Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-12-15

makes his purchases at Memphis, will
have to pay nearly as much for transpor-
tation thithcF from MemEhis, only sixty
or eighty miles distant, as he would to
bring the same quantity of goods from
st. Louis OF New Orleans. The result OF
this is that much of the trade of West
Tennessee, which legitimately belongs
TO Memphis, is transferred to st. Louis,
New Orleans, or Louisville, although
our wholesale merchants or grocers viii
sell upon as good terms as can be made
in remoter cities. This is the evil, and
what is the remedy? We viii never
find a remedy by abusing rail-
road companies. They, like individu-
ais, act for what they Deiieve Ia 1e sH5sT
interest. All the denunciation that may
be heaped upon them viii not change
their course, 50 long as their present pol
icy is advantageous, or believed to be,
to themselves. We have believed, and
so stated on many occasions, that cheap
er local rates would benefit the railroad
companies by increasing their business
and adding to the wealth Of the country,
1t seems, however, they entertain a DIFF
ferent opinion. There is only M all
Enthusiastically, and that is TITS laid
ing of cheap rsiiwsys from Memphis IN
every direction, that can and viii trans
port freight and passengers to and from
the city at low rates. Wehayey or soon
viii have, through lines amply suffi-
eient to do all our through 'Nisiness, and
n transport our through passengers.
We now need roads for local
purposes to bring trade to Memphis.
Give us cheap railways to Bolivar and
the Tennessee river, to Jackson, to Ok
ford, Mississippi, and thence toward
Meridian, and we win be abe to get our
local freights very much reduced. SIS
We REFUGE the freight charges we viii in
crease the business of the country, and
its productions; because when men a
transport their produce to market at low
rates they will increase their produc-
tons. Al present the farmers "a Wee
Tennessee and North Mississippi; cann6s
afford &c raise anything for market ex-
cept cotton, because nothing else will
bear the high charges foc transportation
oYef OH roads; but let the charges be re-
dueed by the building Of cheap rail-
ways, and Thousands of articles
would then find their way 60
market that are now wasted or not pro-
duced. As the productions ofthe eouh-
try inerease, the legitimate trade Of the
cities viii increase also, and then the
present great through lines will share al
the increased business of the country.
Instead of being injured by the building
OF these cheap railways, which viii in
crease tns reputation and business OF
Memphis, and 5~tipGuiase its growth, the
greet thropRh lines row in existence
viii be much benefited. If Memphis
were a city with three hundred Thousand
inhabitants, or If the country haA
eHsdrsnled its productions, a it well
might, the present railroads would
be much more profitable, even though
freight and passenger charges might
be somewhat reduced. They would
far more than make up, by increased
business, what they had lost by
reduced charges. We viii, in future
articles, show that the present high
Of transportation would, in a
few years, pay for the building of all the
roads we have mentioned, and many
more of the same kind. Three things
are necessary to make Memphis a great
city, and the surrounding country rich
and prosperous-eheap transportation,
provisions and cheap fuel. These
viii bring population and wealth; with
out them, u country a never be very
prosperous.