Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-03-06
RAILROADS AND STEAMBOATS,
What we can Cain by Establishing New
Lines on River and Land.
A Line Of Packets 10 ChicOt Wanted tO
Connect with Railroads.

Connect with Railroads.
EDITORS APPEAL-We live in a fast
age. Cities, like individuals, that fail
to Keep up with the spirit of the times
must take a back seat. Small showers
OF rain never make big rivers; the rain
must fall over a large scope Of country to
make large streams of water. So with
cities; q local trade never makes large
cies. They must extend their trade over
8 large territory to build up and sustain
q large population. One hundred thou
sand people cannot live on the local
trade surrounding any city. The cities
that get the trade Of the largest scope OF
country viii grow fastest ia wealth and
population. Hence, in this fast age the
cities that fail 10 invite trade by extend
ing their railroad and steamboat lines
into every section of country within
their reach, viii fail 10 be cities of any
importance. Railroads and steamboat
lines have become as essential to the
MATERIAL PROSPERITY
Of a country and city rs the rains that
fall upon our fertile soil is to vegetation.
All that think railroads of little impOr-
tance toward building up the countries
and towns through which they pass, ]
invite them to look at the census Of In
diana for the last twenty years. That
shows that every county in the State
penetrated by railroads has increased IN
population and wealth, and every cOun-
" without railroads has decreased.
Why is this sO2 Because capital and
enterprise viii not stay with dead
community. BY fostering steamboat
a.
her pr6 sent large trade, and that trade is
fast building up a large and wealthy
city, but il cost st. Louis something in
thought, enterprise and money to- con-
Jentrate her present trade TO that point;
but she is now receiving all her outlay
back, with teDfold interest in the in
crease Of her trade, population and the
increased value Of her real estate. Take
from st. Louis her railroads. steamboat
lines, and where would she have q trade
10 support her present population? Pro-
pose TO St. Louis any steamboat OF rail-
road line 10 bring in a new trade, and
they move as q man to increase their
business; they don't wait, like Memphis,
Tor delegations 10 come from the gold
fields Of Arkansas TO wake them up out
Of a sleepy stupor 10 inform them that
their people wish to trade with them.
No, the
ESTERPRIsING PEOPLE
Of 81. Louis see the rich tradeof Arkan-
sa-, and are reaching for it. Let the
same delegation that waited on US to
know if We wanted to secure the White
river trade 20 TO st. Louis, and their
chamber ofcommerce viii not hold the
merchants and business men that will
flock 10 meet them. The delegation
from White river informed US that since
s.. Louis has tapped that valley with
lcr railroads that Memphis would lose
that trade unless we brought
that trade in closer connection with us
hy building a few miles of railroad from
Forrest City 10 White river. A meet
ing Of our citizens was called to con-
slider the question. Did the business
men and pr0peTty-holders of Memphis
attend that meeting? They have ten.
told more interest in securing the Ar
kansas trade than the people OF that
State has IN trading at Memphis. Let
tIe report Of that meeting, published in
tie APPEAL, answer the question. Not
ore OF the large property-holders, but
flw Of our largest merchants, and not
one of our bankers, attended that meet
ing. When they see placards on the
doors Of half Of our business houses and
dwellings "rO Let" and no one TO
take; when they see the dog-fennel
growing i'm our streets, for want of peO-
pie TO tramp it down, then, aud not till
then, will
THE PEOPLE OF MEMPHIS
see the importance Of building railroads
and steamboats,; Of extending our trade
into every section of country within our
reach; but when we ask our merchants
and property holders 20 take stock in
line Of boats to connect Memphis with
the two railroads now building from
Chicot City, through the richest section
OF the south, that viii at no distant day
bring to Chicot an immense amount OF
cotton and open up a vast country; or
when we ask the people Of Memphis to
build a railroad that viii connect Mem
phis with the network of railroads OF
the mighty west and Texas, and 10 Sc
cure new trade 10 Memphis, We are told
money is too scarce TO
BUILD RAILROADS
and steamboats,; but II we lose our trade
for the want OF more lines will il not
make mOuey scarcer with Us, aud will
not we lose cur citizens for want of
bu.iuess2 But is money scarce? To
dlA-H f-A AalA- q lAE1llUl IL II UAllN kAEEC1cAAN
to compare present rices with former
year.. The price Of the products OF a
country is always governed by the
amount Of money in circulation. Take
the price current from 1927 to 1892 and
compare them with the prices for the
last five years, and we will find from
1S-7 10 1852 cotton ranged from
five ID seven cents, sugar from three
TO five cents. Prices ia the west: Wheat
thirty 10 iifty cents per bushel, corn ten
10 twelve cents per bushel, hogs one
dollar and fifty cents to two dollars per
one hundred pounds, potatoes eight to
ten cents per bushel, cows four to seven
dollars, horses from thirty 10 forty dol
lars, chickens fifty cents to one dollar
per dozen, eggs three cents per dozen,
butter six TO eight cents per pound.
Compare the above prices with the pri-
c. for
TIE LAST FIVE YEARS,
aud YOU win see if money is scarce
to-day. It has been much scarceN and
Yet in those days of low prices the pee
PIE lived, supported and educated large
families of children, bought land Of the
government at two dollars and twenty
five cents in silver per acre. cleared
] rge farms, made roads, built towns,
aud improved the country, and the peo-
pie steadily increased in wealth. We
did not hear so much cry of hard times
81 we hear to-day; but is money so
scarce that we are compelled 10 let
Memphis so down and lose all her
local advantage that she possesses over /
other cities, OF is il for the want of en-
terprise aud energy In her citizens to
open up the resources of the country
and secure her present trade, and reach
out for more. 4. Il. WRIGHT.