Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-04-18
REPLY nE 81 HITcHELL.

MENPHrs, TENN, April IA, 1871.
Some years ago ] had tbs Iemerity and
y1,isf1rf1 ne TO saw I would like TO do some
thing town rds rebuilding the broken for
Tunes Of Msmphis, the queen city and
commercial PRIDE OF my native State. II
was known 90 q few that had acquired
some valuable experience in railroad
building in the prosperous Northwest,
and I was applied 10 (UEis was In the win
ter OF l865-66l 70 revive, reOrgauiz9 and
build the Mississippi River Railroad, a
accompany for building which bad been
chartered before the war. but had become
wholly disOrganized during the war. j
supposed this was the door opened for my
nssfulness in the South. ] entered upon
che Bork-threW my whOls heart into it,
gave it my time and money, and whsteveE
EBsl and ability possessed and resolved
% sucoeed az any cost.
BEGINNING THE WORK.
Tt wasu0t long before / had accomplish
ed q vast result. I succeeded, without
spending one dollar at Nashville in clog
rolling" or other usual and corrupt praC-
Iisss, IN obtaining from the Legislature
of the State a grant OF state aid equal %
81 500 .000. The effort 70 procure such aid
mad frequently been made, but always
JAILED until ] undertook snd Immediately
accomplished it.
The friends OF the road were now en-
couragsd TO reorgGuiZs. A portion OF the
old Board, in office before the war, issued
8 call for 8 stock holders meeting, TO b5
held in COvingt0n, ou the l4th day of Au-
gust. 1866, 70 elect a new Board Of Direc-
tors. The meeting was held; all the old
stock holders that could be heard Of were
present and voted i held proxies for and
voted about SO 900 Of ID. A new Board
was chosen, I being elected a member,
and sfterward made President.
REPORT 70 TIE EKw BOARD.
7 made rspOrs 20 this new Board Of the
work j had done Tor the road, and pre-
seutsd q copy CT theAct granting the State
aid. / was c0mpiimeuted enthusiastically
aud urged 70 90 on with the enterprise.
il replied: 81 viii 60 on, but emily on one
condltion-that I have non g distinct con-
tract with this company securing me- for
the services have performed and defining
explicitly what I shall do, and what ]
shall have for it In the future, so that
there may be no disagreement when We
some % settle" This was considered
Duafuess-like and proper, and agreed TO
by ths Board. ThsrsupOu / drew up a
fOrm OF contract, by which 1 reserved for
myself ESQ 600 of stock and $50 900 of
bonds OF uhs road, iu consideration of
having revived aud r6Orgauizsd the COM
pany and procured for It grant ofFl ,3O0i-
900 Of State aid.
ZIG MOEEY ON PAPER.
These sums seem large when read and
hsErd about, but tho rejecting man viii
consider that 10 was only about seven and
= half per cent. commissions. and that
there was not one dollar Of cash 10 The pay.
Thsv were not only not cash. but they
would never realize a dollar unless the
road was made entirely a success and put
into operation by nay future labOrs. And
u D. H.uaH sHa-
from the earnings OF the road, provided
always that it Wss well managed and
made earnings and paid dividends on its
stock. Consider the dividends usually
derived on Memphis railroad stocks, and
1e amazed Rt the " iueEperisuee and
81 stupidity" III ~ may not say c0rrup-
aion, /" Of the Board that could make a
contract promising m6 such early and OK
Lrsvagant pay for the yisal aid they were
receiving frOm mei
TIE FUTURE.
So much for the past work ] hEd per.
formed. For the future pro yidsd in my
contract that should, al nay own ex psuss,
canvass for stock subscriptions % the
Mississippi River railroad, that [ should
canvass In the State and out Of iti on the
line aud of of it; In the cities Of Cairo, 81.
louis and Chicago iu the Dnlted States
and in England ID necessary NJ here,
there, or anywhere j could enlist capital
20 build this Fosd. And I was suthOrEed
20 engage agents aud assistants, 70 hire
h6lp, 70 do and perform an that was need
ful 70 bs done TO achieve success. But %
enable me to meet the expense Of these
extraordinary labors and services, and
risks for ID was al TO be done % nay per-
slonsl cost I was authorized % retain ten
ger cent on al 5ostu Gde subscriptions OBJ
med abroad, ~ the same time it was
IHrH"N .H-.a
IsiG ths. no salary should be paid me uR- I
- obts.. ned at least $50 900 OF stock. 4
H. eass OF fal, ure OF the road all loss Of /
lime and money " as 70 fall on me.
TlzE YEARS 1861 8.
/ need not dwell on the Performance Of /
tbs branch uf my duties. The yssrs 1864
s ars memorable IN Southern histoa-v as
! he darkest that ever bsshrOuded a pso4
mia hIiafortunes in steady succession,
eeeninglV more bitter than ths past \
fell upon them until financial ruin was /
the lot Of ALL and pssillance and fsmine I
seemed ready TO oOmplste the work LEFT /
und0ne by cruel war. During al THIS 1
black night Of helpless misery, i stead /
fastly upheld the Mississippi river rail- /
road. I visited every county on its line; 4
i went from house 10 house; / addressed I
public meetings and appealed again ana
again TO County Courts. In the summers 4
heat, and winters cold, by day and by 4
night, in season and out of season, for 4
three long years Il continued this sdvOca- 7
eV OF the road, trying % inspire the down 4
hearted people with hopes Of what ID /
would 90 fOI them when built. I visited I
the cities OF St. Louis, Chicsg0 and New
York, pleading f0r friends aud capital. j
i spent thousands Of dollars OF my own
hard earnings in this apparently hope i
e. work. bat olung TO Ii with g min /
o. 1sH -
love.
THE DAWN or SUCCESS.
At last success came. In rapid success
-icn. commencing in January, 1853, / OBJ !
taiusd county subscriptions amountingto
80 go. and toWn subscriptions these