Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-03-08
THE SELMA ROAD.
Rum5r that the Work OF Construction
Will Come to an End so Soon as
the Contractors on
The Holly Springs Division Have Ex-
hausted the Iron They Have
on Hand.

The suspension OF work of construction on
the Memphis and Holly Springs end CT the
Memphis, Selma and Brunswick railway
seems now to be certainty az soon as the
contractors on the Holly Springs end have
consumed the remnant of iron and other
mzieri2l on hand. This leaves the road, &C.
cordiug TO statements recently made by Ma.
]. J. Busby, with about twenty miles COM
pleted from Holly Springs westward, and
FIVE miles-ifthe Contractors on this end use
the iron they have on hand-from Memphis
east. 1t will be remembered that Maj. Busby
also stated that the material TO complete the
road was mot in sight" which leaves poor en-
enlargement OF hope az TO when the road will
&c completed, notwithstanding the majors
statement that he was sanguine OF such
result "wiihin contract time" May 10th.
This reference is not msde as c9ntradicting
N Busby's opinion. We have no rig ht TO
question his statements in that respect; on
the contrary, there ia no doubt about his
believing as be states. But the building Of
the rosd has been attended by 60 many dis
appointments and broken promises, aud in
the face OF all the fact that the line was but
recently mortgaged to other parties, followed
by Mr.. Wolfs's financial troubles in Ala
bama-all these facts contribute toward con-
viction that Maj. Busby himself may be the
victim Of imposition, aud the road stands =
good chance 10 remain unfinished Indefinite
ly. II thisbe the real condition, it leaves
one Of the principal streets OF South Mem
phis ia a deplorable condition. The con-
tractors began their work on this end with
commendable enterprise. They did great
amount OF temporary grading, piling, bridge
building and Tack-laying along the line
Of Broadway street.-The grading extending
beyond the eastern boundaries of the city.
Several tributaries of the bayou had TO be
covered with temporary bridging so that
construction trains could ruu out to ths hills
where dirt could be got 10 fill over the Gull
Veris. This temporary work destroyed the
bridges snd roadways on Broadway, and
travel by vehicles had to reach the city
through other avenues, which are now al
most impossible By reason Of the Increased
travel during the bad weather. The lower
end Of Main street, and that part OF Broad
way west OF Main, are 10 deplorable con-
dition-almos: impossible FOR a team to pull
an empty wsgon through the falhomless
mudholes. The TARGET railway has been de-
prived Of the use OF the south end of the
Main street line during the entire W inter- on
account OF the change of grade on that part
OF Main street to accommodate the Mem
phis and Holly Springs road The crossings
OF all the streets except Main and Ray
burn, and the alleyway approaches 10
Broadway, have not been built, and
travel by vehicles is put to the greatest in
convenience. The temporary grading OF the
rosd.bed made no provision for surface
drainage, the consequences being the surface
is full Of ponds of water and pri-
vats properly on either side is
flooded by the water from the road
bed during rain. storms. These are some OF
the worst conditions that exist now, and if
work on the road is suspended there ia no
telling when they will bs remedied, unless
the city authorities take some action in the
matter. Broadway street is one of the
most important outlets from the southeastern
portion of the city, and unless some meas
ures are adopted that will reopen it to
travel, the citizens OF that locality will be
put to the greatest amount Of Inconvenience.
II is now neSrly impossible TO get goods de-
livered out in that region, and many persons
being without coal or wood have to resort
to great extremes in getting enough Tor i'm
mediate use