Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-03-14

10y nO means perfect, An impression
has prevailed that the large debt OF
Memphis aud Shelby c0untyWss caused
by
RAILROADS.
This is great mistake. The whole
amount subscribed by Memphis to rail-
roads is as follows:
To Memphis and Charleston r. .....-.S5o0, 90
10 Memphis and Little Rock X. H.. S5l,et
To Mississippi anu leuneNsee H. i-'----' wv
rotaI............. ...... .........sl, ,lo0oe
The city did not have 10 pay anything
on the Memphis and Charleston sub
serintiOn, leaving suhseriptinn the city
had to nav of six hundred thousand dol
lars. The amount of subscription 10y
Shelby county, to railroads was as fol-
lows:
To Memphis and ohio r. 7; go. .uiO
To MenrhiS and Selma lt. h. 9stl-irF
TO Memphis and Padecah Ii. R.--.-----.-- 'E.ooe
Toial-----.....-...... .....sl,leO.coo
or this amount only 500, ,O0O has been
l,aid 10 the memphis and Selma road,
making only SsQ0,0O0 paid up to this
present time, or bonds issued for il.
Two OF these roads, the Memphis and
selma, and the Memphis and Paducah,
are
NOT YET COMPLETED.
When they are, the business Of Mem
phis wiz be greatly increased, and there
will be a large addition to the value of
property in the city and county. / have
given the expenditures for railroads;
now let US see what have been the prof
its. In 1880 Memphis subscribed $780,
600 10 the Memphis and Charleston.
At that time she had a population of
52S2, and her whole taxable property,
including slaves, amounted TO s. ,000,-
900. The population now is fifty thou
sand, and her taxable property is valued
al So. 5s2. 3l5. The value of land in
Shelby county isfIS56 was s., 1875, ,766 I;
in 1850 il was mueh less. Now the value
Of land in Shelby county,
OUTSIDE or MEMPHIS,
is S10, 993, 4S5, or q gain Of nearS s., ,00O, Geo
over what II was in 1856. When the
Memphis and Paducah, and Memphis
and Selma roads are completed, il will
lie much greater than II now is. For
Tnerly, before any railroads were built,
The value Of land was as great in Fay
ette as IN Shelby county. Now the av-
erage value OF land per acre in Shelby
county outside Of Memphis, is $50, and
in Fayette county it is 50 %. Why is
Ihise 1t is because railroads have made
a city Of Memphis, and the land of Shell
by Is so much nearer and more accessi-
lie o q good market than is the land
of FayeIte. II Memphis would get out
OF debt She must go boldly forward and
perfect her railroad system; she must
build
ROADS TO THE WEST, AND SOME TO
THE FAST
The Kansas City road, and the road TO
Texas, are an absolute necessity.
Within two years the Cairo and st.
Louis road, three feet gauge, will be
built to Brownsville, it must be ex-
tended u Memphis Unless Memphis
wishes the MeAphis and Knoxville
road 10 become a mere tributary TO the
Mississippi Central, that also must be
extended TO Memphis, IS is now the
wish Of President Neely. With these
roads completed, and with the Mem
phis and Selma, and Memphis and
Paducah roads also completed, Men,
phis may bid defiance TO competition.
CHEAP COAL.
IN order to obtain cheap coal, which
is a necessity to the city, both for do
mestic use and manufacturing purposes,
she must rely upon the Illinois coal
fields above Cairo, and upon the Ala
bama ceal-6elds, commencing within
thirty miles Of Tuscumbia, and extend
ing sixty miles in the direction Of Ely
ton. or Birmingham, Alabama. She
must Cet her Illinois coal over the Cairo
and Memphis road, or down the Missis-
sippi river. The Alabama coal may be
reached by tile Southern Security COM
pany building 2 road from Tuscumbia,
IN the direction Of Tuscaloosa or Ely
tOn. The best coal region in Alabama
lies between TuscUmbia on the north
and Tuscaloosa and Birmingham on the
south and southeast, and is in Fayette,
Walker and Jefferson counties. The
coal fields around Pittsburg are not su-
perior in quantity or quality TO those In
the counties above named. Alabama
will never be supplied with cheap ceal
until these mountains are penetrated
with naTrOw-gauge railways, and II the
Southern Security company should
build a railroad from Iuscumbia in the
direction Of Tuscaloosa or Birmingham,
or Of both places, il viii mOnOpOlize the
coal tIade of all this region and would
supply Memphis with coal at fifteen
cents per bushel. Verify an object greatly
desired. We win then hear no more Of
coal famine OF Of coal at s. and g per
barrel.
PRESS OF MEMPHIS.
One cause Of the wonderful growth
aud prosperity Of Memphis is the ener-
gy ability and life OF her newspapers.
However much they may differ about
other things, they are all united in ad
v0cating whatever will promote the
prosperily OF Memphis. They are not
Governed 10y narrow views nor do they
advocate niggardiy OF parsimOnious
policy. They well know all money eX-
PENDED for tie pBblic good in imprOv
ing fhe country adds to the wealth and
prosperity OF every man in it. The
spirit infused ny James {. Jones into
this community, still lives and is well
represented in the columns OF the press.
a few such men as he scattered
over the State would bring Tennessee
out Of her difficulties and enable her to
meet al her liabilities by developing
her resources and Increasing her wealth.
THE RALEIGH RAILROAD.
Colonel Donovan, the newly-elected
president Of the Raleigh naTrow-gauge
railroad will soon have il completed. A
fiue hotel will be built al Raleigh this
summer, and the valuable mineral
waters which are there will then be
greatly sought after Raleigh, on ac-
count Of its healthfulness and pleasant
situation. must become a fiOurishing
manufacturing suburb OF Memphis.
This road viii be extended 10 meet the
road from Cairo to Brownsville, thus
giving continuous line of narrow
gauge railroad through Cairo TO St.
Louis. There are many other things
about which / would like to write, but
viii reserve them for future letter.
In an interview with a New York
Hcro}d reporter at Washington, on
"Wednesday, President Grant is reported
as isaviog that no changes are to take
place in tue cabinet beyond that which
Mr.. Boutwell, 's resignation viii occasion.
Nevertheless, the financial policy Of the
government viii not be changed. He
hopes to see a republic in Spain well es-
tablished, and thinks that by the end Of
the year the independence OF cuba Will
be secured. No trouble Is expected win
Hayti, and the President thinks that
the SANTANA bay scheme viii result IN
the development Of that country so that
our government viii ultimately annex
il for something like ten or fifteen mil
lions Of dollars. The people Of Utah,
he says, must obey the laws. He is sat-
isfied with his Louisiana policy. The
Indian peace policy succeeds so well thst
he has the greatest faith In it. His visit
10 ST. Louis will be made at the first oI :
p1rtunitg that his business will permit.
Phebe A. IsOWfie was awarded dama-
aes 10 the amount of twenty thousand
nolIar. arain.f AndraH u. Ihamhefs III