Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-04-19

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Reekly-Postage free, 81
THE SOUTHWESTERN TRADE-A RAIL
ROAD WAR IN WHICH MEMPHIS is
VITALITY INTERESTED.
The st. Louis Globe Democrat,
in a recent issue, admits hat the
only road really tributary to St.
Louis is the Iron Mountain rail
road that st. Louis has not one
fifth of the trade with the south
eastern States she had five years ago,
and is effectually cut of in other
directions. 1t is claimed that this
road carried to st. Louis last year.
$50, 900 bales of cotton from Ar
kansas and Texas, and carried back
dry goods, groceries and other ar
ticles of equal value. In the course
of the article the Globe Democrat
makes this startling statement
startling when we consider the
source:
The pertinenoy Of this branch Of the
subject to the contest now going on for
the control of the great Southern feeder
to St. Louis may readily be seen when it
is remembered that should the control o.
the road pass out OF St. Louis, there will
no doubt, be an organized aud exceed.
iugly strong effort made to have the
trade which now comes to this city taken
across from Little Rock direct TO Louis
vile, and thence East, without giving
St. Louis merchants so much as . smell
Of it. The practicability Of this is read
ily seen By any one who will glance at a
railroad map Of the United States, and
see how much nearer it is from Little
Rock to the manufacturing regions CT
New York and New England by way Of
Louisville than by way Of ST. Louis. No
one al blame the managers OF the Lou
isvill0 road for undertaking to cut us
out OF our trade; it is their interest TO
get all they cao, and to keep all they get
The cause of this cutlery and ap-
peal is a move in the courts by the
holders of the frst-mortgage bonds
to foreclose the road and place its
management in New York, where
there would be no motive for dis.
eliminating in favor Of st. Louis
and carrying trade one hundred
and fifty miles out of its natural
channel. The Iron Mountain road
has Disseminated Sayagely against
all lines and all points not tributa-
ry to St. Louis, and the people Of
that city stand in dread Of a terri
BILE retribution. An enormous
tariff on cotton that would come to
Little Rock and Memphis forces ii
to st. Louis, and people are sure
to buy goods where they sell cotton.
Memphis can do well between here
aud Little Rock, and from that city
to Fort Smith, a total distance of
30l miles, but southwest Of Little
|
Rock cannot touch a bale Of cotton
or sell a bill Of goods to be carried
by rail. The freight tariffs posi-.
lively forbid it. Blu the arrogant
monopoly has got into trouble, and
st. Louis is terribly exercised. The
Barings are about to sell it out. An
effort will probably be made in st.
Louis to relieve the road of it. diff
fculties. The Courier Journal,
abiding to the subject, says:
The officers Of the Louisville and
Nashville railroad have endeavored for
the past year to obtain from the Iron
Mountain people an equitable arrange
nent that would secure to our road a
portion, at least, Of what rightiully be
longs to it. All their efforts, however
have proved unayailing, the Iron Noun
tain people invariably ignoring all ad.
vances looking to an accommodation in
this matter, aud the alternative has been
presented the Louisville and Nashville,
the Memphis and Charleston and Mem.
phis and Little Rock, in common with
four thousand miles OF other road east oil
the Mississippi, to quietly retire from the
contest to obtain a traffic Justly their
due, or build a parallel road through
Arkansas and Texas to the system oil
roads IN the latter State. and this will
eventually be done, unless the Iron
Mountain people are forced to retire
from the position they have taken BIZ
other means.
To quietly retire from the contest
would end IN a result very preiudicial toll
the interests Of Cincinnati, Louisville.
Nashville aud other cities, as il would
also be to those of the people Of North.
ern Texas. A large proportion of the
latter emigrsted from the States east of
the Mississippi, and are allied with us in
social relations, aud, all other things be.
ing equal, they would prefer to trade
with their former friends and neighbors
and it is grossly unjust to compel them
to seek their markets by an unnatural
route, aud subject them to the conse.
quent pecuniary disadvantages.
Memphis being the second cotton
market Of the South and really en-
titled to al least one hundred thou
sand bales of cotton from Northern
Texas every year, instead Of seeing
81 Nm .