Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-03-09
ri MisslssIPPI RIVER RAILROAD.

Every Jay luts popuAai Loau ASSUMES
before The country still greater proper
tons. 1t is the subject Of discussion and
Of excited competition, both north and
south OF us, and the most important
trunk roads Of the nation are at work to
secure : connection with it.
This is q cheering fact to Memphis.
The Mississippi River Railroad is pecu-
liarly the favorite and friend Of our young
city. It was this road that appeared
opportunity on the scene Of action, when
the supremacy OF Memphis, as the com
mercial center Of the Mississippi Valley,
was threatened by the Mississippi Gen.
tral Railroad, and by It's bold defiance of
that unfriendly corporation restored the
confidence of our people in the great fu-
ture Of our city.
A very lively interest has sprung up at
Cairo, H., to have that city made the
northern terminus Of the Mississippi
RIVER Railroad. The Cairo Bulletin,
while pressing the wishes of Cairo in
this regard, %republishes the following
letter of Mr.. MITCHELL, recently sd-
dressed to q Louisiana Senator:
MEMPHIS, TENN, February %, 1869.
Hon. Mr.. Thompson, New Orleans:
Dear SIR: 1 saw lately a report OF legislative
proceedings in q New Orleans parerr IRON
which IL appeared that you axe about 10 intro
duce a bill 10 charter the New Orleans, Baton
Rouge and VicksbUrg Railroad Company. II
ven nave introduced such a bill I would ltKe 10
know who are the ccrporatOrs, and wat in-
dIviduals are specially interesting themselves
in the attempt TO build Eaid road.
lam President OF the Mississippi River Rail-
road. a road proposed to be built from Mem
phis to Cairo, through the river counties. In
connection with other parties some IN Mlssis-
sipp3 / have recently obtained a charter Inona
the tennessee Leg stature for a railroad to be
built from Memphis to Vicksburg, through the
river counties. Thus you ses we viii have a
through Iine from Cairo to Nicksburg, and
would Ike TO connect with your New Orleans
and Vicksburg road.
We shall have the gauge of the roads north
Of the Chic river -four feet eight and a half
inches so that loaded cars may be run from
ST. Louis, Chicago, New York and Philadelphia
through TO Memphis and N~icxsburg, and vice
versa, This is a matter Of vast Importance,
and you should ask in your New York and
Vckspurg charter for permission to adopt the
guage Of any connecting road at Vicksburg
nv o viii see that this letter is put into the
hands Of interested parties at New Orleans,
you will greatly oblge ms.
Respectfully, \. 5. MITCHELL.
?. 81 shall commence building The Mem
phis and Cairo Railroad in about sixty days.
We have about 100000 worth Of stock and
available means. Memphis viii subscribe
literally 10 the Memphis and Nicksburg Rail-
road.
Upon this letter the Bulletin COM
ments as follows:
It will aforI the friends OF Cairo peculiar
pleasure. indicating as Il does, that this city
has been determined upon as the northern ter
minus Of the Mississippi river rsilw y. Pres
ideut Mitehells speaks OF the ROAD as one from
Memphis to Cairo, and The Memphis ard
Cairo railroad, " in unqualified terms. Hislan-
gusgs leaves no roOm fer further uncertainty
the Mississippi river railway viii have its ter
mini al Memphis and Cairo.
The roads chartered from Memphis TO Nicks-l
burg, and thence TO View Dreams. taken in
connection with the Cairo and Memphis road,
the Cairo and Nlncenucs and Vinoennes and
Indianapolis present one OF the grsndestiail-
road schemes ever conceived ia the United
States.
We have every confidence in the early com.
pletlon of this road. Col Mitchelrs quiet and
sullnenly successful management. and the
friendly nterestmanifested by the people con-
csrned, point Enthusiastically tOsuch a result.
The confidence OF the Bu1stia in the
energetic prosecution Of the Mississippi
River Railroad, and the speedy r~eslizl-
ton Of its grand futurs is vel grounded.
But we are not quite assured it is Eight
in assuming that Cairo has been I" de.
%tern1ined upon as the northern terminus
of the road" 10 writing to Mr.. THoMP-
SON it might have been Mr.. MITCHELL's
purpose simply to generates in regard
to his road, to speak OF it as a road
stretching the entire length Of the Mis-
sissippi valley, which FOR cIearnsss Cairo
might be assumed as 3 point. Butii Pa
ducah or Metropolis could offer q better
crossing Of the OAio river, and substan-
tally accomplish the purpose Of q north
and south road through the Mississippi
valley, they could fairly compete with
Cairo for the line of the road. But it
would have been clearly out of place for
Mr.. MITCHELL to have presented OF dis
cussed these probabilities ia his letter 10
Mr.. THOMPSON.
We entirely concur with the Bulletin
that the scope Of the Mississippi River
IL AA4agSaF 2 - WI CDA1LEEtiNuEV {
extending from 81. Louis to New York,
and its Southern connections extending
from Nieksburg 10 Shreveport and New
Orleans, I" presents one Of the grsndest
railroad schemes ever conceived in the
States.n Mr.. MITCHELL's letter
TO Mr.. THOMPSON, giving a glimpse OF
his plans, shows that he has measured
this I" grand scheme" for himself, and
that he has never needed any railroad
education from the ring" 1t is not in
accordance with his usual prudence to
commit himself in haIt3 to any definite
terminus. If, however, Cairo wishes to
be that terminus, she knows how to go
about securing it, and should not delay
most liberal overtores.