Vicksburg weekly herald., 1870-05-07
Communicated

Allow me through the columns
of your paper, to disAbGse the pub.
lie mind In relation to the terminus
of the Vicksbnrg and Meridian
railroad. The impression here and
elsewhere, seems to be that the pe0-
pie of Vicksburg are opposed TO the
road having q terminus on the river.
Such is not the fact. There Is no
intelligent person in Vicksburg
who opposes u river terminus. All
admit It's importance, its necessity.
They wish that terminus where 1t
will benefit aud not damage the
city.
The President aud others con-
nected with the road, desire to ex-
tend the road down the river, and
make depot at the fair ground,
which is nearly mile below the
present depot. They wish to make
a depot there for cattle and lumber,
and to this end have purchased
ground for its consumation. Nine
tenths of the citizens believe that
depot established there would be
very dangerous to the interests OF
Vicksburg.
Five or six property-holders
around and below the proposed
depot see cool million In tho
increased value of their property,
but nine-tenlhs, or l might say
nineteen-twentieths of the citizens
ofYicksburg see a loss in that move
Of six million TO them. Shall the
few be benefited at the expense Of
the manyI The railroad men say
it will work no injury, and give
! them the credit of sincerity In that
belief. But the vast majority Of
the people Of Vicksburg think diff
fercntly. Shall that few be re-
spectcd or will the railroad men
and the propcrty-holders below bid
defiance to and override the pOpu-
lar sentiment and force their way
I to q terminus below?
The present location Of the depot
is n bad one. 1t was made In the
interest sfa few spectators, and
will not long remain where 1t is.
1t will either 90 below, per-
haps nearly opposite Delta, or
above at the City Landing.
The railroad men ought not to
push the matter at this time. They
have done without river terminus
II long time, and can get along for
a few months without it.
The first thing for the city to do
is 20 pave the Mulberry street road,
and allow a railroad track down
that street to the river.
The second thing to be done Is to
purchase all those lots fronting the
river from Clay to Jackson street,
and remove all that SkyparlOr hill
and fill up all that ground from II,
and give 1t to the various railroads
for a freight aud passenger union
depot for wharvcs aud cotton ware.
houses and presses. When that
Is done the Meridian Rail.
road should abandon her present
depot and come down Glass bayou
to the Union depot. BY so doing
the future interests of the Vicks-
burg and Meridian Railroad will be
promoted.
All this looks we'll on paper, but
will 1t be Of any practical value
You want Union depot where all
the convergent roads can meet
You want the Meridian road to
come there-you want the Shreve-
port road to come to DeSoto. Well
all this you can have on one con.
ditiOn, and that is to save the cut.
{ of. That can be saved at a cost oi
: 100000. 1t cost a million to
save st. Louis, and more than that
. to secure Cairo. The Shreveport
railroad will never leave Delta un-
til you secure the cutoff. Secure
| that and she win Immediately come
} to Desoto.
} That neck Of land has narrowed
, I.abOut one half In four years. Al