Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-05-19
OUR PACKET LINES.

Our PACKET LINES.
AN advertisement, in another part
Of this issue, sdmOnishes US that
time has come-a crisis in our mer.
camille affairs-When the APPEAL
must speak to the merchants and bu-
siness men Of Memphis in palmer
terms thanwe have ever yet employed.
We must ask them and urge them,
for their own sakes, for their own
profit, their personal aggrandisement,
that if necessary, they must trench
upon their active capital to pur-
chase, in the interest Of Memphis, the
the Arkansas and White River Packet
lines, for the existence Of which, so
long, we are largely indebted to the
public spirit and energy Of JOHN
D. ADAMS. By reason Of his engage
ments in another direction and the
more profitable employment OF his
capital, this gentleman advertises his
interest in these lines for sale, and in
doing so, necessarily opens a way to
their possession by the active capital
lists Of St. Louis, Louisville OF Cincin-
matt. In no narrow or contracted
sense do we invite opposition by our
mercantile community to step that
will most certainly be taken by busi-
ness men Of Of one or the other Of
these cities with which we are neces-
sarily mtagOnistic. We recognize In
every step they take to widen the cir
Gle Of their trade operations the move
ment Of a spirit that we would have
our people initiate in order to
successfully combat its exercise
70 our detrlment. They know
the value OF the trade In the
White and Arkansas rivers, and real
izs that it is a growing trade, destined
20 become to Memphis as important
az that Northwestern trade which
hiss called into existence on the edge
Of the Illinois prairie q metropolitan
clty-s rival OF New York in enter
prise and the quickened energy for
which America Is conspicuous as
compared with Europe. St. Louis,
Louisville and Cincinnati have each
tasted and each now enjoy somewhat
Of q trsd4 that to as has
proven the hest part Of our good for
tune in l57O-5L. Its magnitude is not
dreamed OF by those most directly en-
gagged 10 It; hence the undisturbed
euuanimity with which, heretofore,
the appeals Of the APPEAL for our
packet lines have been received by our
merchants. Like Sir Charles Cold
stream, in " Used Up," " they hear and
are as undisturbed as if in truth there
was nothing ia it," Some say,
g" It Is none Of my business l
have no stock in it." Others:
4" Adams owns the stock; he
manages well. has made money, and
viii not give up a good thing" But
Adams has found another good thing,
perhaps,a a better thing, something that
may pay better, and viii not demand,
as the packet lines do, all Of his time;
and he proposes to let the wiseacres
into the good thing, if only they will
20 into it and uphold it, as he has, by
q rare discretion. He wants tho 1ner-
chants, whose fortunes these lines
have increased, TO invest of their
means and so becOme directly interest |
cd in the most essential, the most necgS- |
slry d1d the most important freight line, |
sgtether By rirsr or rail, that runs OlH /
Of Wsmphi5 Look at the receipts Of |
cotton this year. Up to this date they /
are 4s7, ,478 bales, nearly 100000 more |
than the total Of last year. Nearly /
twO-thirds OF this amount has been |
brought here by the White and |
river packets, out |
Of the White and Arkansas rivers,
and from the "bends" on the Missis- |
sippi between Memphis and the /
mouths Of these rivers. Remember, |
Of Memphis, that Of this |
4s7 ,473 bales Of cotton, 862, 900 bales /
have come to us by river; think Of /
this, and you viii realsze at 3 glance /
the importance Of these lines, hereto
fore kept alive by the indOmitable /
viii Of one man, IN face
Of an opposition prosecuted with
ardOr by New Orleans, st.
Louis, Cincinnati and Louisville. /
An opposition, employing seven as
to our twelve boats, which
has not wanted some fostering care
and encouragement frOm the Memphis
men, to whom we appeal, as those who /
should feel the magnitude Of the stake
involved in the sale Of cur only packet
lines. The shippers Of the Atlantic
States complain of the Overwhelming
with which the ship own
srs Of Great Britain have ruined the /
American carrying tTadei should |
these lines pass from the possession Of
our citizens and from our control and 1
direction we shall occupy, relatively, |
Z position similar to that Of our
mourning friends Of New England |
and New York, with none to comfort 1
ss-our freights win come TO US at |
inch rates as competing cities and I
m 4y deem best for their 4
wa interests aud the profits Of the
arriving trade between this and all
,thsr points 60 to enrich and swell
he hsrs Of those who un-
s.nnstsly foT rs have already so