Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1879-03-05

The recent opening of Hatchie river to
navigation by our State legislature inspires
the APPEAL river historian to the task OF
giving a brief outline of the importance OF
that stream, from commercial STANDPOINT,
to the business men of Memphis, which may
be interesting to the majority OF our mer-
chants, very few of whom were DONG ousl-
ness here in those palmy days. In the In
cepton of the idea, we took occasion 10 Visit
a few of those who enjoyed the prosperity OF
those days, and
THE GREAT COTTON TRADE OF HATCHIE
RIVER
we found still fresh and green in memory.
Hatchie river, the recently. declared navigable
portion of it, is about four hundred miles
long, from the mouth to the town of Poca-
hontas. But before railway influence caused
the stream to be closed, it was only regarded
naviCable as high as Bolivar, about three
hundred miles from its mouth. 1t has its
source in Tippah county, Mississippi, run
ming due north, entering Hardeman county,
IN the southeast corner, changing It's course
to northwesterly, toward Haywood county
entering nearly the southeasterly cor
ner of that county, near the Madison line. Its
course again changes more westerly, cutting
Haywood county neraly IN two equal halves
From the western line of Haywood county 1t
becomes the dividing line between Upton
and Lauderdale, and empties into the Mis-
sissippi river at Randolph, which is
THE GREAT SEAPORT OF Upton COUNTY,
and which old settlers will remember as the
only rival the young city on these bluffs ever
had. 1t will be remembered, also, that 1t
was Hatchie river that gave to Randolph the
Importance it claimed when competing with
Memphis for the vast trade of West Iennes-
see, which then could only reach the Missis-
sippi by Hatchie river or by wagons. Mem
phIs being dependent alone upon the wagon
trains, Randolph had the advantage OF the
river in boating seasons, and the wagon sys-
tenn to fall back on when low water In the
river closed Hatchle to boats. This was
long time ago, however, and ceases now to
be Interesting beyond the fact that Memphis
somehow got the drop on Randolph, and once
getting a start, outsped her less enterprislpg
rival, and to- day stands the proud commercial
monarch of the Mississssippl valley, while
Randolph has sunk into utter inslgnlhcance
as a commercial point. Hatchie river, which
had so long aided Randolph in her rivalry,
soon also became one of the features OF Mem
phis prosperity.
MEMPHIS MONEY AND MEMPHIS ENTER
PRISE
built steamboats, and sent them into that lit
tie stream, each one coming out loaded to
its fullest capacity with the cotton grown
on the richest alluvial farms in the world,
which line the banks of Hatchle from its
mouth to its source. These boats passed
by Randolph, coming en- to Mem
phis, were discharged and reloaded with
merchandise, at twenty-five cents hundred
| returning up the river, supplying merchants
at all the points on that stream, and the
planters intervening with all they could con-
sumo at less than one-half rates the same
people can now get the same articles for.
| We neglected to say that the cotton brought
| out of the stream was carried at one dollar
bale, from Bolivar three hundred miles, to
| Memphis, and at seventy-hve cents per bale
| from Brownsville lone hundred and nifty
mlles) to Memphis. We are not positive as
| to figures charged by railways, but are as
sured that flom two, two and half and
| three dollars are charged by rail from the
same points to Memphis, and from fifty,
| seventy-ive and hundred cents per hundred
| for merchandise. When, in later years, the
people were made to believe that the safety
of the country depended upon the building of
| railways, they were induced to this opinion by
PROMISES
that where dollars then were required to
| move freights by water cents were all that
are wanted to do the same thing by rail,
with the additional and most seductive
promises that where the water routes con-
sumed days, the railways would only occupy
hours 1t was under this hallucination that
the State legislature closed Hatchle
gave to the railways not only a
monopoly in the handling of freights but also
the privilege of carrying that trade which
Memphis had so long enjoyed, and which
alone belonged to her, right by her doors and
emptying it into the laps of those who have
been actuated in commercial pursuits by no
other motive than anything to beat Mem
phis" This is a sad commentary on our city,
since it was by Memphis capital that many OF
these railways were built Talking to the
good people of the counties through which
Hatchie river runs, and which was then
THE MAIN ARTERY
of the commercial and planting prosperity of
that people, these railway builders would tell
beautiful stories of how the men and boys
could raise the cotton and the women and
children could carry it to market, return
ing the same day to their homes and
| turning over the proceeds of the year 8
labor, with but few cents less, spent for
| the expense of carrying, to the good man of
| the farm. When the river was closed, how
ever, and the railways got the transportation
business into their own hands. these good
people soon realized that not only more time
| was consumed in moving the crops, but it
took nearly all of one crop to move the other
that instead of getting it to those old mer-
chants in Memphis. who had been the stand
| by of their forefathers, and who had never
| failed to give them the top notch in prices,
| their stuff must be sent to other markets,
| there to become the prey of strangers and
INSCRIPTIONS spectators. 1t was such impo-
sitions as these that raised the demand for
| the
| REoPENING OF HATCHIE RIVER
to navigation, set up several years ago, but
which was UNDECIDED by the State legisla-
lures until the present one was compelled to
| yield to the pressure and accede to the de-
mands OF the people of those wealthy coun-
| ties along its borders. We yesterday inter
| viewed several of our prominent merchants
who were familiar with the good old times OF
| Hatchie river navigation. They were one
voice in declaring it a necessity, and we
| heard also that prominent river men have
taken the measure of Hatchie" with the
view of having boats built that will SIT, y
and which will be ready to enter the river as
soon as it is made navigable by the little
| work of clearing away few logs and stumps.
| and cutting down the heavy overlapping
forests that have grown up since boats ceased
| running up the stream.
CAPTAIN RALPH wORMELEY,
one of the Oldest Hatchie river navigators
now living, and now a member of that
| prosperous cotton and commission firm
of Wormeley & Goodman, gave US some
interesting data yesterday. Captain
Wormeley began steamboating In
Hatchie river in iS43, he and Captain Nat
Urilda from Captain Frisbee, ST., who had
her built at Pittsburg, and named after his
own daughter. The Urilda had cotton
carrying capacity for six hundred and fifty
bales, and though she did not remain in the
| river but one season, always had as much as
| she could swim under coming IN and gong out
of the stream. Captain Wormley says she made
money for her owners, they never losing one
dollar by accident, and not cent was paid
for her by insurance people. Captain Worme-
| ley says the boating season in that stream
generally lasted from December to March.
Captain Wormeley, in connection with his
partner, Captain Roberts, next purchased the
sternwheel packet Guide. also a Pittsburg
built boat, with a carrying capacity of about
five hundred bales. The Guide ran two
seasons, and was equally as successful as the
| Urilda.
| NOT CENT WAS LOST BY ACCIDENT,
and not trip was made that did not pay
Il