah, who will gainsay
that as a queen, peerless, sits the
proud city of Memphis, with its in
habitant5 counted by the hundreds oil
Thousands, and the smoke curling from
more than a thousand stacks, and the
noise and music Of the forge and spin
die greet the ears of a happy popula-
ton. Can these things be done? Yes,
and easily, too. Letevery man do his
duty. Let Us feel once more that we
are a free people. Let each one of us
take stock-ali We can. We want no
laggards; all can help and must. We
built the Memphis and Charleston
Road when We did not have 5000 peO-
pie; that road gave US $4,000. Build
those other roads if you have TO mort
gage every house in your city, and
they will qElTfuple your values in
five years and pay your debts. The
issue IS open us, and we must meet It.
Let US do it ike men, and our child
ren will bless US for it.
WM. FARRIS.