The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1880-09-29
Proposed YdZl0 City and Jackson Railroad.

town. beg your indulgence to express ;
few views that may not have occurred t
all of your local readers ia the matter Of til,
proposed Railroad 70 Yazoo City
Though ali the speakers at the recent cit
izeu-' meeting stated in general way thai
.he road would be of great benefit to the
town I do not think all present saw ex
acty where the benefit would come to the
people at large.
The benefits are directly through in
creased trade. The road Is TO run through
one Of the richest and best cultivated parts
Of the state, ana will place jackson in
proximity 10 as much if not more trade
than she now enjoys. What our commerce
principally needs Is more people 10 seH to-
We have merchants, northern railway con
uectious, and every facility for doing large
business and yet it is only necessary %
pass along our principal street. in this the
beginning ofour business season, and see
draws idle on the street corners-streets
with scarcely any but town people on them
large stores with fine stocks, and few enough
customers to turn an energetic proprietor's
mar -laNs w tplIl ljIEllGllI liidG - Il Dti7iutSS
place Jackson is now completed, unless
something is done to secure new fields for
trade That this is the only untred chance
Tor as, all know and that this trade Is val
uabla the growth and prosperity Of Nicks-
bur. proves 1t i what has given thar
place its present importance; while
much Of Canton, Madison, Goodman,
Bolton and Edwards Is due to it. A
narrow guage road would particularly
benefit u.s. because it can carry freight and
passengers cheap, aud also because ter
miusliug it will induce the stoppage Of cot
ton aud other shipments here for sale in
stead Of passing through 10 New Orleans
AMI Niek,burg Is now on existing broad
guage roads.
A spirit has recently been made by
Jackson, while entertaining the hope ofwork-
inc IT., new compress in competition with
city presses and thereby induce the sale OF
much cotton here that j. now shipped at
other stations. But we all know what
signal failure has been our efforts to obtain
freight rates from railroads passing here
Each progressive citizen has almost regard
ed this obstacle To the increased commerce
of the town Is a personal grievance. And
vet from an impartial stand point the rail
roads are not To blame for the refusal. We
ask one or both roads TO reduce northern
rates some - per cent; and are only in the
attitude Of petitioners, because we have
neither recumgeu-ing InducemeBt TO offer
nor alternate 10 threaten. Ii they should
accede to our demands, they give up 30 per
cent. of what they could certainly get with
out eNtJrtIun. and gain nothing IN Its place.
For we can offer them no new trade.
il is new to US but is business they have
had heretofore from other stations. Re
fu-iug our petition, we emit then say I'VE
will turn our business IN other channels ;"
because they know rs well as We Go that
there is now M other other channel for it,
and that We have to patronize them. We
need other outlets as well - lnlets for busi
ness. and this Yaz0o Road promises the only
urablhIe relief in that way. For copnec-
uection could easily be made with the
GreeuvilIe Road. The Natchez Road could
give Us relief if il was a competitor; but IT
Is more than probable it will pool the busi~
ness with the other roads as soon as il
reaches here. aud we are then 10 better Oft
than before The Nazoo Road will belong
to Jackson and Yazoo City; because unless
they build it. it won't lie built, and own
ing it, they can control II.
Nicksburg has packets to Gazoo City and
above. IN Deer Greek, the Tallahatchie aud
SuuAower rivers and all these boats make
money for themselves, while bringing an
immense trade to Nicksburg, besides carry
inc thousands of bales of cotton destined for
y
turn over to Col. T.. richardson's mann
moth "Pool Line Of boats that take it to
New Orleans.
This is the magnificent trade our little
narrow gauge road viii tap, and 1t Will
turn into our town large proportion OF
the wealth that now makes city of Nicks-
burg, and supports these numerous large
and small steamers.
If we build this road cannot We say to
i - we 4
fifty per cent reduction on present Eastern
rates, aud rs qiid pro q"o we will haul on
our road the through cotton now going to
New Orleans by boat, aud will turn 1t over
TO YOU here If you don't give us the rate
the boats may continue 10 take 1t AS now.
That road would make money by accepting,
and we could then compete with Aew Or
leans and Nicksburg as market for East
ern cotton.
Again. the necessary change Of Vicks-
hurg's landing faf down the river haas en-
tailed a transfer cost which 50 increases
freight costs from river points TO Vicksburg,
that 81 Louis freight can now so there by
rail As cheap "a by boat. Being fifty miles
and another railroad nearer st. Louis and
possessing an independent line to Green
vile we can secure As low incoming frelghts
and compete with Nicksburg in the sale OF
products.
The road would likewise bring all the
passenger traffic of that region through this
town. 1t now goes through Nicksburg and
Yaughn's With the increased population
that would certainly folloU increased trade,
Alderman Srengler would soon change his
nice little " Up Town Hotel into hand
some four or five story one that would re-
mind old ,Iacksonians Of days long ago
while the Edwards House Souldn neeu
other than its " lay over guests &c MI It's.
rooms >,
As stated above it is generally conceded
that the road would benefit the town, and
| think | have shown where the beneht IS
to come from but there is a great diversity
of views in town as to who Will receive the
benefit | am so we'll satisfied of the truth
of the statement that everything when
benefits town benefits eUcry one IN that town,
that | would not speak of that feature except
for some peculiar ideas have heared
expressed.
it seems to be the general impression
among mechanics, professional men, ana
Others not in commerce here, that the
merchants are TO be the benefited parties
and they therefore argue that the merchants
should build the road.
That the merchants will profit by 1t Is OF
course true, because the good to be derived Is
through increased trade, and that comes
through the merchants hands first. But
the same argument could be used to prove
that the merchants should now pay the
expenses of our city government-keep up
the streets and roads-maiptain the courts
and jails and charities, and pay a.! the costs
of the existence Of this town. Because glth
the few exceptions Of State and United
States officers the town and everybody IN Il
lives off of the trade that comes 70 rs now
through the merchants. We could argue
that the merchants, being responsible for
Jackson's having any trade at all, ana
therefore for our living here, should pay
all the expenses incident to such existence
even to the education of our children ana
the support of our churches. With equal
reason the poor man without work could
go to 3 grocery Saturday night and state
ne had no money. If this wasn't town
70 tnun thrn.,c.l. a.. lnndz Ehau are