Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-03-05
FUTURE OF MEMPHIS.
what the Brownsville Bee Thinks OF
our Prospeets-A FIaGteEInE Picture.

| While the disposition to prophesy Is 81
| prevalent among our people, VIC have
caught some OF the spirit, and wish tC
have our say about Memphis. Many are
| smszsd at the rapid growth of st. Louis
and well they may be since no other civ.
ilizatiOn than the American furnishes
| such instances Of city growth ss St, Louis
| Chicago, Cincinnati, and Othes cities. ST.
Louis, with a population according TO
the census returns of i870) of 3I3, 900, ex-
elusive of 20 $50 subuI ban residents, sf-
fords as striking example of the possibil.
tiles OF our country. A city Of some
/ thing
OVER HALF oENTURY's GROWTH
that in its giant strides has advanced from
the insigni6oant position of an obzcure
| trading post IN the wilderness, to q place
/ alongside the greatest cities Of the oonti-
nent-nsy the old capitals of Europe-is
| indeed an object OF admiration and as
| tonishment. But the object of this brief
article is to say something of our own
city of Memphis. To one who intelli-
gently observes and patiently ref fscts
Memphis holds out prospect enchanting
In the extreme. From its geographical
position, from its climate, from the pro-
ductions Of its surrounding country, from
Its completed lines of railway, from its
projected and progressing lines, from the
increasing intelligence, wealth and enter.
prise of
THE PEOPLE OF THE VAST REGION
which it is the inevitable center, from G
Thousand considerations resli2sd, Mem.
phis is destined to be city of such i'm
portance as the Imagination scarcely IS
yet dsres to pictuTel If st. Louis has
nearly completed her Etupsndous bridge
over the Mississippi, and has become con-
vinced from actual calculation that with
tn MT M nf al
gers crossing at that point, the Immense
cost of said bridge, even at half the press
ent rate of fare, will be paid In nineteen
months, how truly polite would It be in
our own future metropolis TO build
similar structure over the river at her
own port. Imagine the impulse given to
the travel, trade, msnufscture, wealth,
population and importance of Memphis
with railroad bridge over the Missis-
sippi, opening up an uninterrupted route
winter and summer through
THE GREAT SOUTHWEST TO THE PACIFIC
ooEAa.
We pause, weary in attempting an ade-
quate conception Of the future of a city
so situated and so advsntRged. We feel
convinced in our own minds that there
are developments In the near future for
Memphis and the adjacent surrounding
country that we have not yet dared por.
tray. Nor is 1t of any consequence that
the milder touches and the softer colOrs of
art have as yet go little kindled the enthu.
siasm Of her people. IL is no reprcSch to
them that so little attention has been paid
hitherto to abstract science or the hisher
walks of literature. The pioneer seeking
to establish q homo in the wilderness
would not be so given to folly as to waste
his life and labor in learning to dance, or
paint, or speak foreign tongue, while his
family were unprovided with physical
and were exposed to the dangers
incident to his situation. His energies
would be wisely exerted in q continual
with untsmed nature until safe
ty. convenience and plenty were the fruits
OF his hardy toll.
so WITH MEMPHIS.
While the great realm of her future su-
premscy Is still to q great extent unde-
veloped and non-productive, while her
and mechanical industries
are embryotic, while the grandest of her
railroad interests are yet matters OF the
future Though we think of not g distant
one), while her stupendous but indispens-
able river bridge is unbuilt, while the
grand campaign Of her great future Is
merely undergoing the process of plan |
and organization, Memphis cannot waste |
her time, money and brains on things |
that pertain to pleasure rather than to the |
benefit of our race. Let the lover of art |
90 TO the galleries Of Europe If he wants |
10 muse over the gloTies that the geniuses |
Of ancient, medieval and modern times |
have spread upon canvas, or chiseled In /
marble, or cast in bronze, The effete civ |
IlizAtions of the old world, In lettering the |
spirit of freedom crushed 10 q degree the /
Of the philsnthropist, and sub
Itituted the dreams Of ideali ~, ,psrsonife |
81
md cravings Of humanity. Thank hesvsn,
he light Of q more
GLORIOUS DAWN
5 beaning upon us. We are not stimu-
ated by wish to enslsve the nations
people and charm their servltude by the
deal creations Of genius nor the megnif-
,ence Of imperial architecture, nor the
Iolemn pomp and splendor Of hierarchical
ate. We do not 30 much crave the genius
md power OF Angelo, Csnova snd Thor
Faldsen (h0weveT glorious and desirable)
Is we do those ofBrunel, Stephenson and
Soebbling. We need not, IS yet, the
PAINTER nor the sculptor-we need the
.ivil engineer-to raise Rloft and stretch
n thin air the railway bridge with its
Millions of tons of iron plates, pinned
With their countless bolts and holding as
as the grasp Of death, and as un-
under The heaviest strain as the
purpose of omnipotence, We need the
miner and the metsllurgist to cause the
,arth to diegorgs her treasures for the
lses Of man. We need the plow, the loom
nd the anvil, the engine. the furnace,
he press--yes, to turn the soil, to weave
he texture, to forge the iron, TO move the
to smslt the ore and to spread
he truth, whereby the hitherto unfor.
unate nine-tenths of aarth's childr0n
nav be
FRD, Glad. ENLIGHTENED