Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-10-03
SOUTHWESTERN PACIFIC.
Address 30 the People of the Unite
States in Regard 10 It's COnSiruc-
tion-An Appeal for Unity.
The Cooperation OF All the Souther
and Western States inyitcd-AdYan.
tageS Of the Route Ably and
Clearly Set Forth.

The following circular, which ,eache,
US some days sgD by the ~. Louis pa
1 pefs, has been crowded cut by the press
ure upon our columns, for which we ar
/ under every. day obligations 20 The n1er
. chants ana business men Of Memphis
! But "Detter late than never" We pub
! lish II with pleasure as another added {,
| the many fOrcible contributions givey
to the press touching the necessity 10
the early and speedy construction uf th.
/ SeUthwG stern Pacific.
To the People OF the United States:
The executive committee appointed
by mas meeting of the citizens OF St
Louis, 10 make @rrar genlents for csIlil 9
Nationasconvention 70 consider the
subject of TIE construction Cf a Pacific
railroad through the = a.es and Teri.
tories Of the southwest, and 70 take such
action in lis favor a. might seem fit,
hereby aunOuuCs that such a convention
" IL be held in St Louis Oh .he twenty
third OF November next; and we fJr.
mally and cordially invite the people OF
the several states ard Territories,
through their governor. and boards OF
trade, cham beTs OF cOmme'cs, cotton
exchanges, and other com nercial or
municipal Organizations, whose action
can te conveniently had, to appoint del.
egstes TO attend ana participate in its
proceedings. It is made National con-
ventiou, because the enterprise is thor
oughly national in its scope and ibfIu-
ence. While il will be Of vital import
ance TO vast region Of rich territory,
three times as large as the thirteen orig
inal State of this Republic, and nOW
almost destitute OF railroad facilities, the
completion of such a work will Weld
great benefits 10 every section OF the
country. The proposed railroad wil
have at least seven eastern terminal
points on the Mississippi or the gulf
these Tsidisting branches meeting at
some convenient PoiEt in western Tex
as, and thence constituting one grand
trunk line TO tie Pacific ocean. The
States OF Texas. Louisiana, Arkansas, =,
California and Missouri; also Mississip-
pi, Tennessee, Kentucky and Illinois,
with the Territories of New Mexico.
Arizons, and the Indian Territory, anal
the northern States of Old Mexico will
be directly on the main lire or its
branches. The road may be considered
as completed 10 Fort Worth in north
western Texas, u which point the exer-|
tiehs Of the company will carry il dur-
ing the coming year; from this point tOI
San Diego on the Pacific coast. a dis-|
!auce Of fourteen hundred and fifty1
seven miles, the work is beyond LheI
reach OF individual enterprise. Some ofi
the immediate and legitimate results of
the Inauguration and vigorous prosecu i
ton Of thls work may be briefly stated
a. follows: 1t will bring many mill
liOns Of foreign capital into the country,
TO be distributed among iron masters,
contractors and lab0rers, thus con-
tTibuting largely to the re-
lief OF the financial PRESSURE
throughout The country. It will re. kin
die the fires, and start the machinery in
furnaces and .OnndTies east and west,
giving profitable employment to an
army OF Idle men, either in the con-
stIu ;tiOn Of the WORK, or in The prepaTa-
tion OF the material. 1t will aid in the
rapid deve lDpment Of many millions OF
acres of good farming land in Texas,
the Indian Territory, New Mexico and
Arizona, and in the successful working
OF the rich silver, gold and copper mines
Of the two lsst-nameG Territories, aud
of the northern States OF Old Mexico
II will bring into those regions a multi
tude of industrious emigrauts ffOm the
older States, aud from Europe, to build
up mining towns, and transform wild
waste il 10 productive farms. 1t will do
much toward the solution Of the Indian
question, by reason OF the more rapid
advance OF the great army Of civiliZa
ton, which it will inevitably secure,
