Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-11-09

WHAT is fO bEOOMG VI M1Mfh4SfI
30 This question is oitenand anxiousB i
asked by returned refugees and by |
thoughtful friends of the city who do
not live here. This is really serious
question, and one we do not undertake
. to answer at once. The business sea-
g son has been shortened over two
months. We have lost four thousand
people by death and others would go
away if they could realize half-pricel
8 for their property. But real estate
has only nominal value now, the
well-to-do classes have as much as
"a they can carry, and outsiders cannot /
be expected to make Investments
here soon. The legislature may
do something to enable the city
t. stand off the bonded debt and
the mandamusses, but if the entire
debt were wiped out, we would still be !
surrouded by difficulties. We must
not expect too much from the State or
National legislation. The people must
.I .,t
unite and help themselves, and we still
urge that sanitary mass-meeting be
called at an early day to consider what
should be done to promote public
70 safety and prosperity. Memphis is not
ruined by any means, nor has period
of decadenco set in Cotton grows
all around us as well as ever, and the
population within the radius of
Memphis trade is becoming more
'7 dense every year. No place
in the South has ever been
destroyed by epidemics. Take New
Orleans for instance, which has suf-
fered oftener and more heavily than
any place in the country. In the
year 1920 the population of New Or
leans numbered $1,000 souls. During
the years 1919, 1922 and 1929 the city
suffered terribly from visits of the
yellow scourgo, yet in 1880 the popu-
lation had increased to 46,3l0- In
u 1881 1885 and 1887 there were cpl
'" denies, yet during that decade the
growth of the city was most wonderful
thepopulation in 1910 reaching lO3, 1913
Again in 1871, 1873 and 1871 ther,
were opidemics, but still the census o
1850 showed a population of ll6,375
1852 was the terrible epidemic year
< X 1853 was another epidemic year, bu
the census of 1860 foots up a pop
ulation of 16S,475. In 1861 ther
was another epidemic, and the censu
of1S7O shows still further increase
M 191,4 ,418. From the little colony c
Bienville, of fifty souls in IT'S, Ne
Orleans has thus gradually expahde
its borders far out into the crswhil
impcnetrable swamp and along tll
shores Of the Mississippi, from tn
plains of Chalmette to the upper Lin
of Carrolton, has now a population {
225,OOO, and but for far more direfI
calamities than pestilencc the censl
would show still more largely il
creased population Our own histo
is but counterpart Of that Of Ne
Orleans. We have been liable to eI
denies for more than generation, al
vet have steadily increased in veal
and population The last sad bio
however, will be felt for a long
time than usual, unless we unite
measures that will place the city in
sound sanitary condition. We ha
great faith in the vitality and elastic
of Memphis, but to recover speed
from our misfortunes every citiz
should be willing to sacrifice somethil
and to unite in a common effort
the common good 1t is cheaper
sewer and clean up the city than
runeveryyear. Therewere, at the le
count, 25,O00 refugees from Mempl
and their expenses could not have be
less than 81 per day each, to
nothing of loss of property and bu
ness at home. This amounts to s.
600 per day, or 81 800, ,0OOin two mon
spent by the Memphis refugees. 4
sum would sewer the city and plac
tunnel from end to end Of the bay
From this time on we must exhi
pluck and enterprise enough to 81
the world that we know Memphis
worth saving. Then we will attl
capital and emigration. But We NJ
look within for help frst-it will &C
to us afterward from the outside.
$40 -----------------------
THERE was one very exemplary !