Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-11-28
THE JAMES LEE.
A Magnificent Steamer Arrived at
Memphis and Named for q Vet
eran steamboatman.
Facts Of Importance and Interest for
Our Merchants.

Inc magnlncent steamer, y as. Lee,
which arrived at our landing to-
day, at two o'clock pm, is perhaps
one Of the finest specimens Of
steamboat architecture ever built.
She is named Jas. lee in honor of our
veteran citizen, JAS. Lee, Sr., who has
spent his life steamboating on the
western waters, and has done more as
a steamboatman to build up Memphis
than any man living. For ten or
twelve years he has run a packet from
Friar's Point, making three round
trips per week, running 600 miles,
doing an immense way business,
handling perhaps more passengers
and freight than is handled in any
trade in the Southwest. During these
past ten years it has been the pride of
Capt. Lee to make this trade sue
cess, and only for the past three years
have his most sanguine hopes been re-
alized prior, things dragged along un.
der cloud, bright to-day and dark
tomorrow, but when the light of day
shed her rays on the little Coaho-
ma, the clouds seemed to dis
appear. and CAPTAIN Lee Thought he
saw land and exclaimed, Eureka
Coahoma, all is well"
This magnificent steamer, James
Lee, is the workmanship of the veter-
an steamboat builder James Reese,
ST., Of Pittsburg, and supervised by
his son, James Reese, jr., who is ex-
tensively engaged in steamboating in
the Arkansas and White rivers from
Memphis. We do not hesitate to pre-
diet that the James Lee will prove enc
Of the fastest boats of her class and
power ever built, being modelled and
fashioned after the steamer Alvin
Adams, a Wheeling and Cincinnati
packet, and one Of the fastest boats Of
her day. OF the James Lee we will
say no more, but leave her to speak in
her own steamboat tongue for herself
We will, however, remind our mer-
chants and business men generally, in
Memphis, that this is home boat
her owners live in Memphis, their
| families live here and are closely iden-
tilted with Memphis interests, and we
do claim it 10 be the duty Of
Memphis people to encourage
their own boats to the exclusion
Of all others, and, by the by, grand
and fatal error Of Memphis merchants
is they will not encourage apdsanction
Memphis tonnage, nor will they protec;
| themselves by owning at least a sufi-
cient amount Of tonnage to protect
themselves against exorbitapt rates oi
| freight. 1t is a sad commentary on
| the business men of Memphis, hand
| ling as they do from four to five hun
| dred thousand bales ofcottop, with five
oil mills, shipping thousands of tons
of oil cake, oil meal and oil every yeal
to all points of the world, standing ai
they do totally dependent on Cincin
naA, St, Louis and other points iol
tonnage to carry of our immense pro
duets and crying pitionslg help me
Cassius or we sink. This is toi
humilisting.
II Memphis wants business, if sh,
wants prosperity, she must first pu
her hands in her pockets, pail OF
the rusty dollars, then open you
port, invite with open arms and gen
erous hearts the whole commerce 0
this mighty river to come in and SCI
us on low rates Of wharfage, and no
drive every steamboat from you
landing that can get by at all by an ex
cessive rate Of wharfage, and from tn
} worst wharf boat ever landed at. d
this, citizens of Memphis, and, mar
: our words, the dawn ofprosrerity vii
: rise with the rising sun, and the yello'
49,. ...;li a.. r.. tLo Jnot