Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-09-13

ton appointed historians, who are gathering
up aud putting in form all the important fact
and incidents relating 10 the early settlement
Of West Tennessee IN general and of Memphis
in particular.
Having taken a bird's-eye view of this coun,
try in its wild or primitive State, and of Mem
phis in its fHfdncY, let US consider some Of the
drawbacks Memphis had 10 contend with In
It's childhood, before the railroad era, and
when teambOatS we're too scarce TO accom-
modate the commerce OF the Ohio and
Mississippi towns; when datboats were an
importantinstitution when produce had TO be
mOved when the water was Up, and could mol
come regularly TO market as II does now. For
years II was not uncommon too see nom NJ
teen hundred TO two thousand Of these water
craft laying at the landing mt a time, reach
ing out from the shore four and i've deep al
certain seasons Of the year the great supply
rule low, and sometimes the crew would be
come frightened at the reports Of yellow fe-
yer nj New Orleans and refuse to go further,
and cause the Captain or owner % sell out fOf
a song, and AXE the nrst steamer for home,
/ nave known forced sales made Of Hour al
two and a half 10 three dollars per barrel
bulk pork, two 20 three cents per pound
corn, ten to twelve cents per bushel; whisky
fourteen TO sixteen cents per gallon lard, Two
to three cents, and all other up-country pro-
duce at similar prices Memphis In that day
was much like II is now in one particulRr-it
lacked capital; but very different rom Wnal
II is now in another par~ticular-there was az
most universal confidence OF man IN man, Al
most any one could get credit up 10 tne une
they began removing 10 Texas u was
then thai my old preceptor Colonel Tltnsl de-
cided it was safer 20 trust a married man than
a single man, because his wheels were locked.
My old friend Norton viii tell you we had a
| large Indian trade, and sold them -mncn On
their promise to pay at a certain tfme-they
Indicating the time by pointing where the
moon would be when they would return, and
/ never knew one to fail 70 return at the time
indicated, and he would not trade a dime
until he paid his debts, they never disputed
accounts. Norton and Ispoke the Chlcka-
saw language nuently-end tnat Is une only
dead language we ever studied. When an In
dian finds you can speak his language you
can't get him TO speak yours.
Up to about 1872 the main current OF the
Mississippi struck the bluff about the foot OF
Jackson street. About that time the bar now
known asthe Navy Yard, and all below IT. De
gan TO form and caused a great EDDY. Inc
change Of the current Of the river caVed on
Toys Point on the Arkansas shore about hall
a mile.
member the people complained OF them. They
were not able to build wharves, grade streets
or make m We nad no puDnC
buildings, or banks, or churches. All the
courts were at Raleigh, and we h0d no police.
We usually opened stores about daylight and
| closed them at night after we had served all
the custom we could get. The town moved
along without any marked change until 1917,
when it took a fresh start and began TO put
on city airs.
Many OF you are better able than myself to
describe its strides from that date 10 the pres
ent. when It stands forth in the full yigor OF
youth, with its sixty thousand lnhaDltants,
It's eleven miles OF Nicolson pavement, Its
gas and water works, its wharves and eleva-
tors, its system of railroads and lines of
steamers, its street-caTs, public buildings and
parks, its magnificent churches and It's pub
Tic schools.
If this is Memphis in its infancy, childhood
| and youth, who can set bounds 70 IL, or pre-
dict what il will achieve long before these
boys are as Old as l am?
Should the country not be cursed with war.
pestilence or famine, will not the progressive
expansion of the American mind have alb
sorbed all OF Mexico? VIII not a bridge span
trains of Tom SCOTS Southern Pacific rail
road, and the trains Of half-dOzen other rail
way lines which Will span the continent and
| connect the Atlantic with the Pacific ocean
| all tending to place Memphis centrally upon
the great highway of nations, through which
will pass the trade and travel from China, ia
pan and the isles of the oceans? Can we doubt
that the city will contain half million Of in
habitants, when we view the valleys and
plains that surround II, competent 70 sustain
tens Of millions? Long before that time
Memphis wiilreceive a million bales of cotton
] annually and by tssystem Of manufacturing
will retain twenty-five times as much profit
ont of IL as II viii out of the half million bales
which il will receive OF the crop Of 1872.
Amongits first moves toward greatness will be
the completion, next year, of the Memphis and
Paducah road, giving US an airline TO Chlca-
] sc; then General Forests hemphis and Selma
road, giving us a short line connection with
Mobile, Pensacola and savannah, then Col
Onel POrter'SLevee railroad, which will not on
Iy place us within eight hours Of St Louis, but
will reclaim four million acres of as fine allu-
/ vial ldnuaS there Is upon the COnLlnenN-lu Lle
very lap OF Memphis-land that after twenty
years OF cultivation, will produce a bale Of
| cotton to the acre, without one dimes worth
Of fertilizers. The link connecting The Mem
phis and Little Rock railroad with Shreve-
port must be built speedily, as1t Will add fifty
per cent. to our cotton receipts, and give us all
the cattle we can make room for.
