Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-11-07
An FL Dorado Of Wealth offered TO Mem
phts. Texas Stretches Forth Her
Hands and Regs Us TO Accept.

An FL Dorado Of Wealth offered TO MEM
pitts. Texas Stretches Forth Her
Hands and ReGs Us 10 Accept.
Energetic Action OF the Meeting.
The meeting at the Greenlsw Opera
House last night was a "big thing" 1t
seven O'Clock the doors were thrown open
and from Their till eight the tide of Mem
phis's wealth and energy, flowed in TIL
the great hall was pretty well filled. Th5
completion OF our link OF the great inter-
national railroad to the Pacific ocean, was
the inspiring theme to cause all this en-
thusiasm.
We noticed on the platform General
Forrest, Colonel Sam Tate, Colonel Pin
son president OF the chamber of COM
mercs, Judge McAdoo, Colonel Wicks,
president of the Memphis and Charleston
railroad, Colonel Douglass, Robertson
Topp, and q number OF the influential
citizens.
the meeting, and the members of the
press, secretaries.
The chairman in opening the proceed
ings said that in his humble way hs had
been lsboring herein this city to show
the advantage of the western extension
of our railroad system. He was happy 70
be able to present TO them meeting, gentle
men who could speak on the subject as a
matter with which they were scquaint ID,
and upon which they could authoritively
speak. He b introduced Colonel Sam
Tate, preaident of the Memphis q Little
Rock railroad,
Colonel Tate, in allusion to his manned
ARM, said that he was running on one
wheel. The eastern bank Of the Mlssis-
| sippi no longer, he said, offered an invit-
ing field to the enterprise OF the railroad
man. That field was pretty well worked
now, but on the western bank the field
was inviting. He had been considering
that section 8 tentively. The country be-
tween here snd Red river had attracted
his gszs and fascinated him. They were
met 70 consider its claims, and 1t was pro-
posed to show the great merits Of that
country for railroad projects. The object
of the meeting was to see If Memphis
would back up the endeavors OF those in
domitsnle western men who sought alli-
ancs with us, and thus grasp 6 trade and
q source of wealth for Memphis which
would be more valuable than a
real gold mine. st. Louis, and
even Chicago, were grssping at this trade,
and its consequent riches. Two roads
we're already under courss of construc-
ton, and pushing energetinaIly ahead TO
the trade that would drop into our hands
If we had only public spirit enough to
open them and take it. He was glad to
see such q large meeting, though it might
be larger, but it was gratifying 70 see that
what was wanting in quantity was more
thsn made up in quality. [Cheersl
JUDGE M'ADoo
next spoke. The Judge is a fine, portly
man, 9 two hundred pounds weight,
and full of brains and good sense. He is a
splendid type of an energetic southwest
ern man. He said he would speak in the
Interest of Jefferson, because he was 8
Jeffersonisn. It was for that purpose he
came to this city. A few weeks ago you
sent delegates to the convention at
Shreveport, Jefferson was also represent
ed st that convention. The result was
such an awakening up of the people as
never took place before, and he hoped
1t would have a still further re-
suit, in ToUsiDg 10 the people
Of Memphis. He said that Texas had
TWO RAILROAD POLICIES.
One Was q system of roads running par
sllel to the coast, with their termini in
the harbOrs of the State. The other was
that of the interior. The object Of that
was to run roads east and west snd north
and south. The railroad policy Of the
State of Texas was now better advanced
than that of any State in the Union. Just
AAA1 VI - A1AEe u - A0A - 49,
see, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana and
Alabama, and hiss more rich land than sill
of them put together. We are q young
State. We labor under the disadvantage
Of having no n~svigsble streams, Jefferson
is the only town in b entire northeast
that is blessed with navigation. We have
$4,000 square miles of territory, rapidly
hlliDg up with an energetic, healthy and
progressive immigration. The railroad
spirit of the State had hardly been
aroused when the war broke out. He
then referred to the few miles Of ROAD that
had been constructed prior 20 the dis
turbsnca. he left East Tennessee him.
self in 1855, and went 10 Texas. He had
been watching the railroad policy of the
State since, and he had the utmost faith
in it. Jefferson was the gate TO Texas
from this part Of the continent. He came
here to speak of the great railroad policy
Of his State, n to urge upon the people
here b necessity of bsing connected
with the great railroad system of Texas at
the proper place, and at the proper time,
which is &c ONCE. There was 8 road push
ing on now to join that system at Fulton.
He then spoke of the
INTERNATIONAL ROAD,
which is to run nom the extreme north
the State, a distance OF 500 miles. The
State Of Texas had granted 8 bonus to
this road of $4,000 per mile. Two hun
dred of 1t is already finished, or nearly
30, and it was only commenced last
January. There is work. In three dsvs
the company was organized in New York
and iron purchased for two hundred
miles. The construction of that road
will be carried on with an energy that
was never equaled on this continent. It
will pass through Austin, and on THROUGH
San Antonio to tbs Rio Grsnde. He
learned from General Barns that the
Mexican government, and particularly
Jusrez, was entirely favorable to the ex
tension of the road to Mazstlan, on the
Pacific coast, To carry 1t on this route 1t
would psss through the three richest min
ing states of Mexico q distance of seven
hundred miles. The Mexican govern
9 would give sixteen sections OF land
to the mile 5000 bonds. This would be
the shorteat route from New York TO the
Pacific ocean by several hundred miles,
and also the shortest to all the eastern
msrts on the Pacific ocean, for vessels
had to touch at the Sandwich islands in
making their voyages, for cosling. That
greatinternationAl road, which is undoubt-
eddy the greatest on the continent, was
not compelled to go 70 Jsfferson-it could
select its own connections on the north |
eastern boundaries. But the people Of
Jefferson resolved to have it, and for this
0fS1O ivy VIVIAN AAhb uucns anu ul5@ |
played an energy that trsnscends any
thing that was ever done by Memphis, |
even. When the wal was over, Jefferson
was 3 little, dilapidsted town; not many
people there and the buildings were |
mostly Of pine plank. Il has rose up to a
respectable city of 1000 people, with an
assessed value Of IS, O0O, coo upon this basis
but with a very brilliant future before
them, what did the people do? In order
TO secure the International road they
voted = bonus of $500, 900 in bonds, bear
ing eight per cent, and 500, 600 in land at
its assessed value. In another railroad
the town gave $500, coo worth in
bonds. That was a total Of $780, goo |
from 8 town possessing IS, 900, 600 worth of |
property and u 900 people. Here is Men,
phis, with at least 50, 900 inhabitants and
$40, O00, 900, most Of which YVES brought
here through the agencies Of railroads,
and IL thinks 1t 3 great thing to give half
q million dollars 70 help along q railroad
project which. In . year two after its com
pletion, would return fully all the money
loaned for its help. Jefferson could not
so well afford hat $4,000 as Memphis