Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-03-03
ROBBERY.
H5a S Corp6rstisB Digs H.0ths Short Ribs
Of Hsmphis-A Peck OF food fer
Mercantile Reflection.

The following letter from Macon,
Miss. tells our merchants and the
people interested in the commercial
prosperity of the city, how Memphis
is plundered and impoverished by
the Mobile and Ohio road, and how
Indispensable to the prosperity Of
Memphis the Selma road becomes.
The writer states uuquesUOnable facts:
MACON, MISS, March l, ls7l.
Editors ADDeut-We live about fifty
miles below the point Of intersection
of your Selma road and the Mobile
and Ohio road. Not the less are we
interested in the success of General
Forrest. Memphis, we all know, is
cur nearest and cheapest grocery mar
ket. 1t costs an enormous sum TO
ship the bueadsluHs and bacon we con-
sumo down the Mississippi to New
Orleans, and thence TO Mobile, and
then two hundred miles up the No
bile and Ohio road TO Macon or
BrgOksville Though we invested
1iberaIv in the Mobile and Ohio road,
though we voted subscriptions and
gave the corporation its franchises,
Frl 10 ~ NV eAAN -NtAAhasaA -AAA1h AAttA
can beaii a country. The road is
managed simply with an eye to the
greatest possible Immediate profits to
she stockholders as distinguished from
the bnudhGlders. The goose is killed
and cooked that lays the golden egg,
Ele road is run to lis utmost
capacity, and the greatest possible |
aEactiOus are levied. Soon the
.--.Tn rr-arrfr. Trnrr1H r.ae- frrHr #-r Z
hands Of the bond holders, and the
managing stOck-hJldeTs are making /
their last grab at the coolers OF the /
road and Of the impoverished cOuu-
try. or course uO single pound of
freight that can be forced over the
greatest possible distance of the Mo-
bile and Ohio, is suffered TO touch the
Mamghis and Charleston road. Isl
give conductors and freight agents
hvdF1ph0bi8 to hear the word Mem
phis mentioned. Not long ago /
bought in New A0rk a box of lamp
chimney. came home through Mem
DhiS, and thinking that some time |
might el8pse before the shipment /
from New York would reach me, i /
bought and shipped q box from Mem /
phis. ] reached home, and my two 4
q
the box from New York coming by /
sea to Mobile, and that from Mem /
phis ran the gauntlet st COrinth, /
where 10 was kicked about Tor some |
two weeks because it bore the hated /
Imprint. Memphis" ] cannot order |
my bacDu or flour or corn. or any 4
western product from Memphis. The /
EfOBne and Ohio road viii not bring /
a., 60 me, and / cannot go to Memphis. /
IL r,Isls me as much 10 laVrOVer at /
Cgri0td. and 10 pay the enormous /
cbsrgez IA Steusd on way passengers,
as it costs TO 20 through to st. Louis. /
AN APPEAL TO MEMPHIS.
II you people ia Memphis stand this
thing, we can, ana must, for we have 4
no remedy The railroad rings are
too strong, and have too much money
for Us TO cope with them at Jackson,
and our last and only hope IS in the
success Of your Selma road, aud this
success can only be achieved by the
aid OF Memphis and Shelby county.
Open for Us adirectrOute a to Memphis; /
let Us ship our cotton at two dollars
instead of seven OF eight dollars per
bale 90 Memphis, and we will not only
send you two hundred thousand bales
annually, but Will buy annually two
million dOllars' worth Of plantation
and other supplies. I don't know |
whether the people about Memphis
have investigated this matter, but
this country is being ruined for want
Of free access 10 the outer world. We
can neither buy nor sell. We can't
sell, because even cotton, valuable as
it is. is hardly worth sending TO Mem
phis after DC is dug into for freight
charges Of the Mobile and Ohio road,
and no man, after paying passage,
could pay q hotel bill. Help US or
we are Und0ne, and we are ruined
because we are not suffered to enrich
Memphis. The half million you pro-
pose 10 invest in the selma road will
De refunded in actual cash, with
usury, within six months after your
road reaches the Alabama line. 1t /
will be refunded by Holly Springs
alone within a year, and that citizen
Of Memphis who talks of opposition
20 a road which we tax ourselves
away out here in the country to build,
should BE- taken over into the sWamps
of Arlzausag and decenuy buried. He
must be int5ierably stupid and stu
pidly selfish. Very respectfully,
d. J. w.