Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1872-02-06
AND KNoxvILLE RAILROAD.

"
This is an enterprise worthy to be
kept before the public eye, and well en-
titled to all the moral and pecuniary AID
the people of Shelby county can give
without assuming intolerabls burdens OF
taxation. 1t affords us much satlsiac-
ton to note the rapid progress made
since the Memphis and Knoxville air
line was first spoken of with confidence
in these columns less than year ago.
The projectors, save General Nicely, OF
Bolivar, were not practical railroad men,
but they have gone about their work
with a quiet earnestness and practical
common sense that does them infinite
credit. and has already given general
confidence in their final success. Sub
scriptions have been secured in Harde-
man already to build the road through
that county a distance of some twenty
four miles. The counties Of Hardeman
and McNary are wide awake to the ad-
yantages they would derive by direct
railroad connection with Memphis, and
will be ready TO do their part when the
time comes.
Fayette county has the railroad fever
beyond recovery. The people up there
have taken it into their heads to
be the focus of five converging lines,
besides the branch they have al
ready. They do nothing BY halves,
and were it not that Memphis has good
start, we would begin to be little jealous
of a rival railroad center so near our
commercial entrepOt. The county court
of that rich little kingdom took the iron
horse by the name, mounted his back
and are riding him around through every
neighborhood that the people may be-
come familiar with the sight and the
sound by the election day--early IN
March. To be more explicit, PROPOSE
ton will be submitted to the people to
subscribe $4OO,0 in thirty years bonds
to the roads projected through the
county. OF this amount $500, 900 will
be applied to the construction of the
through Memphis and Knoxville line and
the Somerville and jackson branch, on
condition that these two enterprises con-
solidate under one charter; or nothing
IN either without consolidation. The
T.;e.ds of the through line in Hardeman
and elsewhere favor an immediate con-
pliance with these terms, since they have
nothing to lose by it and much to gain;
and it is to be hoped that the jackson
people will throw aside local prejudice
and favor this arrangement, which Fay
cite coanty has seen fit, in looking to her
own interests, to lay down as SINE qua
non. The SomervilleFalcon is doing good
service in the cause of these railroads,
the leading citizens are advocating the
subscription, and it is almost certain,
ff not quite, that the tax will carry
In our own county of Shelby we
cannot boast that SO much has
been done, although the Importance
of the building of the road is beginning
to be generally understood among our
Merchants, bankers and editors. A con-
siderable private subscription has been
obtained along the projected line between
here and Baskerville. and the people for
several miles on each side of the pro-
posed route are ready to give literally
according to their means. Those who
have subscribed already have paid in
the first call of five per cent, and will
subscribe more. No people in West
Tennessee feel the want Of railroad con-
veniences more keenly than our good
fellow-citizens between the crossing point
on Wolf river and Baskerville. They
have been taxed, and taxed, and taxed,
TO build railroads for other parts of the
county and to increagc The value of
everybodys' land and marketable pro-
ductions except their own. As "a matter
of justice they might ask the privilege
of being taxed to build q cheap narrow
gauge through their farms to give them
access to the market they have done so
much to build up and sustain.
The great trade Of the Tennessee river
which goes directly to st. Louis, Evans
vile and Louisville. belongs Of right to
Memphis, though not dollar Of it comes
here now; nor will it, until the smoke of
our narrow gauge locomotives is seen on
the bluffs at Savannah or Clifton, where
a rich reward awaits our wholesale mer-
chants. and where the limestone blocks
will vet be qnarried to bridge the Missis-
sippi river. This may sound visionary
to those who have not kept pace with
the progress of the times, out il is all
practicable and may be realized in very
few years. Asto the railroad, we scarce
Iy count years at all in predicting its
completion to the quarries and iron beds
Just beyond the Tennessee. The engin-
eering party is already in the field, and
II is believed that contracts will be let
out early in the spring, and it is not i'm.
possible for the work to be pushed so
that the next cotton crop can be brought
in from Madison, Hardeman and Fay
cite counties over the Memphis and
Knoxville railroad. To this end, and
that our people may become acquainted
with the many advantages Of cheap
through line 10 Middle aHd East Iennes
see We have written and viii hereafter
present facts and figures in regard 70 the