Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-12-05
MEMPHIS EIGHT YEARS AGO AND
NOW

We read 10 the Memphis papers that G
per cent. thir.y.ycar bonds OF that city
sell readily in open market for Los; also
that new per cent. bonds, twenty years,
bring 9si cents. These figures toll won.
deriu tale Of recuperauyo capacity and
progress, and they teach lesson that II
STUDIED Alright ought TO be highly valuable
10 al communities where, from whatever
cause, depression and seeming decay
have set In. Eight years ago Memphis
bonds were considered hlgh.priccd at 20
cents on tho g. In short, Memphis did
not have any credit or financial standing,
for the city owed debt Of $4,000 900
and was bankrupt It had just emerged
from the great yellow fever epidemic OF
1873, and It's population Of 100000 had
been reduced by one-half Tho FEVER had
slain thousands, aud the others, disprlt-
ed and disgu,tod, had shaken the dust Of
the city from their feet aud gone 20 Hoek
homes elsewhere. The whole country
looked on in pity and II was generally
predicted "Memphls will never get on her
feet again" But there were some mon
In Memphis like tho men VIC have In Fort
Worth, and they did just what We feel
sure would be done ~ Fort Worth II II
sudden, unforeseen, overwhelming disas-
ter were 60 oyeftnke and wreck tnls city.
rhcy resolved TO rehnbilitRte their city.
The city charter was surrendered tho
taxing district organized and the work Of
rehabilitation commenced, The nrst
thing done was TO make the city healthy.
Sewers, drainage, plenty Of pure wator
and paving were the means employed 10
secure this end. There IL not u city In
Ihe United States to-day that ia IN better
or NJ fine sanitary condition GH Memphis.
The pluck OF few men restored CONF.
denco and people returned 10 Memphis,
Prosperity returned too, and the city be.
gan To- build up. To-day 1t has rs 600
population and Ia a clean althy superb.
ly built town, The DEBT of %, 900, 900
has been reduced 10 $4,000, 600, and
Memphis bonds sell M above quoted.
Commercially II has made great progress
until New Orlcaus frankly admits
that Memphis, hundreds OF miles in
the Interior, Is this only rival tho Ores.
cent City has in the whole South. Truly
this is grand work, graNdly achieved
aud 1t illustrates what people can do II
they only have the will. II 10 lesson
for Charlestou, and It ia gratifying to sec
that Charleston IL needing the lesson. Ii
Is an example, too az we have said, foi
all communities depressed by adverse
conditions, showing that no city which
has anything Ike o basis for action need
despair We have never hcaId, from any
quarter n word Of envy at the recupcra
ton OF Memphis. On tho contrary hoi
Efforts and success have excited admlra
lion aud commentator throughout th,
whole country Memphis has oulstrippet
all the cis.Ml'sis'ippl cities south OF
Louisville aud west OF Richmond except
New Orleans, which latter city had eft,
fold the advantage Of the Tennessee mo
tropolls Charleston, Savannah, Mobile
Atlantn, Birmingham and other ambl
tlous cities will never overtako Memphis
which appears destined TO occupy the
same relative position toward New Or
leans that Kansas CITY does toward 81
Louis The coming decade viii demon.
sIrate the force Of this proposition. It'll
truly gratifying TO record sueh en- exam.
pic OF reouperstion In the South, for II 1,
an earnest Of what Is possible In ttls sec
ton.