Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-06-05
SPEECH oF MIR. H. NJ. FOX.


SPEECH OF MR.. II. NJ. POLK,
Mr.. Polk, of Hardeman, said S50,-
coo bad been subscribed in his county,
and the road had been graded to Hen
derson Station with the exception OF
two miles,, a distance of twenty-five
miles. or the $50, 600 subscribed, SO 600
had been reserved to be expended in
building the road west from Bolivar.
That the subscription in Henderson
county and in that portion of Madison
county in which Henderson Station is
situated, could be increased sufficiently
to build the Toadbed and cr0ss-tie the
same across Henderson county, and with
the promised subscription of SRltillo, but
little more money wRs required TO carry
the road to the Tennessee river. With
this completion, but a few miles more
beyond the river interyened between
Memphis and the rich minerals of
Wayne and Lawrence, and these would
pour untold wealth into the lap OF Mem
phis, and make her one OF the wealthiest
cities in the south. The quality of the
iron was the very best, and was carried
by costly transportation even as far as
Pittsburg, for the purpose of mixing it
with the Pennsylvania iron to make il
tougher aud more malleable. With the
Memphis and Knoxville road built, this
iron could be put down in this city
for IS per ton, transportation, whereas
iron delivered in st. Louis cost $40 per
ton; in Cincinnati, Sl2; and in Pitts
burg, Sl4 per ton. The future OF Mem
phis depended altogether upon whether
she can, or will become manufacturing
center. In his opinion, no city that de-
pended upon simple commerce could be
considered as having a safe and reliable
basis of prolonged prosperity. History
taught a very different conclusion.
Where are now the great cities OF
Western Asia, aud AT a later period, of
Eastern Europe, that flOurishei and
grew into greatness from the possession,
at different peTio IS of time, of the rich
commerce of the east? In each case
with It's loss and departure, prosperity
departed; the tramp Of busy men DO
longer resOunded upon their once crowd
ed thoroughfares; desolation, decay, aud
finally the silence Of death brooded over
them-and Sic transit gloria" in
scribed by the finger OF ineXOrable
'Timen upon their ruins. Does Mem
phis fiatter herself that she will escape
The fate common to cities relying solely
on commerce arising outside OF them
selves, and Of which they only receive
the profits OF handling whilst IN
fransifu? Are we told that the great
city Of New York owes her greatness
to commerce alone OF this character
She is to-day greatly more indebted for
her substantial prosperity TO her manu-
factuTe5, which, although not seen in
large aud overgrown establishments,
vet in the aggregate is immense. What
makes Philadelphia more substantially
prosperous than even New York city?
Does she quake and tremble in auy sup
posed or real Commercial crisis, as do
her sister cities? Let Memphis build
upon the same rock; let her not fiatter
ht rself that the Mississippi river, a great
inland sea, though 1t be, is her rock of
salvation. Venice and Genoa are upon
the great sea navigated By ships, the
great carriers Of commerce; snd where
now are their former grandeur
and material prosperity? Does
Memphis expect TO successfully
compete with her own neighbor,
st. Louis, in bidding for the trade
Of the Mississippi valley? St. Louis
has already thrown her strong and far
reaching arms almost entirely around
her. and even reaches down through
the great river which passes your very
and Texas. New Orleans cuts off the
trade Of the country naturally your OVID
within seventy-five miles Of you. And
the small city OF Mobile claims as her
own much of the trade which should
belong to Memphis from the region
laying east Of the Mississippi
Central railroad, and within one
hundred miles of this place. Mem
phis must become a manufacturing Sity
or she has reached the zenith of her
prosperity. She viii in that event dread
no connection, and the commerce and
trade she now enjoys viii ever be re-
tanned and fixed, by her increasingly power
Go control il, and added 10 by the COM
merce resulting from her own manufac-
turing. She has a great and almost vital
Interest in building the Memphis and
Knoxville railroad. This will not only
restore TO her the trade naturally belong
ing 70 her, and now diverted from her,
but will afford all the facility needed TO
become q manufacturing center. The
cheapest and best of iron ore, marble,
limestone, freestone soft enough TO be
sawed or cut with an ak when taken
from the quarry, and that readily in
durates by exposure 10 the sun; hydraulic
limestone, finest OF pine lumber, cedar
almost yying with famed cedaES of Le-
banon; and from the great agricultural
basin OF Middle Tennessee; cheap pork,
cheap beef, wheat and corn, upon which
she can chesply subsist her mRnniactur-
lug operatives; as well as cheap coal /
the products of the eOal-beds OF her own /
State. And instead Of building up the /
material interests las she has hereto |
fore done, with one solitary eXception), 4
Il Nrfs a
her own borders, by her aid TO /
railroads built in other States, !
LET her contribute literally 10 this |
cheap road. that will do more for her
and her State than all the roads now
eentering at this point. The Memphis
aud Knoxville road will run for three
hundred and fifty-fiYe miles almost Gen.
trally through the State, and at the low
estimate OF three dollars value con-
ferTed by building the road upon all
lands laying within six miles OF the
road, upon each side; the real estate OF
citizens will be increased immensely.
There are 1850 acres to each llneal mile,
within six miles OF the road. At ins
creased value Of SO per acre, would give
for 355 the amount OF SS,l79, 300 con-
ferred upon the wealth OF the State.
If the same amount of revenue con.
tinues to be required to be raised by
the State, the building OF the road
by enhancing the property Of the
landowner would lessen the State
tax OF Memphis TO a considerable ex-
tent annually, and In ten years this
would be no uncomfortable item. he
believed In the construction of trunk
lines OF narrow-gauge roads in the
State. Cheap roads could alone de-
yelope the resources Of a people 80
sparselv settled as In this State. He