thus saving 10 the government millions
annually IN the single item of border
prOie ;tion. Ii was estimated by COM
mittee OF the last congress that it costs
the government annually ten million
dollars 10 maintain an available force
sufficient 10 protect the lives and prop
eTiy Of the white inhabitants OF the
country lrsversed by this line OF road,
1t will save the government in the
diminished cost OF porting military
stores, Indian supplies and the mails,
more annually than the interest on the
bonds proposed TO be issued foT the con-
struction OF the road. 1t will carry the
indust -ies OF civilization into the north
ern States OF Mexico, O country contain
ing nearly ten millions Of people. and
secure to US an immense trade that is
now being diverted into other snd
foreign markets. It will secure to us a
highway from the Mississippi to the
Pacific ocean, OH the shortest, best and
most economical Ioute-a line free from
the obstIuctions OF high mountains,
deep SHOWS, and the annual floods which
beset the present route. 1t will aid
largely TO secure cheap transports ton
by creating healthy competition with
the only other line OF trans continental
railway. II will bring increased Ieve-
nue 10 the government by substituting
industrious, productive communities IN
the place OF savage hoTdes, now q sCurcef
of enormous expense and perpetual an
noysnce. II will rOsurrecJ and Tehabi-E
tate The south by pouring through thsl
fertile but distracted region OF our coun
try Perpetual tide OF the worlds COM
meTce, yitsiiZing its railroad syste1AN
and rsviving its P8raly5ed indus; lies.
will bring more immediate, sci itantis
and permant Mt benefi S To the west and
south than any enterprise that has yet
been iDsuguTated. This rich teTrit Dry,
covering nearly one million OF squared
miles, which has been practically ig-I
nored in the legislation OF congress,
while il is entitled, equally with any
other section, to such f4yors Rs the gov
eminent may legiJimately bestow, will
add by its prosperity 10 the wealth and
glCTy Of the whole country. The Union
and Central Pacific roads have received
dOnsticns Of money and
lads, and now have the monopoly
Of the transportation to and from the
Pacifi coast. The southwest must have
3 road to cCulteract this influ-
Rnce, and give accommodations TO
the people OF the whole country
by the competition which ito con-
.tWctiOp will produce. What Is asked
from the government to cOnsummate
this great national enterprise? Not
money, not subsidies, not loans or lands.
The companies having this enterprise ia
charge, simply ask for a guaranty Of
five per cent interest on construction
BONDS, a. Il Cl5r 20 indemnify the gov
for iGs inGOTsement by first
lien on all their property, 10y the sur-
render Of ten million acres OF land a.
ready srlsd, and the transportation OF
The mails, troops and suppliss; also, by
depOsiling in the United states treasury
i've thousand dollars in bonds for each
mile OF road, to be sold by the govern
ment, if necessary, to meet any possible
De hciency during the period OF con-
stTuCtiIg the road. Ia view OF the fsCts
We have mentioned, and the Importance
OF this movement 10 the people Of this
whole country, We earnest invite your
We hope that delegates
may be seng from every psrt Of the
country, in order that the will Of the
people may be ssceTtained, and such eX-
preston given 10 their wishes as will in
sure their being carried out by their
representatives, at Washington.
James II. Britton, Mayor OF 81. Louis; d. p.
rowland, President Merchants Exchange
asasc N Mason, President Board OF
lIadei Isaac Il. Sturgeon :. Il. LaHln,
SliHs Bent, Web. n. Samuel, Henry over
evoIzs OhNer Garrison, Charles Speck. r. y.
stSasru, Edwln Harrison, Charles p. Chou
tea3, Giles r. Filley, John b. Maude, James
JAS. o. BROADHEAD,
CHAIRMAN Executive Comm itJec.
J. L. TRACY, Secretary.
Peter Strage, while trying to shoot off
q pistol he found in his sons pocket, in
Faribault, Michigan, yesterday, snapped
il two or three times, aud, thinking il
was not loaded, he plsyiuliy pointed it