Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1879-06-22

From an Appeal Correspondent
PUEBLO, COL, June 16.-In every place
where l have stopped in this State l have
found men who once lived in Memphis, and
in every inst nee they cherish the warmest
feelings of love for the dear old Bluff City,
and invariably say, sob, if l could only
make a living there l would rather stay
there then to have riches here; but
everything is down SO dull there
had to leave" This is almost uni
verssl. Now, it is very plain to the most
casual observer that the reason for Memphis's
dullness and depression is the want of west
ern connections by railroads. We have long
desired the Southern Pacific, and have la
bored t. get such did as would make the
building of 1t a cert inty. But this has
failed, and generation at least will pass
before it will be done. Then the next best
thing attainable should have our attention,
and that is a connection with the Pacific
roads already built. Lay map before you,
and you will see that an extension OF the
Little Rock and Fort Smith road up the
valley of the Arkansas to Wichita, Kan
sas, will give Memphis a direct connec-
ton with the Atchison and Santa Fe road.
This road will reach Los Vegas, near Santa
Fe, by July. Then there is Only about three
hundred miles to build to tap Huntington's
Southern Pacific at Tucson or Marrlcopa.
Huntington is building east, and the Atchi-
son and Santa Fe is building west, and by
this time 1881 they will meet, and perhaps
within fifteen months, but certainly In less
than two years. The distance from Fort
Smith to Wichita is about one hundred and
eighty-five miles, on level prairie, upon
which a road can be built and equipped for
nine thousand dollars per mile, making a
total cost of one million SIX hundred and
seventy-ive thousand dollars. OF this sum
one million dollars can be borrowed on first
CIV cant bonds of nc / ar
informed that Boston capitalists will take the
whole loan whenever the road is contracted
for. Then, If the Fort Smith and the Little
Rock road will take five hundred thousand
dollars of the stock, and put their lines into
pool for earnings, and make through rates,
then Memphis merchants, and the Louisville
and Nashville, and Memphis and Charles
ton companies will raise the means to BRUCE
the river. Then Memphis will move for
ward with more gigantic strides than st.
Louis has done. A natural sequence of this
connection will be the building of direct line
to Kansas City by the Union Pacific and
Kansas Pacific roads, which must have south
ern outlets as direct as any competing line.
Then the wheat, wool and cattle
of Texas will go east through Memphis, in
stead of Kansas City, st. Louis and Chicago;
and our people will be prosperous enough to
build direct line to Iexarkana, and the fu-
ture of Memphis will be assured. Our peo-
pie clamor for cotton and wooden mills, HUur-
ing mills and iron foundrles. If they will
build these roads plenty Of men will be found
to build every species of mandatory that
will pay. These lines of road will open up
our iron mines; will insure manufacturing,
Touring mills, and whatever else trade may
demand. 1t is too well established to be ar
gued here, that one railroad builds many
others. So it Is established that railroads are
the great civilizers that subdue the savage
and the lawless frontiersman. The Indian,
the bandit, and the savage beasts vanish as
they approach. The government of the
United States can no longer afford to let the
Indians stand upon territory needed by and
for civilized progress. | do not advocate rob-
berry or injustice, but like all others he must
become civilized creature, part and parcel
of the grand whole, obeyiDg the laws like
white men, or he must perish beneath the
| feet of progress. The territory now lying
| waste, upon which they are fed and clothed
| by the government, must be erected into a
state in which all the laws of civilization can
| be enforced. This rich and noble soil must
| be cultivated and made to produce instead of
being a drain upon the public fund,
| and nowhere beneath the sun is there a
| fairer or richer land than this Indian Terri
| tory. The one hundred and eighty-hve miles
of road | have suggested to be built would
run through the best part of it, and instead
of soldiers. and Indian agents, and the fee
| ing bandits and thieves from the States,
| there would spring up an industrious and
wealthy population, useful alike to them
selves and to the country. Will you not,
Messrs. Editors, agitate this matter. call
upon the chamber of commerce, and our
representatives and senators, to procure such
| congressional aid and authority as is needed
| to put the measure throughP If you fail or
continue to manifest indifference, the roads
will be built but point further soLth will
reap the benefit. In my next l will tell you
| something of this part of Colorado, New
Mexico and Arizona. NOGAsHAN.