Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-01-09
MISSISSIPPI RIVER RAILROAD.
Proceedings Before the shelby
County Court.
100000 Voted I'm Aid of the
Enterprise.
The Court, sGteF n Lengthy De-
bate, Unanimous.

by Commissioner White, as his individ
usl reasons for favOTing 8 subscription 4
the Mississippi River Railroad, on mo
= ton OF Commissioner Merriman, il wa
ordered that the same be received, sc
eepted and spread upon The minutes:
! / favor the taking OF $4,000 in th'
Mississippi River Railroad by the countJ
. for the following reasons :
/. Because it cannot, or at lesst there
: Is no certainty of its being built without
aid from Shelby county, while with iii
! sid it becomes & fixed fact, rs other coun.
. ties sTe looking to and awaiting u &C
/; ton. IL Shelby county subscribes they
: will do 90 to their utmost capacity il
we do not they will not.
,. Because it will bring to Memphis
au immense trade annually, thst is new
diverted TO st. Louis, Louisville and Gin
c%innati, amounting to at least one mill
lion dollars in the Items Of handling and
selling, and because it will double OF
treble that amount in exports Of mer-
chaudise to the rich country tributary
to the route.
g. Because 1t will give greatly in
creased vitality and profit to all kinds OF
business at once.
4. Because Memphis will necessarily
De the distributing and circulating point
FOR the 49, O0,C00 required to build the
road and bridge the streams.
.. Because IL viii give work to our
many thousand idle mechanics and la
bOgeEs. aud in61ce many from other sec
tons by 3 certainty Of COED and prompt
psy.
6. Because the distance to New York
viii be lsssened ifty'oDe miles as COM
pared with one, and eighty-one miles
With the other OF the present main
] -~r,Nr1 --hF1a Shit 49, Ill. ill L.
saved to St. Louis and the great North
west, and Guy-two miles saved from
Neg York to New Orlesns.
I, Because 6y its construction Mem
phis iFEesistibly becomes the great cen
t5rpot of travel and traffic between the
Gulf and the Northern and Eastern
Sts5es, both Of which are now diverted
eastward fifty miles by the Mississippi
| Central Railroad.
s. Because it will tend to cheapness
| OF transportation of freight to and from
Memphis, SIS well as to the travelling
public.
g. Because without this road the Mis-
ssissiPpi and Tennessee Railroad will
never be what il ought, and otherwise
would be q profitable paying thorough
fare. The building Of this link makes Ii
the great highway from North to South,
. 1AAN@ Va 81 ~ NA0 Wy III COAl@
try, instead Of 4 drsg and q bone Of con-
tenti0n.
Il. Because its construction with that
Of the sslRs Railroad will OF necessity
hasten the completion OF the Little Rock
Railroad, and onward 10 the Pacific, q
scheme that is even now exciting the
attention Of Eastern capitalists, and will
induce their concentration upon that
enterprise n which the entire Southwest
- deeply Interested, and Memphis in
n2rtIcui3r.
IL. Because Memphis is bound to en-
large and prosper, just IN proportion as
be agricultural aud mineral wealth Of
lhs surrounding country and States is
brought and deposited IN her tsp BY rail-
r0sds.
u. Because It Is uadeuisble that sl
cities add % their greatness and power
by building railroads leading through and
to rich see 4ou Of country like that to be
.tTsversed by the Mississippi River Rail-
goai.
Is. Because the rspid increase in the
valuation If the Memphis and Charleston
Railroad and Memphis sud OliO Rail
road stock within the past two
yesTs, or since the county began
70 revive from the ravsges and loss Of
the war mskes it almost self-eyident that
stock taken in this road will not only be
good stock, but make the stock OF the
Mississippi and Tennessee Road valuable. !
IA. Because it will have a tendency TO
bring about a healthy and pleasant con-
ditiO8 OF society 10y Identifying interests
and Inspiring mutual confidence
-. Because it will Lessen crime and
pauperism by affoTdiog remuneIative la
l. r. With assured protection.
81. ReparTza rhHnlnpiA in thn GlatiOn ng I
the country through which this road is
to pass, have iOng, and when called upon,
regularly paid taxes, going TO benefit
other portions Of tbs county without
doing any direct bsneht to their own
locality. In q word they helped to build
and sustain the other railroads leading
out of the city.
L. Because 1 believe from my past
experience in like business transactions
that instead Of adding to the general
burdens OF the large msjOsity Of our tax
payers, it will make Il easier on account
Of the increased money put In circuls-
latiOD and the ready sale OF property at
au enhanced valuation, and it may have
The effect to force plethoric ~lsnd-holders
who have eve gone upon the principle
of getting 81 they coGld and holding all
obey get st prices out Of reach, thereby !
retarding the growth of the city, county |
and State, to sell.
IS. It viii traverse 3 country Of re-
5asIka6le fertility, slready in 3 high
state OF cGitiv&iioa, and yielding aban-
dainty of food tbst our city greatly l
needs. 1t viii thus prove = blessing to
the poor and Ia boring classes Of our citi-
z5us, by rowing 10 quality and cheap
eniDg The cost of their living.
Is. Becs Use, judging from the many
memorials and esrnest appeals, and the
able, oft repeated expressions Of the
public press Of this city, (the peoples
mOuthpiece,) in favor Of this enterprise, 1
the people OF Shelby county are almost
3 unit 81 10 the wisdom OF extending the
aid asked for to this road.
The following resolutions we're offered
by Com missioner Aiefriman:
Ocdered ia the Board Of County CCn1s
u1issjo3lere for Shelby county, That an app
preparation Of $500, 0G0 be, and the same
hereby is made, for the purpose Of sss
sisting tbe Mississippi River Railroad in
TIE building OF said road through Shelby
county sSiG appropriation TO be made
at the rate Of Se),e0e per aaDuls, paya-
BILE ia bonds maturing ia one, two, three,
fcuc, i've and six years, with interest 81
six l6) per cent. per aDnum, payable
semi-annusiIy, which bonds the Pfesl-
Gaut OF this board Is hereby authoflZod
70 issue inaediasely, signed by himself
and eountersigned Ny the Clerk of the
County Court.
ordered, ETC., That q special tax shall
be levied on the assessed -alue OF the
real estate OF the county, which tax shall
be called the Mississippi River Railroad
Tax, and said tax snail be regularly
levied IN ouch amount as shaii meet the
annual appropriations for the purpose Of
assisting in the building Of the kissis-
sippi River Railroad 10 Shelby county.
Vote-Ayes, Commissioners Merri-
man, White, Hack, Louis apd President
Lewis.
The following resolution was offered by
Commissioner Louis:
Ordered, That the President Of this
Board be and is hereby directed to enter
the subscription of Shelby county to Che
capital stock Of the Mississippi River
Rsilroad Company, for the SUM Of three
hundred thousand dollars (S300,000 On
the books Of said company, without de-
lSy.
Which said resolution wa unanimous
- adopted by the Board.
GREAT reduction In Ladies' Underwear
81 Rice d Engel'a. I