Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-01-05
The Interests of the Cffy-Fooa-
The mississippi River Railroad

notwithstanding any seeming sntag'
onisms, we have always anxiously oe-
sired the building of the Mississippi
liver railroad TO Paducab, than which,
beyond all question, nothing can be more
Immediately serviceable to our city, and
we republish only to irdorse the follow
ing from the Memphis Appeal. What
we want. we have always said, is The
road. The following article has especial
reference to the cheapening of provisions.
But the building of The road will benefit
every interest Of this city, it will serve
rich and poor alike, and it will enrich all
the farmers along the line of the route.
We cannot afford to dispute for q mo-
ment about it. Those who have it 10
hand have gone to work, and if they will
simply continue, and follow 1t up with
energy, they shall have our hearty sup
port against the world:
AT the end Of three years of the most
exbausting commercial reverses, Mem
pbis finds herself entering upon a new
wear with 8 population Of 10000 sonis. 1T
"a not unreasonable TO suppose that du-
ring her dark days just passed, fully one
third of her humber citizens, who de-
nended on their daily labor for support.
have been driven away by the stress OF
want 10 seek elsewhere their precarious
living. With the return OF prosperity,
,hese exiled children will return; and
thousands of the like class will return
with them. Give Memphis three years
of unbroken prosperity, aided by new
railroad developments, and her popula-
siou will easily number $4,000 souls.
The question comes up, how will we
feed chesply and sbundantly this vast
community And it is serious ques'
ton. and no new question, either; for
with a much smaller population than we
now have, the fact has heeu patent and
Iameptable one, that the food supply OF
Memphis has been wholly inadequate to
the comfort, health and well being OF her
everswelliug population The cost Of
living has eaten up the thrifty mechanics
gains, and has stinted the laborers
family. They have lacked necessary
food for health and strength. This has
ootoriously been the case, and the fatal
fact has done more to hinder the due ex-
pansion of Memphis in wealth and popu-
iation than any other cause that can be
named.
But now, when we are about entering
upon career of renewed prosperity, we
must put aside the distractions that have
hitherto checked our ciiy's growth. We
must set before them a sumptaous board
of plain, cheap, bat wholesome food, so
that no city in the lard can rival their
comforts, or entice them again from their
Memphis homes.
How to do IT'D Providence always
seems TO lead the wny, and to make all
needful preparations when any great de-
velopment ia at hand. just as the North
ern Pacific railroad is decided to be q
national mistake-jast as the central
route, with Memphis as lie Initial point,
is accepted By the nation as its ultimate
highway across the coniinent-just as
Arkansas adopts railway system that
will sggrancize Memphis hundred
fold just as a cotton crop, mar
keted at high prices, pours millions
of money into ell channels Of trade cen.
teriug at Memphis-juss as our people,
one and all, wake up to the coming and
inminentiy near high destiny Of out
city-a railroad that had been sleeping
for years. unnoiiced and almost unknown,
bursts upon public attention, armed like
Minerva when she sprang from the brain
of Jove, and claims the universal suf'
frage Of our people And gets 1t
Need we say that We allude to the Mis-
sissippi river railrosd1 That road solve
the problem Of the future Of Memphis
That road promises to feed our people
10 feed them TO overfowing. though onl
population wore ten times what il is. Il
BIDS the coming thousands welcome. Il
spreads the boards and furnishes III,
feast The Mississippi river railroad, ID
its route from Memphis to Troy station