Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1880-12-24
Friday evening". Bso. "a 1850
ANEW ROUTE TO TEXAS
Suggested via Forrest City, Folks
Station, Aberdeen and Pine
Bluff.
One Hundred and Twelve Miles Saved In
Building.

EDITOR LEDGEB:-The Helena aud
Iron Mountain road crossing the
Memphis and Little Rock road at
Forrest City, forty-three miles from
Memphis, is completed from Helena
to Mariana. The roadbed is graded,
except about a mile south of Ian
guile river. The iron is in Helena
TO complete the road to the Memphis
and Little Rock road. The bridge
across L Anguille bottom will be COM
pleted in two months. The road
ought to be in running order by the
LIST of April. This road, eight miles
west OF Helena, is within three
quarters ola mile Of the Arkansas
and Midland road, from which juno
ton, ifmade, the distance to Aberdeen
will be thirty four miles. A route
from Memphis to Jefferson, Texas,
via Pine Bluff aud Camden, by using
the Memphis aud Little Rock to
Forrest City, 43 miles; Helena and
Iron Mountain, 80 miles; Arkansas
Midland, "a miles; total, liz miles to
vest side of White river. Somebody
may fnd on the west side Of the river
a route to Aberdeen shorter than %
miles, but | do not think 50. Can
any man tell a a why Memphis
people, or anybody else, wants to build
IS miles Of road on the west side Of.
the river at a cost Of probably ST.
100000 when, by the first Of April or
May they will have a road only seven
teen miles longer to Aberdeen Give
the roads business. They will bring
it to Memphis. 1t is said Mr., Mar
quand owns the Memphis and Little
Rock road. He, or any other man
with sense enough to make a fortune,
will not hesitate to let cotton or any
thing else come over forty-three miles
Of road that no man can make Of any
value, unless worked, not in the in
terest of any particular place, but Of
the road itself, and that will be if a
road comes from Texas via Camden,
Pine Bluff and Aberdeen, TO haul all
the freight offered.
The road from Forrest City is con-
trOlled by Colonel William Bailey,
who has connected with him in the
building of it parties Of large means
from Indianapolis. The Arkansas
Midland road is owned by Mr.. A. II.
johnson and the Messrs. Horners,
of Helena. That road can be
built a broad gauge all the way to
Pine Bluff, aud not cost Memphis a
single dollar. SO here Is, or can he, q
good west side Of river route 1852 miles
long toward the state of Texas. Use
ysur energies to fill up the gap from
Pine Bluff to Jefferson, some 18C
miles. The Arkansas Midland roaC
can be completed to Little Rock, 1OI
miles from Helena. Then, if any
body is afraid that the Memphis an,
Little Rock road will discriminate
against Memphis, raise FIVE hundred
thousand dollars to build a marrow
gauge to Glendale and from Clarksdall
to the Tallahatchie river, giving III
miles Of road in the Yazoo valley
ISL miles to Little Rock, l3I
miles to Pine Bluff, and every
thing the Memphis and Little RoeE
will not bring the Little Road will
For The FIVE hundred thousand dol
lars you can get FIRST mortgage bonds
at par, bearing seven per cent interest,
a. GOOD as any in the south, By doing
this Memphis has two ways to get to
Texas, and has, in my opinion. the
best country in the world connected
with her, ct the smallest cost, she