Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1870-03-06
The Memphis and Kansas City
Railroad.

Editors AppeQl: The telegraph
brings us the news that in the House
of Representatives at Washington, on
the I'd inst, Mr. Ingersoll, from the
Committee on Roads and Canals, re-
ported a bill granting lands and the
right Of way for a railroad from st.
Joseph, Mo-, to Little Rock, Ark.
But what of the Memphis and Kan
a City Railroad the while? The
rich cotton growing regions Of the
lower Mississippi valley must and will
be connected by rail with the fine
grazing and grain growing country of
the Northwest. The only question is,
who shall build the first lines Of rail-
road and thereby secure the atness of
the trade? And which Of our cities
and towns shall become the great
commercial ~ceDters? Let Us look at
the prospect of Memphis in this mat
ter. st. Louis is running one road by
US to Helena, and another, the South
western Pacific, further westward,
while Cincinnati is pushing forward
the Cairo and Fulton road, and even
Chicago is reaching out her iron arms
to surround US. Now it seems Little
Rock proposes to precede US to the
Northwest. These roads will draw to
these large manufacturing cities the
trade of the regions they penetrate.
We havey yet an opportunity to build
a city here. But it can only be done
by erecting some large manufacturing
establishments here, and by building
the Memphis and FL Paso road, the
Kansas City road, and one liue to
the Southwest in the direction of
Galveston, Texas. But we cannot do
it by INDUCING in a Rip Van Wrinkle
''snoOze," until these cities shall have
laid their iron arms all around US
and penned US up on our beautiful
''blUff;" and until even Little Rock
has opened her way to the Northwest
and secured the trade Of that region.
True, we might eventually finish the
Memphis and Little Rock road TO
that ambitious little burg; but what
Memphis merchants want to buy the
product Of the Kansas farms and or
chards from the Little Rock produce
dealer?
We are glad to learn that q move
ment IS on foot to send certain parties
to Washington, to make what we be-
Heve will prove a successful effort to
subsidies for our Kansas City
Railroad. But suppose Congress de-
MES us the requisite assistaRce-then,
as we have noU the money to carry on
such 6 work, some of our large land
holders must contribute some of their
lands, and even houses and lots and
blocks of buildings, if necessary.
True, they own these, and can do as
they please with them; but it viii
prove q much better speculation for
them to build these roads, and build
up this city, than to hold on to all
their lands and go on collecting their
rents Cor as much thereof as they CAM
until Little Rock or some other inSig-
niicant village of this region be-
comes the railroad and CONNER
cial center Of the lower Mississippi
Valley. For then will the worthy
landlords of Memphis find their city
deserted, and that their principal ten
ants are bats and owls.
Railroad men and capitalists are IN
der no particular obligations to make
Memphis a large city. They usually
build cities where they can make it
pay best. They usually like a share
in the land speculatiOns, and other fat
things, and they viii build their roads
to such points as will hold out the
proper inducements.
Memphis seems TO be waiting for
some Hercules to cOmeaIOng and give
her wagon a "bOost." But he won't
come, and we must hire such help as
we can, and then put our own should
ers to the wheel. Memphis may be,and
actually is entitled to land grants in aid
of her railroads. But if Congress does
not give them as a matter of right,
then We must make such combina-
tons and take in such partners as will
secure them. We must have this
Kansas City road. More anon.
j. H. c.