Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1871-08-02
THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER RAIL
ROAD.
Letter from n Memphian in New
York.


NEW York, July 2S, 1871.
To the Editor of the Ledger: iNilJ
| understand that on the 18th of Au
gust your citizens will be called on tt
vote on the proposition authorizing Tho
city of Memphis to issue 100000 sub
scription bonds in aid OF the Mississippi
River railway, and as former either
of Memphis | wish to offer few sugges
tions and remarks on the subject.
notice to-day an article in the Memphis
Appeal, of the 24th inst, copied from
the Trenton Gazette, of the 23d, which
is as follows .,
1.-THE Trenton Gazette, of the 23d
says We publish elsewhere commu-
nication from our friend Col w, II.
Craig, suggesting the advisability Of
abandoning the project of our branch OF
the Mississippi River railroad, and con
Meeting with the Brownsville and Ohio
road at Friendship. The main reason
offered for doing so is that Meals State
Gazette says that the Mississippi River
railroad is a failure, and should we build
branch to Yellow Bluff we should find
no road there with which to connect.
With all due respect to the opinion of
| the .Dyersburg Gazette, we beg leave to
say that the Mississippi River railroad
is necessity, and will be built. Dyer
county will yet subscribe the requisite
amount to build it through that county.
The business and financial capacity of
the men controlling the affairs of the
Mississippi River road insures the com
pletion of the road at some time in the
not distant future. But if the Mssis-
sippi River road should fail, we then can
build DR.. Lea's road to Ripley, Fulton
and Memphis. Our people are ready to
vote tax and to subscribe the neces-
sary amount to build the branch to Vel
low Bluff II ~
Now, il Memphis shall supinely allow
herself to be cut off from the advantages
which the Mississippi railway and its
connections will certainly afford to her
commerce and convenience, by refusing
to give the required aid to this road, she
will deserve the fate which she must in
evitably meet. That parties controlling
the railway lines south and east of Mem
phis are determined to form some con
nection with the Paducah terminus of
Northwestern and Eastern lines, has been
an admitted fact for a long time; and if
through the penny wise and pound
foolish policy Of your citizens they
throw away the present opportunity of
appropriating the immense advantages
this direct connection with the finest
Agricultural country in the world and
the great cities of the East and North
west will give them, the connection will
be speedily made by others, and the now
comparatively insignificant towns east
of Memphis viii supplant your now
prospering city in the advantages
now within her grasp. You know
that the Mississippi railway, from
Memphis TO Iroy9station, a distance Of
onlyabout onehundred miles, is the only
link lacking in the chain of continuous
and uninterrupted line of railway from
New Orleans, and the richest cotton
fields of the South to the extreme East,
traversing in its route the great North
west, tapping the Wabash Valley and
touching the teeming commercial cities
of st. Louis, Chicago, Cincinnati and
others of no small importance, and that
this line is nearly one hundred miles
shorter from Memphis to Indianapolis
(the great railroad center of the Vest
than by any other line now existing or
that could be built. The Paducah and
Illinois Bridge Company, in anticipa-
ton of the opening of this line, will soon
have a magnificent bridge spanning the
Ohio river from Paducah to the Illinois
side, connecting the Memphis and Padu-
cab road with the line on the west side
of the river; and this will no doubt stim-
ulate your people to renewed interest in
building your end of the road. You will
understand that as soon as Memphis
shall vote the subscription asked for the
consolidation OF the Mississippi River
road and the Paducah and Gulf road will
be virtually effected, as the condition
precedent Of such consolidation will then
be considered as fulfilled, as the coun-
ties along the line from Memphis to
Troy are ready to subscribe the remain
der Of the stock, and then the owners Of
the consolidated road will place large
number of workmen on the route and
push the work forward to a rapid com
pletion. | know these owners well, and
am satisfied that with their large means
and indomitable energy they will do
promptly what they promise. The
question now is, Will Memphis discard
the advantages thus so literally offered
her, or will she wisely grasp the prize
and vote the subscription proposed by
the company? Let it be borne in mind
that she is only asked to rote the sub
scription, and only to issue one-half Of
her time bonds for this object when the
road shall be finished and the cars run
ming to Covington, and the other half
when the whole route is completed and
the through connection accomplished.
What is the interest on this amount Of
bonds compared to the interest your
men Of business ought TO feel in the en-
terprise2 With your growing popula-
ton and increase in the value Of your
real estate, which.is always produced by
railroad facilities, the interest upon this
small additional bonded debt would
never be felt, and the principal would be
doubly pocketed by your city before its
It strikes us that the taxpayers Of
Memphis (who are, of course, the sub
stantial citizens) will stand greatly in
their own light if they shall by their
votes ignore an enterprise fraught with
such conspicuous benefits to themselves
and the whole city; but from my long
residence in Memphis and knowledge Of
its people / have a confident belief that
on the 10Th proximo they viii vote en-
ndsss for the subscription.
Yours frulv