Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-08-13
THE CUSTOM.HOUsE.
The frefghttng Company Charter
the Only Obstacle tn the Way-A
Few Facts Concerning the TrOu-

Ine f~reIE1ttng Company Charter
tue Only Obstacle tn the Way-A
bles.
Some ten years ago a corporation
known as the Memphis Freighting Com
pany was created by an act Of the Legis-
lature authorizing the company to erect
sheds and store products on the bluff
and to occupy the landing with tram
railways for the purpose of unloading
boats and transferring freights from the
boats to the top Of the bluff. The char
ter members had obtained a good thing,
a claim upon the city's title to the bluff
and landing, which claim could be used
many ways. The incorporators, among
whom were several newspaper editors,
organized, but no money was paid in
and no effort has ever been made to put
up the necessary works or engage in the
grand enterprise. The F~reighting Com
pany first applied to the General Coun-
Gil for the privilege of the levee and
bluffs to erect their works, but the city
government wisely refused such permits
sion. and then the charter above men
toned was engineered through the Leg
islature.
Some lew years back an effort was
made to erect the Memphis and St. Louis
elevator, but the mythical and invisible
Freighting Company put in an appear
ance in court and the Chancery
Court decided against the Freighting
Company. This cause is now pending in
the Supreme Court and will probably be
reached this fall. After this the Freight
ing Company relapsed into the invisible
world, waiting, like Micawber, for some
thing to turn up" The cus~tom-house
project turned up, and the city wisely do.
mated the bluff at the foot of Madison
street as a site to the general government.
The Freighting Company appeared again
and announced that they held a. claim
on the bluf-an exclusive right to its
possession. This caused a sensation, as
everybody thought the company had
gone the way Of many other curious cor
porate bodies and he'd fallen back in its
original n%othingness. The United States
authorities were not willing to invest a
million Of dollars upon a custom-house
when a cloud seemed to be over the land
in the shape of this claim of the Freight
ing Company. Committees from the Gen
eral Council, Chamber of Commeree, etc.
were organized to confer with the repre-.
sentatives of this wonderful company
whose works appeared only on paper.
The Chamber Of Commerce Committee,
composed Of Messrs. Estes, Nicely and
Hill, met Messrs. 7. W. Brown and D.
X. McRae, the attorneys Of the com.
pany (Mr. Brown, we understand, being
also n Of the members of the com.
pany.) The latter gentlemen desired
that all proceedings should be in writing,
and the committee sent a note asking 9
release of the so called claim to thai
portion Of the bluff at the foot of Madi
SON street, 30 that a great public enter
prise could be commenced by the gen.
eral government. The attorneys re
fused their consent, but stated that they
would entertain a business PROPOSE
ton, which the committee understood
to mean an offer Of money TO ~relinquisl
the claim. This a refused, and so the
matter stands. The most eminent law.
yers in the city, as well as Attorney
General Heiske,l, are Of opinion thai
the Freighting Company has not 9
shadow Of title or claim to the bluff OF
landing, and they feel certain that the
Supreme Court will SO decide tins fall.
But just here the hitch comes in, because
if work is not commenced on the custom.
house by the LIST OF October the appro.
priation will revert back to the United
States Treasury Department, and the
great enterprise, which would be of I'm.
told value to Memphis, will fall to the
ground. Several members of the
Freighting Company, General VIM. ].
Smith, Colonel j. NJ. Heating, of the
Appeal, ETC., have signifed their willing
ness to give up any legal rights they
may have to the use Of the bluff, but
other members of the company are moi
so willing unless remuneration is ten
dered, The question now is, What will
be done in the premises2
Wanted.