Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-11-28
Memphis' Great Opportunity.


Aberdeen (Aliss.l Tri-Weekly Examiner. &C.
By the completion of the Kansas City
railroad Memphis has achieved much in
the way of making herself q great depot
for the reception and distribution Of the
surplus corn, wheat and bacon of the far
West, but while congratulating herself
upon this contamination is II not well for
her merchants and capitalists 10 remem.
Der that her joy is born Of retrospection
rather than anticipation, and that the
day is at the dawn when the very region
to VIII ch Memphis looks for buyers Of the
supplies that are 10 be 50 prodieally
dumped into her lap will itself tecome a
corn and meat surplus country
In the year 1884 the Cotton-Seuth will
not call for one bushel of corn or meal
from the West 10 where she demanded a
thousand in 1880; or one pound Of meat
where she called for hundreds in 1881,
while the signs indicate immense South
ern exports Of grain in 1884 and all subse-
quent years.
If we are right in our opinion, Mem
phis is destined in the near future TO oc-
cupy position similar TO that of Kansas
City in relation TO the produce business,
and to become great river dump for
grain and meat en- route TO the sea board
rather than a mart for the distribution Of
supplies to consumers as she has been fol
years, and is to a large extent to-day. Al
Kansas City there will always be lively
competition for the carriage Of these sup.
plies TO Memphis, between railroad and
river, but if they are TO take the area Al
New Orleans IL is fair TO suppose that
the bulk Of the grain started from town
upon the Missouri will make the entirI
trip TO port in barges, without benefit Il
Memphis, leaving her to handle a shart
of that shipped from interior depots. GU
purpose in calling attention to these fact
or conjectures is TO impress upoI
Memphis readers the importance
of at once supplementing their entire
port resouces by the completion Of tn
Memphis, Selma and Brunswick roaC
upon the present line Of location, or VII
Aberdeen 10 the coal and iron fields 0
Birmingham, in either case obtaining di
rect communication with the South AT
lantic coast, and thus winning new com
petitors in the way Of low freight bidder
for the carriage OF her agricultural hoard
ings TO port and adding TO her receipt
for transhipment the immense surplu
crops Of cotton, corn, hay, meat, lumber
etc, that the region on the line betweel
the Tombigbee and the Mississippi will Il
the near future offer to the commerce o
the world unless the order of things tina
prevails wherever else there is genial eli
mate and generous soil, is 10 be reversed
in our case.
Memphis has great future before he
if she handles her opportunities with wis
dom and discretion, but we do not be
lieve that supremacy can be assured b.
the mere dumping and loading of staples
and we see in the attention being give
to the development Of manufacturing In
terests within her bounds, good evidenc
that Memphians appreciate this fact--sh
wants the trade of east Mississippi an
west Alabama, and needs it, and mus
gain II, and the completion Of the Mem
phis, Selma and Brunswick railroad OF
elther.line suggested, will be new be
nanza 10 her commerce. In this she wi
find new market for her dry goods, he
groceries, her manufactures, and from her
She will receive vast contributions in tn
way of field and forest products. w
believe that IL her merchants and capi
talists take united and energetic action i
the matter they can secure the cOmpletio
Of this great road upon which so muc
work and money has been already eI
pended, without the investment Of an.
: additional local capital. WIN they NJ
make vigorous effort in that direction