Were l possessed Of descriptive powers II
would be my delight TO portray the brilliant
future hat awaits the youth and young men
of this age and country, who have the moral
courage to form the resolution and come up to
the full statue OF a man and ignore all diss1pa-
ton. ! would specially guard them against
all gambling and drunkenness, that they
might avoid the lesser vices which follow in
their train. l would stimulate them by i'm
pressing upon their minds the inevitable
fact that by due course OF nature, all offices
and places OF honor or profit must soon be
vacated, and must ultimately be filled from
the ranks of tie youth and young men Of to-
day.
Avarice 1 consider the besetting sin of this
age. Men In their "haste to be richn would
thy face shalt thou eat bread until thou re-
turnest to the ground; - a wise provision.
Every one should have some employment, for
their own good and for the good Of others. No
one can be 50 rich or so poor that their facul-
ties will not require exercise; but the aYaTt-
ciOus man "cOvets his neighOrh goods"
and to obtain them will resort to means
not authorized by any known law, and in
direct opposition TO the laws Of God and man.
BE forms his ring-corners, ~rafies, lotteries,
remiu distributions, chances, gift enter
prises, and every sugar-coated title to keep
from calling II gambling. / am sorry to say
1t; but this vice has invaded The temple of the
Most High. Men and women, occupying posi-
tons in Church and state which entitle them
to the confidence Of the people, SO far forget
their high calling and great responsibility as
to sanction the violation OF law and morals
upon the paltry plea that il is for the
church." Dangerous teaching, that. would
simply ask them and you, what is your prop
erty, your liberty or your life worth without
the protection of laws2 and how can you ex-
pect the law TO protect you unless you protect
II and hold up the II OF the officers OF the.
We may have bad officers and bad laws, but
that is our fault. In a republican government
like this, where the people have the say, the
people are to blame II the officers are not eff
Gent and the laws wholesome. Send men OF
brains, principle and experience TO Congress
and TO the Legislature, and they will change,
alter or amend, OF, If needs be, VIII abolish
the present laws and pass better ones, such as
honest men of common sense can understand.
To accomplish this end you must not suffer
yourselves TO become absorbed in business
and m-oney-making as to neglect the ballot
box and leave il 10 the rabble TO manipulate
your primary elections and do the voting for
you. l am not without hope that such an
era is in the near future.
lam not Of those who believe the world is
growing worse. 1 believe IL is growing better.
One hopeful sign is, Reform is now the watch
word OF This, II not Of all civilized govern
ments, not merely for the sake OF change, but
for Improvement. knowledge is being in
creased, light is being disseminated, science
is being appreciated, and we are living In the
constant enjoyment of the blessings 1t diff
fuses.
Education is the element we have to look TO
for success in reform, and our present system
OF education needs reforming. But l must
say that in my day there has been no greater
improvement in anything than there has
been In the system Of education and In the
books used.
Why, forty years ago the English Reader
was placed in my hands as the first reader in
schools OF that day, a book which to-day re-
Quires the talent or our best theologians TO
com Urphpnd | committed Tn mamOrV whole
pages without understanding the meaning of
a single sentence. We now have teachers ed
ed to all capacities, and as 'f the youthful
mind can comprehend, and can mark progress
as he ascends the NIL OF science, study be-
comes a pleasure; and / predict that II due
caution is exercised in the making and seleo-
ton of books, IL will not be long before the old
beastly practice Of beating an education into
a boy Will haYe entirely passed away, and you
viii hear no more OF compulsory education.
But, friends, 1 promised not TO detaip you.
While We are here to feast and rejoice with
those who rejoice, we are commanded TO weep
with those who weep; and when l call over
the names Of the members Of the association,
and other good eltizeaso Of Shelby county, who,
since our last annUal nesting, have been
called to their final account, you Will say we
have cause for sadness.
NAAlEsO OF DECEASED.
John S. Clayton, S. W. jefferson,
Davis Cockreli, Fletcher Tallsy,
r. Smith, John B. Bowen,
Taylor, senior, DR.. Taylor, Junior,
Mrs. Sue Ross Taylor, DR.. VIM. r, Chandler, |
DR.. McGinnis, i. +. Boon,
John Leslie, Wm. II, Hunt
Black, Stith NJ. Nelson,
Joseph II. Mosby, ]. b.. Sharpe,
i. Y. Rocket, George Granger,
John Bullock, Colonel Dawson,
J. NJ. Corwtne, Il, NJ. Anderson,
George GOlliday, William Kehoe,
r. Frayser, JOhn H. Bills,
A. ]. Edmondson.
Is this not q fearful thinning of the ranks Of
old citizens? If you win attempt TO call over
in your mind such a list Of names among the
living, you will, with me, conclude that often
the best fruit falls first. Many Of these names
deserve special mention but we will not par
ticularize, as 1t Is said, "the memory Of the |
Just shall not perish !" and as il III q trait of he
Folks, worthy Of imitation, that when @
man dies who has faults, they bury them with
him.
Now, let US all resolve so to live that our
may not perish, and give evidence,
,uhflE Wa live that VUa halfaya that rfghfaoua- /