Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-12-19

were various citiz 9ns present, among
| them Ben. Coleman, president OF the road /,
and General Wallace. A very fair rep
resentation of ladies we're also present.
anxious to have the honor of placing a
shovelfull of dirt on the bed Of the new
railroad.
The ceremonies vera anything but stiff
or formal. The only accessories that
could be seen, in addition to those men,
toned, wero 6 number of new shoVels
and some wheel barrow5. The danghtor
Of General Wallace was the first TO push
new shovel in the earth and place several
pounds of rich soil in the middle Of the
new track Several ladies' took courage
from the heroic example thus set, and
each one seized a shovel and went TO work
vigorously. The gentlemen followed
with a will, even the children cried out
gleefully for shovels, and in the course OF
half an hour half the dirt in the teld was
turned up.
"Uncle Tom" wanted to have a say in
the great enterprise also. Being heavy
stockholder in the road, it was but proper
that he should do heavy thing at the
start. He did it. He hitched up q pair
of spanking horses and attaching them to
a plough. ran the share through the mel
low soil with considerable cheerfulnsss.
he turned mp much more dirt than any
two men on the ground.
0FACIAA HtAECof WAcA all bhhAo WFAO
tired, was called on for a few remarks.
He reluctantly complied, but having
gone into the merits of the railroad ques-
5iOn, he did full justice to the insntring
themo he said, truly, that Rsieiss-. had
reason 10 b5 proud of the distinction of in
sugursti1g he first tnarrow-guage railroad |
in the South snd of going first into the field |
TO construct a section of road that would |
unite Knoxville with Memphis. He re- |
ferre0 10 ths efforts of the Somerville peO- |
pie, and took occasion to remark that If |
they felt in need of q lesson in the modass |
0perJadi of getting up a railroad sub
scrjption, It would be given them tres at |
He promised that in the course |
of lew months the grading and bridg- |
ing OF the road would be finished TO Mem |
phiB, and by the first green of the |
coming summer the iron-horss would |
come snorting into the thriving town /
Of which they were sll proud to scknowl- |
edge themselves citiZ Zsns. From that day /
forth Raleigh would commence to spread
ont snd prosper. he saw with the eye Of
rational hope in the near future splendid
buildings elevate their commanding forms
agsiust the horizon, the streets would be
paved, besuliful sidewalks would be laid
down, the smoke of factories would as-
cend from numerous industrial dues, and
the buzz OF busy machinery aad water
wheels would drown the winter roar of
the msj sstic Wolf river as 1t swept by the
base or the growing CITY. Thsy had, In
that river, within gun-shot of the city,
water power to turn a million spindles,
power enough to enrich the town. The
of their railroad would bring
them into immediate communication with
The great world snd place them In a con-
fitiOu to make their manufacturing ad-
Yaatsges known and appreciated.
The glowing speech of Gsneral WallEcs
was well rec5iveG. After the cheers that
Olicwed its conclusion had melted away
over the treetOps Of the surrounding
woods some prscticsl person suggested
he Importance Of visiting Uucle Toms
losterly. TIE ladies went into the am
Die psrlors ef the Peabody cf Raleigh and
unused themselves for brief space until
he wild turkey and cabbsgsd sbOst were
sRdV. There was q banquet in Toms
iining-rOOm. Champagne was drank In
quantities; more speeches were
made. The labnrers, whose horny hands
re destined to do the work, got a holiday,
nd tho chi )yment YVES universal. The |
ightniog man of the APPEAL was fur
Iished with an exclusive buggy in which
e rode into town in forty five minutes I
7ithout breaking a buckle. May the
Dad to Raleigh prospect