Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-01-07
MEETENG or COUNTY COM
CUSTOMERS.
Petition Of tEEe Directors Of the
mississippi River Railroad.
EIcmgrial from EaHd Owners
OF the County.
Interesting Proceedings I'm View
of County Ala for the
Enterprise,

Yesterday. at the close OF The afternoon
session OF the Board 8f County Commits
~sioners, D.. Kerr an President Mitch
ell, q the Mississippi River Railroad
prose ed, for the cor Iteration Of thI
honor BE Commissioners, the claims o
that Enterprise for county aid in the con
stEueli3n Of so much Of it as will pas
through Sheihy county. These gentle
men were supported by Judge Cochran
az ObiCn county, sDd DR.. Harris, O
Dyer county, both members Of the
B0ard of Directors OF the road and gen.
ilemen o. extended infiu2nce and high
responsibility in their respective neigh.
oorho03s. Al the Commissioners were
present. Judge Barbour Lewis presid.
ing, with Messrs. Merriman, White,
! Hack and Louis-aDG patiently heaTdthe
petitions, occasionally calling for eXpla-
nations, that proved them anxious to be
fully and thoroughly intelligent upon the
subject Of ths enterprise before voting
the sub7idy asked for.
Dr.. Kerr was the first to address the
/ court.@He s2id that, with the gentle
men shove named, he was there to pre-
! sent e memorial from the citizens of the
| county, his nejghbors aud friends, as well
, as 60 petition in behalf of the Company
| itssif, that the Commissioners would eX-
tend 20 the Mississippi River Railroad
suca aid as by Law was permitted, and by
| the terms Of the charter of the Company
they were permitted to ask. He said
thar the simplest justice would dictate to
the COmm's 5iOn5Ts that in asking this aid
the people o. the northern part OF the
county were simply askinafOr such reci-
procty OF fsvOrs IS they had extended
to their felow-citizens row profiting By
1 the Charleston, the Ohio aud the Ten
nessee railroads. They asked but JUS
lice, and not q personal favor. He was
before them, and appealed to them as
the administrators OF justice in the
county. The people OF the northern por-
ton # Shelby had always assisted in
public enterprises whereby their neigh
bOrs were to be assisted, and
now they came and asked that
they would 90 deal with them as that
they would be enabled to make a high
way 10 . good market, bSWbich at all
Seasons they could ship Aeir produce,
aud by which thsy c0uld always be ia
communication with Memphis. TWen-
ty yeats ago this railroad was projected,
ana Ia that lime they had seen the Ohio
road built near enough TO them to shOw
the Importance of railroads, but too fsr
of 20 be OF any service to the river
counties. The Doctor pictured ct length
AID very foTcibly the beauty and pr0duc
tiyeless Of the country through which
the F0sd VII psssi giving such statistics
a5 the APPEAL has laid before its readers
in the many editorials and other matter
printed la It's columns ia behalf of this
important enterprise, The Doctor fin
ally appealed to the Commissioners for
4Lr rFE CHAD aaA hoNnA fh.- v~avTa
Speedily grant It, and 50 set an example
mat tEe other counties along the line
would not be slow TO fellow. He closed
with q mefited conn iim5u6 to Mr..
Mitchell, whom he char Ctefized as g
gentleneu faliy and entirely worthy the
position he occupied, and worthy the
esteem OF his associates.
President Mitchell followed, and in
e well considered aud thoroughly ex-
hsUstive speech, laid before the Commits.
sioueTs the benefits to sc5Tus to "tOWB
and country" by the construction Of this
important high way. He Teeited the
prCduc;ivaGass Of the river counties, the
character Of their people for thrift, IL
dustry and inteiiigenily Weli-GjFeoled
labor. He pictured their losses sustained
10y the want Of this railroad, and showed
how Memphis vas TO profit from e trade
now il great part lost TO her. He re-
ferred particularly % the fact that much,
indeed, most Of That trade now found its
Hsy either to st, Louis or Louisville.
Il reply to 3 question from COmmt5-
sioner White, hs stated that Independent
Of state aid il would take S475. 600 to
construct the twenty-five and one. third
miles OF the road running through Shelby
county. The company had carefully
~rgf.ained, up 10 this time, from asking
any sid, because they were not ready.
.Tl-y desired 70 complete sll ne
C as ~ preparations; and when they
asked aid, IS they did now, to
be ~ . condition to 60 to work at
once sud promptly with the construc-
ton OF the roadway. Eublic senti-
ment was With them, indeed the public
and the press we're impatient end CLAM
. nrous for the immediate construction Of
the road, and he therefore felt safe In
asking aid from the Com missioneTs, con
scioUs as he was that the public would
aUstsiu them in doing 50. II the aid
necessary end asked from Shelby county
wss now granted, he 9rQalisea the ina
mediate commencement Of tue work,
aud that by this time twelve months,
tui4ty-sve miles Of the road will be IN
operation. lie assured tEea that what
ever was given by the county would be
spent IN the county, that "a Tar IS posse
hi0 the noe unemployed labor OF the
city sud county you'd be put to work,
SID that besides putting ;ba5 AMOUNT ia
circulation, nearly &Il the money to be
expended on the road would find its way
% Memphis, and eventually we should
be psi4 s hundred ioit for tine outlay.
There was nothing 60 Stand ia tie WY
~ 4. rFiar1f rhaGEfnfiuu-fh Rraza ard
people Of Memphis desired the read, the
nscple of The county petitioned for it,
aud the commercial necessities OF both
demsnded il. He hoped the Commits
siunels would take the matter under au-
vis8ment, and as soon ss practicable
grant the aid sskea for. In response to
mary questions from Commissioners
White and Barbour Lewis, the following
/ PAPER, prepared by the accomplished
Eagiucer, Capt Miliington, was read:
By the M.ssisissipai River Railroad
/ the diftzuee from Memphis TO Troy sLa-
| ton, on Mobile and 0hio r silr0sd Is 1Q2
miiea; Toy station TO PadaGlh, 60
1 miles. Psdueah to Vncsnnes, when
! completed, i3G miles; VinceRnss 10 In
diauspoiis, 10 miles Indianapolis to
| NEW York, via Columbus. OHIO, and
! P~ittsburg, Sl1 miles; total, 1917 miles.
From Memphis TO New York by the
/ present traVsied route via Humboldt,
| Louisville, Cincinnati, Pittsburg and
! Allentown, 1871 miles. Exceeding the
distance via Mississippi River route, "a
miles.
FRI 10 Memphis to New York via Hum.
b0ldt, Louisville, Indianapolis, Column
tus, Ohio, snd Pittsburg, 1898 miles f;
distance by Mississippi River route, 1917
miles. Excess over Mississippi River
route, 81 miles.
The above figures, obtained by actual
survey AMI from the time tables OF the
various roads, show the distance from
Memphis via the Mississippi River Rail-
way to P&ducsh 10 be 10 4 case 81
miles, in the other 81 miles, shorter than
the present travelled routes.
From Memphis to Psduoah is les
mjlss; Psducah TO st. Louis via Du-
Qu0in, $50 milss; distance from Mem
pbis TO S. Louis, 315 miles.
From Memphis to st. Louis via Mis-
! sissippi River Road TO Troy station, Cairo
and Sandovsl, 546 miles.
From Memphis 10 st. Louis via Mis-.
sissipm River Road to Troy Station,
CglgQ and Iron Mountain Railroad, 345
miles.
Memphis to ST. Louis via Humboldt,
Cairo and %Sandoyal, the present travel.