Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1885-10-02

President Observation-Disclosures In
His Views Regarding the Future
of Memphis--Bulldlng the Yazoo
City Extension.
A representative of the Appeal, who
happened to drop into the headquart-
ers of the Valley road yesterday after.
noon found himself face to face with
President Clark, of the Illinois Cen
trail, whose flank movements upon
Memphis lately have excited so much
interest. He has rather the appear
ance of the live Western business man,
than the wealthy railroad magnate,
but a single glance at his face is suf-
ficient to excite immediate attention
and his first words entitle him
to the respect of the stranger.
President Clark, though he had
visited Memphis oftener for years, is
not generally known here. He is, per-
haps, ifty-five years of age, may be
seventy, it is hard to tell. With his
smooth face, his expressive and pierre
ing eyes, firm, though kindly mouth
his slender, 1.-THE figure, and his quick.
vigorous manner, both in movement
and speech, he has all the requisites
which go to make up a formidable an
tagonist or a strong friend. Connected
with the Illinois Central nearly all of
his life, he has risen step by step to
the presidency of one Of the wealthiest
and closest railway corporations in the
United States. His long years of ex-
perience, and with that best of all
evidences of sound judgment, success,
his opinion on any subject connected
with the development of a particular
section must be of the greatest weight,
"Wben l meet an Appeal man." said
Mr.. Clark, Il am at once reminded of
the Mississippi and Tennessee, and
now that l have you cornered l want
to say that we are not buying railroads,
but building them. 1 don't hesitate to
tell you, as L would tell Mr.. Wilson, or
anybody, that l cannot see any. money
in the purchase for US. 1t is a good
line, and it needs to be built up. So
it appears to me that the minority
stockholders, instead of bringing
suit, ought to try and build up the
property and make it pay them some
thing, instead of trying to hurt it by
bringing suit. But, as 1 said before,
we are building railroads, not buying
them. 1 have just located a line to
the Yalobusha river, which it touches
at a point seventy miles from Yazoo
City. and twenty.four miles west of
Grenada"
In answer to a question Mr.. Clark
said "his company had not studied the
overflow question to any extent, but
from talking with people since the
projection Of the Yazoo Delta, he was
inclined to the belief that levees, if
built high enough and strong enough,
would confne the water and deepen
the channel. But we are building our
road in the lowlands," he continued,
without regard to the levees. We
are putting it four feet above the
highest water known" About Mem
phis and her prospects MI. Clark was
enthusiastic. II remember a talk l
had here in 1912 with ]. E. Jones" he
"He had an abiding faith in the
future of the city, and said then that
in a few years Memphis would have a
population of $4,000. That time is al
most here, and if the people of
Memphis will encourage all those
enterprises which are seeking an en-.
trance here, in a little while this will
be a great place. But too many
lmpediments must not be put in the
way. Commerce always goes around
toll gates. Vim, vigor, enterprise,
lnanimity, high taxes and great public
works go to make the great city. i'll
were the head of this city and had the
power, I would begin by inflicting a
per capita tax of SIS, and every mar
who didn't pay would have to move