Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-10-31
THE TAXING DISTRICT.
A Plea in Behalf Of Memphis.
Some Magnificent ArkanSaw Cotton
What is Thought Abroad OF
BIOOd.ThIrsty New Orleans

Cor. Now Orleans states.I
MEMPHIS, 0ctober26 ISL
7 nromised in my last to say some.
thing in behalf of Memphis. No cir
IN t6e Union needs advertising mor'
than Memphis and a liberal outlay o
money. after the style affected by AT
lanta' would undoubtedly produce
much good. Outside Of Memphis
and on all sides, enc hears LOUD "a
mentations Of the d~ecadenee o. thls
once great and prosperous community
and the stranger is led to believe that
If snvthinr of good ever existed here,
l,texists no longer. Nothing but des-
olstion marks the sight Of dear Mem
mis-; wealth and population are alike
good snd but a few devoted natives
| hnger among the ruins 70 prstue Of
former spleadors.
Buraesed with such an impression,
entered Memphis after five years Of
absence. Would you believe itg
found the city here, all Of it. just as L
had left it, with many Improvements
10 boot. in the shape Of handsome and
lofty houses Of business and elegant
residences. | found the main street
lively with wagons and her sidewalks
crowded with citizens and country
merchants. Cotton is rolling into
town With 8 rapidiv uaequAlled, and
while the general average receipts at
the various ports are smaller than
those ofthe same time last year, those
/ Of Memphis are greater.
had 8 talk with s Memphian to-
day and got from him q roseate and l
must suppose a reliable view Of the
situation. Said be:
We are getting along first rate. You
know
HOW MEMPHIS GOT INTO DEBT,
and how the Legislature took away
her charter and turned the place into
4 taxing district Commissioners
were appointed. With Dr.. Porter at
their head. All Of these except the
president gave their services gratui-
tously. Dr.. Porter receives his salary
because be acts the par, Of recorder,
and, besides. he must give his entire
attention 10 distri,t affairs. All the
Commissioners are prominent citizens,
monied men. snd devoted TO the IN
tsrests Of Memphis. This arrange
nsnt Of district government leaves
nothing but the fire department and
police to be provided fer. The
cas- snd water are furnished st a re-
rate, and consequently all divi-
iOns Of the local government are eco
nomically administered.
This commission levied q tax Of
fifteen mills per annum, and ont Of the
money 50 received, manages TO run
the government and reduce the debt
Of tie old city Of Memphis. Besides
this, the debt Is paid Bit BY bit, and
l think in ten years from the present
time Memphis will be in 8 condition
Of financial prosperity equal to that Of
any city in the Union. This is the
result Of economy in admins
tering district stairs. The property
holders believing
WHAT THEY PAY FOR TAXES
viii be used in repairing the streets
and in improving the credit of the
city, no longer disregard the demands
Of the tax collector; this being the
case, the rate Of taxation can be re-
duced year by year, and, it is conf
IDENTIFY expected, that from eight TO
ten mills taxes will meet the expenses
0 fnext years government"
The Avalanche says the appear
OIL yelloR fever in Memphis is
contemporsEeous with the establish.
ment Of the water works upon Wolf
river. This is probably a correct dag
nosis Of the hygienic position Of the
city. Wolf river is subject to back
water and the drainage and sipage Of
the river and Of the bayou which
drains back of town collects at the
point where the works obtain their
supply of water. Analysis Of this
water proves that it is full Of organic
matter, and the doctors say such water
is deleterious to health. 1t is proposed
to move the waterWOrks out some
three miles from the city, at a point
on Wolf river where the backWater
does not reach, and where pure water
may at all times be obtained.
| have been
UP INTO THE COTTON REGION
Of Northern Arkansaw, and the scene
is far different from that found in
Northern Mississippi and described in
my last letter to you. Up along the
Mississippi, near 0sceola, cotton is
doing quite well, the dry spell having
benefited rather than retard the
growth. The best cotton l saw in
Northern Mississippi was two feet in
height, while the average was eight
inches. The cotton | saw in Arkan
saw averages five feet and some of it
reaches the height OF six and seven
feet. Ipulled a stalk and measured
it, and turned out to be eight fee
above ground and eight feet six inches
above the root. 1t bore ninety bolls
Of middling cotton very full.
The number of bolls on this partic-
ular plant is spoken Of by the planter
as being small. | notice that's second
crop is coming and ten days of Indian
summer will bring it out. All the
plants are blooming at the top. Corn
has done wretchedly all over the dis.
trict centering at Memphis. Cotton
is maturing early and the greater part
il not all Of the crop hereabouts will
be harvested by the middle Of De
comber.
THE SQUIRRELS IN TIE COURT sQUARl
here have a national reputation
There are a great number Of them
and they are sufficiently tame to b
l very amusing to the children. Ate,
, being planted they give very littl
1 trouble, and the public gives Their
. their daily supply Of peanuts, crackers
etc. Maybe Commissioner Howar
will add squirrels to his ornaments {
Lafayette square. He might d
a worse.
e l could write you word about tn
reputation for bloodthirstiness enioye
abroad by the people Of New OrleanI