Vicksburg weekly herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1868-1883, 1870-04-30

publish the following letter which
appeared In the Times and Repub.
lican of the 10th inst:
"TMROUGn To TlAE RIVER"
[coMSUNICATED.l
To the EdltOr Of Times and Republican.
DEAR SIR: In two or three issues
of your paper, recently, have no.
ticed articles in regard to the ex-
tension OF the Ylcksburg and Me.
ridian Railroad, fixing It's terminus
at tho river below the city and to-
wards Delta, Louisiana. l was
particularly attracted In this con-
neCtion, by q communication from
DR.. Emanuel President ofthO road,
who declares that the article which
appeared In your paper on the 10Th
inst. suTprised him. Substantially
l endorse the contents Of that arti.
Gle, and believe that the ruinous
consequences 1t predicts for VlCks-
burg, should tire railroad be ex.
tended would follow most inevita-
bly,. In this opinion l am not un-
supported by past history. Years
ago Vicksburg was a thriving and
prosperous city Notwithstanding
the fact that the places Of It's bust
ness resorts then are to-day mere
ruins and almost valueless In the
market. Then the present city
landing II Is true was the only
point for the receiving and for.
warding of freighls, which was
distributed along what is now
Lnown as old Main street, but
which wal in that pristine day TO
Vicksburg what Broadway is to
New York or Canal street Is to
New Orleans. Three fine hotels,
the Exchange, Mansion House
and Vicksburg Hotel stood on that
street and were as largely patron
lied rs any similar institutions OF
the present times on Washington
street. Three banks, the Planters,
Waterworks, and Commmercial and
Railroad bank located on or near
Main street conducted q large and
paying business. Two OF these and
also the Vicksburg Hotel, 'magnif-
cent buildings, still remain, but
their dilapidatiOn tells Il wonderful
story OF the disaster which has
come over our city, aud that, too,
through the fundamentally of the
same road over which DR.. Emanuel
so ably presides, and which 1t seems
he is DESTROYS of so changing as to
produce another revolution which
will leave Washington and Null
berry streets, as II left Main, In
utter and i~rreparable ruin. The
older citizens OF this place, sir, who
are acquainted with the history Of
the Southern Railroad, now the
Vicksburg and Meridian Railroad,
will bear me out when ! say that
the depot of that road was estah-
lished whore 1t now stands by a
few individuals who had no other
object than speculation in view
But when once fixed II naturally
became a centre Of trade, and BUSH
ness approached 1t. Washington
street became the thOroughfare,
and Main street went down, just
as some other street will spring up
and Washington go down when a
new depot is established.
There are now about 1900 In
habitants of our city, who, by the
exertions of themselves and their
ancestors, represent some S6,OOO,-
600 worth Of property, which has
been built up In good faith, around
what has been universally believed
to be a fixed centre the depot.
But a new question involving profit
and loss Is about being presented
TO them in the construction of the
new line contemplated by the man
ayers Of the Vicksburg aud Merid-
ian railroad. Shall we avail our
selves of past history, and CndeavOr
to Illustrate such destructive meas
ures contemplated by the railroad
company, or shall we sit Idly by
and see a new city spring up in a
new place, forever destroying the
work Of forty years, which has
been honestly expended In acquir-
ing what we now have and where
1t now stands? Unquestionably
the road ought and should have a
terminus on the river, and this
brings me directly to the consider
alton of DR.. Emanuel's letter Of the
18th inst. He says that the Com
pany some short time ago attempt.
cd to reach the river by laying a
track in anorthwaFd direction down
Mulberry street. Legal steps were
taken to arrest the work, and under
the pr0hibitory force Of an injunc.
ton the Company was compelled 10
abandon 1t. Thus cut of from the
north, our only alternative Is to 60
south, and It is In the interest both
Of the public and the railroad com.
pany that the company have deter
mined to secure a river terminus"
The Doctor does not say who II
was that injolned his company, but
we all know that It was not the cit.
liens in their corporate capacity,
however strong the inference ofthe
Doctors letter may be that such
was the case. The objections urged
against the Mulberry street project
were confined ! believe, to . few
persons owning property upun
that street. ana also owning : cen
N IT