Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-07-15
MORE RAILROADS.
The Lime from New Orleans to Memphis
10 be Cemplefed-The Work Going
ON Vigorously.
peaks, Ohio apd Southwestern
Railroad.


Yesterday an APPEAL reporter met Major
Niles Meriwetber, Taxing District engineer,
who has just returned from Vicksburg, and
obtained from him some very Interesting
facts concerning another railroad which will
soon be feeder for the business pluck and
enterprise OF Memphis. 1t is . certain fact
that Mr.. c. P. Huntington, the great railroad
man, will not rest upon his laurels. Having
successfully reached Memphis, two splendid
fields invite him to future conquest. Tho
southeast portion of Arkansas on the one
hand, with its magnificent cotton-growing
qualities, is ready for the iron horse TO
march through it, On the other hand, the
land between the Mississippi and 1ennessee
road and the Mississippi river, the finest
piece of land in the world to-day, also aliures
him. Three water-courses run through TINS
part of Mississippi, as perpetual sources OF
life to land. The soil there is so splendidiy
ad aptcd to cotton raising that the draft OF
thousand years upon Its fertility Will not
destroy it. Its richness, moreover, is con-
stantly being added 10. Msjor Meriwether,
while in Vicksburg. had
HIS RAILROAD EYE OPEN,
and he and heard things aud men that
show which way the wind is blowing. He
found that the road between here and New
Orleans of which Mr.. Wilson, of New York,
Is president, was vigorously being pushed TO-
ward completion. Work has already been
begun from Vicksburg in the direction of
Memphis. The road will be about 470 miles
long. A great number of workmen 'have
been employed, and Mr.. Wilson told Major
Meriwether he was in earnest about the road.
WILSON'S INTEREST IN THE ROAD.
Considerable surprise has been ex-
pressed" said he to the reporter, ''tnat Mr..
Wilson at his age should enter upon the
active work of constructing a railroad. He
is worth $10,000,000 and is over seventy
years OF age. / was informed that he had
loaned $4,000 to parties interested in the
road, and in order TO protect himself he had
to buy out the whole road. When he had
done 80 he had occasion to 60 through the
land through which the proposed route was
to go. He was so captiysted by it that he
became personally interested in the building
and completion OF the road. He has there
fore made up his mind to push it through"
HUNTINGTON IsTEREsrED.
"is Huntington interested Ia it
"Thst, of course, l don't know. 1t Is
probable that he is, and that he and Wilson
are working together"
"What is the character Of the work done"
81 noticed at ons part of the road that for
about thirty or forty miles the profile was
very high. I asked IL it was above high
water mark. Mr.. Wilson said it was above
the high water of 1867, but not that of this
year. He says he will trust to luck little.
He thinks the congressional scheme to fix
the Mississippi levee system will go through
and that the people will be protected from
any more such disastrous floods"
THE TWO SECTIONS.
The major found the country almost
flooded with railroads. 1t would be de-
cidedly, TO Mr.. Huntington's interest to have
slice of the New Orleans and Memphis.
Indeed, it is confidently predicted that the
new road will be made part of the Chesa-
peake, Ohio and Southwestern system, which
is assuming every day proportions more and
more gigantic. The Chesapeake, Ohio and
Southwestern by going south to Chicot, Ark,
thence on to Monticello and thence TO Texar-
kama would give Huntington the desired con
Meeting link and he would only have to span
one river. If he crosses the Mississippi here
and strikes south western line for Tex arkana
be will have to cross four rivers, the White,
st. Francis, Arkansas and Red, besides any
number OF bayous. From this it would seem
that the southern route through Mississippi
would be preferable, though both would pay
well. Two or three million bales of cotton
can be raised on the Mississippi country the
road will open up. All of these improve
menis will help Memphis, which is so fitted
BY nature for becoming the greatest cotton
market in the world.