The Daily clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1888, 1880-01-21
An Important Mississippi Enterprise.

During the session Of the Mississippi Leg
stature, in ls69-70, some prominent and
influential parties In Mobile, in connection
with Governor james l.. Alcorn and others
OF Mississippi, procured charter from the
Legislature, creating be..Mobile and North
western Railroad a road which was design
ed TO run from Powell City, opposite Helena,
Arkansas, 70 Mobile, Alabama. The route,
for the entire length Of the road was survey
ed, and the work of grading was immedi-
ately inaugurated. Appropriations were
pushed with considerable yigor; the peo-
pie living on the line Of the proposed road
were appealed TO, to contribute literally to-
wards the enterprise public meetings were
held 10 every county from Powell City 10
Mobile 10 aid and encourage the scheme
the whole country was in blaze Of enthu-
siasm, and hundreds OF thousands Of dollars
were voted and donated to push the work on
TO completion. Those were flush times; the
contagious spirit Of enterprise spread all
over the land, injecting many planters who
| previously had opposed every movement
looking towards the development Of the
| state, but who now came forward and not
only voted for liberal subsidies in aid Of
the road, but contributed largely Of their
land and means, in order to assist the enter
prise and push the good work forward.
Colonel Mann, Of Mobile, distinguished
Confederate officer Of the late war, who pos
sessed the cofdence of the Southern people,
was chosen president Of the company. The
Colonel was not only brave, high toned
chiyalrous gentleman, but an orator as we'll
and when in his canvass Of the counties
along the line ofhis proposed road, he play
ed with the musical tones Of his voice to
his appreciatiye audiences, and depicted the
granducr Of his scheme and the wealth and
prosperity which was TO flow in from it, the
planters shouted with rapturOus applause,
and the Colonel was deluged with shekals
and county bonds The road was graded to
jamestown in Coahoma county meeting
Of the company was held; the bonds and
greenbacks were counted and found 10 be
abundant, and it WAS decided that Colonel
Mann should proceed TO New York and
there negotiate for the purchase Of the rails,
locomotives and rolling stock for the road
Gathering the bonds and greenbacks togeth-
er the Colonel stuffed them in his carpet
bag, and bidding farewell 10 his friends took
his departure for the city OF Gotham On
his arrival there the Colonel lost no time in
negotiating for the sale Of the county bonds
in his possession, after which he discovered
that in railroad matters as in everything else
there were mlddle-men, and he determined
10 sail for Europe and purchase his ma terial,
from the hands ofthe manufacturers, direct
On reaching England, much to the surprise
of the Colonel, iron had advanced several
points" and after spending few days in
the British metropolis he crossed the chin
mel to France.
Grand and extensive preparations were
then in progress for the opening of the in
dustrial exhibition at Vienna Thousands
Of Americans were making preparations to
attend the great show, and yet no European
was there with sufficient enterprise to estab
fish line of sleeping cars for the accommo.
datlon Of our countrymen in their Journey
between Paris and Vienna The money in
the possession of the Colonel had been voted
and appropriated for railroad purposes, and
what difference could it make to the people
of the Gaz0o Valley and the others living on
the line of the mobile and Northwestern
Railroad" whether their money was invested
IN Mississippi or Europe so long as it was put
where il would do the most good" and con
tribute to the comfort and convenience of
our citizens? In the establishment of A line
VI olNtItIH btlNttH' Jltht TWO great CltleS
the Colonel thought he saw an enterprise
worthy of his genius, and he lost no time in
putting the scheme into successful operation.
! was II grand success, and whilst It added
largely to the amount which the too confd- |
ing people of our neighboring State had do
mated, not of course to be expended in the
way it was finally used, it yet contributed
greatly to the luxurious comforts of our
countrymen whose incinations or business
called them to that portion of Europe. Let |
ters ofinquiry to the Colonel in regard to
the dividends were treated with silent con-
tempt, and the people had begun to
regard the 'Mobile and Northwestern" as a
deusion and a snare, which had been con-
eeived only to deiraud honest people out of |
their land and money, when here, recently, |
they were agreeably surprised to learn that |
the road, under the auspices of Mr.. Lyons, |
a prominent and wealthy citizen Of Helena, |
Arkansas WAS being pushed rapidly south,
Mt his own expense. 1t has already reached |
Cl0rksdale, the head of navigation on the |
Suntlower river, which is some forty miles
southeast Of the Mississippi river
Of the country and its resource through |
which this road will run, together with the
advantages which New Orleans is to derive
from its early completion, we shall have
something more to say in future issues.