Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1870-08-06
FINANCE AND TRADE.
OFFICE OF THE DAILY APPEAL,

OFFICE OF THE DAILY APPEAL,
MEMPHIS, August 8, 1870.
FROM MEMPHIS TO URoPE VIA NoKFoLE.
At last the proper step has been taken
whereby the dream of the Importing and
wholesale merchants Of the South can be
realized. The Norfolk and European
Steamship Company has been organized.
This WAS accomplished on the 26th ult.,
with the following result: President, Gen.
Edward Higgins; Vice President, Mar
shall Parks, Esq; Directors, John b.
whitehead. Henry Ghiselin, Thomas J..
Corprew, James Il. Barry, Washington
Reed, Colonel w. H. Taylor, William B.
Rogers. W. II. White, Cicero Burruss,
Eugene Higgins. This company, so adj
nirably represented by the gentlemen
psmed, was chartered by the state of
Virginia under a special enactment, APP
proved June 9th, of this year, and, it is
believed, will be subsidized by Congress;
indeed may probably, in securing the
steamships of the North German line, also
secure the existing contract Of that line
for the conveyance of the European mail.
Busy hands and willing hearts are work.
ing to that end. This we hope for. But
especially do we hope that the merchants
of Memphis will make It a point to pre-
pare to avail themselves of this line so
soon as it is prepared for business. When
this will be, they may learn for them
selves from the following extract of a
letter from President Higgins, which we
are permitted to publish for their ben
eft:
The company is I'm correspondence, at
this time, for the sale or transfer of the
North Germans Vessels. We hin a trans-
fer can probably be made, without any
risk of infringement on the laws Of the
land. and a sale subsequently, effected
when Congress meets and repeats, as we
think Il must, the navigation laws. You
will see that the West is most deeply in
terested In the successful result of our
efforts. Your merchants have only to di-
rect their goods shipped by us, and they
NAV reach YOU in bond. Your Immigrants
can be landed here, at a point which we
have selected, where necessary buildings
will be erected and every attention pald
to their welfare and comfort while here,
and prompt dispatch given them to their
destination. Tn West must work with
us, for our line is their line, and we do not
want New York. Norfolk is your natu-
raj seaport.
We trust, for the sake of our CONNER
cisl name and character, the Norfolk and
European Steamship Company will have
all the support, help and countensnce this
community can afford, in the shape of
money and patronage. The Norfolk line
is our line.
THE ST. LOUIS n MEMPHIS PACKET
LINE.
We make room for the following with
pleasure, not unmixed with regret
Pleasure, becsuse it affords a discreet, en-
terprising citizen a n opportunity of ex-
planning to the public las he has already
TO the stockholders of the company
of which b. was President) the reasons
why the boats of the st. Louis and Men,
phis Packet Company are for sale, and
that corporation has confessed failure
and regret that any Memphis enterprise,
especially so valuable a one as this, could
be forced 70 succumb to any combination,
however formidable. Captain McManus
writes:
Editors Appedg-May 1 ask at your
hands in behalf of a Memphis enter
prise, the use of your columns at the in
stance and request of a number of share
holders whose interest is involved in the
Memphis and st. Louis transportation
Company, and as a late official of that or
ganizatiOn, 10 seems proper and just for
information involving the company.
Ii is told IN a few words. You boats
were constructed with the view Of haul
ing freights exclusively. From three to
five hundred tons was estimated would
pass over the Memphis and Charleston
railroad into. Georgia and the Carolinas
weekly. Disappointment met us in this
calculation. l will here explain: The
Memphis and Charleston railroad termi-
mates at Stephenson, Alabama. this fact
many of our merchants are ignorant of,
from that place to Chattanooga, 50 miles,
is controlled by the Nashville and Chat
tanOOga and the Georgia State road, sus-
tanned and backed up by Nashville and
Northwestern road, and the Mobile ano
Ohio road, connecting at Union City,
branching from Hickman and COlum-
bus, each demanding that no freight from
our line of boats should pass over thai
road into Georgia or the CarOlina's, only
az their will or pleasure.
The edict, on the part of those roads, dis
eliminating against the NJ. and c. r. X
and our line, at once blIghted my hopes
as to sustaining the boats in the st. Louis
and Memphis trade.
The carrying capacity of the boats was
greater than required for the t~rsnspO.ta-
ton Of purchases for the Memphis market
alone.
Your enterprise had other severe blows
calculated to cripple and crush 1t out
from the start. l will not revert 10 them
at this date. / could not, however, but
feel a deep interest in the success of the
line. l had impOrtuned many of my
friends to aid il with their subscriptions,
and to show the interest involving my
selt, invested $4,000, believing it would
ultimately benefit the commercial inter
ssts of Memphis.
This state of things existing, while
could hope for no success In our trade
my first impulse was TO guard the invest
ment of my stockholders, as well as C
protect my own interest, and TO Learn
what was best for all, after consulting
mot relying upon my own judgment
with many experienced river men as Il
capacity of boats which are pronounced
superior as freighters, ETC., etc.
I appealed to my Board of Directors tC
have them continued in the st. Louis anC
New Orleans trade, having the assurance
from heavy shipping houses in st. Loui
that nothing would be left undOne to sus
tain the boats in that trade. Hence
shall ever believe that If it had met th,
views or concurrence of yOUr directors b,
placing the boats promptly at work il
thst trade, every dollar invested in youI
enterprise would, before the expiration o.
the present season, nave been returned
This was my humble opinion, and that o
every steamb0atman consulted with
/ have now no reflection to offer
but accept, gentlemen, upon my OWL
shoulders, in behaif of yOur company
many errors which / u~nguardedly per
mitGed TO surround me in the manage
ment of this my first failure, dating bacl
from the bluff of Memphis, since nv
bOyhOOd.
lam no longer at the head of the or
g~aLlz-sioD. Captain Cummins, your late
Secretary, will take pleasure in giving re
ports as 70 expenditures, vouchers, etc
involving the company, which are all Of
file. Respectfully,
J.. C. McMANUS.
The first point to be noted IN the abov,
is that In reference TO the Nashville u
st. Louis combination which controls the
railroad line between Stevenson anC
Chattanooga "a distance of only thirty
eight miles,. If this be true, and that il
is we cannot doubt, would it not be well
for the Charleston railroad to make it,
connections with the East Tennessee u
Virginia railroad by a continuation Of it.
line 10 Chattanooga For it seems to u
1hst If the Nashville and st. Louis com
bination can control that thirty-eigh
miles il any case arbitrarily las they have
in the case Of the st. Louis and Memphis
Packet line, they can do 50 In all, and We
are at their mercy and must submit Il
their terms-snd their terms are, that
after Nashville and st. Louis, comeF
Memphis. That won't do. We must be
independent Of both those places. II
fact, as q rival to some extent Of both, We