The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-01-31
OUR JACKSON LETTER.
THE EMPLOYMENT OF CONVICT
LABOR ON RAILROADS.
The Rival Memphis and Birmingham
Raiifoads-Candidates for Rail-
road Commissioners.
loosRKsPoSpKxon or THr APPEAt.l


u lcoRRRsPoSpRSon OF THn APPEAL.
Jackson, MRS., January 29.-Ths
House Of Representatives has under
consideration bill 10 amend an act 10
facilitate the construction Of the Gulf
and Ship Island railroad. It provides
81 that the company shall execute bond
Of $4,000 for the faithful performance
y OF the covenants entsred into NJ les
II sees OF the penitentiAry; that the COM
1t p4ny shall continue to bold, maintain
~ and carry on the penitentiary, and 30
continue TO use and employ the con-
victs until its road, switches, side
81 tracks, deoots and sect'ou-houscs are
h completed; provided, that the time
y shall net extend beyond the lst dsy OF
February, 1892; and provided, further,
" said company shall not surrender the
~ same until oaher and further provision
a. Is made by the Legislature for the
- same; that such OF the convicts that
the conn any shall not be able TO EN-
y ployin the work OF building the road
81 may be subet or hired to any other
q railroad company or board OF levee
N commissioners in this State, or 10 any
>otbef person in the State, II such rail.
y road companies aad levee boards do
n pQtNsht them provided, that not less
bl than one-half OF the able-bodied con-
Or victs shall be kept continuously at
2, work on said road, aud moneys re-.
ceiYed for the hire Of said coavicts
p shall be used In maintaining aud car
G Iying on the penitentiary and the
I; building Of said road. Cant. w.
IL. Harvey, president OF the
company, by Invitation OF the
House, addressed the Legislature
Nv last night on the subject Of the road.
His Arguments, showing the great ad-
vantage OF the road b the whole peo'
PIE OF the State, were unanswerable.
He claimed that for twenty years past
ID our State ba, made an average annual
Al crop Of 100000 bales Of cotton, which,
Wto8ether with all other products, has
aggregated a. least 81 900, 100000 for
the two decades; vet we are no be ter
or than We were twenty years since,
nimply because we have been idle aad
i H.. 49, 9iRn0red the possibilities in our
and have paid tribute 10 and
grand slp cities Of other States; that the
, for sim5 Expectation OF our crops con.
! y irx tined the profits OF the same after
, !, -fsatng the outlay necessary for their
! = pfHuction; taat we have on our nor-
! n fer 1.-THE finest harbor on the Gull or
J 4 Atlantic coasts; that we should assert
our commercial independence, and be
no longer subservient TO other States,
The building OF the Tehuantepec ship
railway will revo,utlonize the com.
nierce Of the world. Instead OF going
4 $4,000 miles out Ct the way around
Cape Horn, the commerce OF Aus
tralin, Indie, Japan and China. as also
all from the west coast Of South
America, will como across tde PENN
: qula, and the Cult OF Mexico becomes
the highway Of commerce OF the
world.
III In that event Ship Island looms up
In importance rs never before, be-
I cause its location on this great high
way Of commerce, and it's close prox.
unity TO the coal fields Of Alabama, by
which coal for steamships could be
laid down at Ship leland cheaper than
az any poit on the Gulf Coast. These,
Ths,e Jany o.her cogent reasons, were
emily amplifed by him. showing
sep the success OF the enterprise will
1t1nure to the material prosperity Of the
: \ State. He said that the company had
on hand funds sufficient to grade forty
miles o. the road, and that II they can
etiaccntrol OF the labor OF the convicts
on the terms set forth In the bill be-
\ fore the House, he had assurances
Z tom capitalists Of Obtaining money
! sufficient 10 build the read, and he
4 firmly believed that they could and
\ w0nld complete II In FIVE years; that
he was In earnest and determined 10
+ build Il.
\ 3 ( Col. w. O. Falkner q Ripley fol.
4 lowed In q short address, making On
\ earnest appeal in behalf OF the prof.
;, ect Such was his confidence in its
success that II the bill in question
fhould become o law he was willing
20 conss lidate the Ripley road, all OF
10 iHiTst mortgage bonds OF which
(f250,O00) are owned by him and two
Others, together with part OF the
capital stock, on terms OF the follow
inR import; That the Gulf and Ship
Island Company will purchase the
hondao Of the Ripley road, amounting
10 $3.50, 900, at par value, and to give,
therefore, its own first mott Iage bonds
Of like amount, bearing per cent. in:
tcreBl, and that no greater amo1nt OF !
L these bonds than $4,000 per mile |
eiehall be issued on any part OF the line |
Of said road; that until the compile |
ton If the road as far south as the |
townlos Pontot)c the net earnings of |
the Ripley road shall be applied ID |
the payment OF the interest on the |
bonds OF the Gull and Ship Island |
road, TO be sold 10 the Ripley read |
and after completion as far South az
the town Of Pontotoc the net earnings |
Of the whole road to be applied ID |
the interest on the bonds held by the |
Ripley road In the same ratio which |
twenty-five miles shall bear to the |
whole length Of the road operated un. |
til the completion OF the same, then |
said bonds 10 stand upon the same |
flotipg With the other bonds OF the |
3Gult and Ship Island Railtoai |
CompaEy; that the $250,00O of |
the bonds each of the two roads |
be denosited IN the Union and Plant |
ers' Bank Of Memphis until the road is |
open Tor traffic to the Gulf, when each |
company Is TO have possession CT the |
j bonds Of the ether EXCHANGED as
aloresa.d that in sixty days sfIer said
terms or agreement are contaminated
the Gull and Ship Island Company lie
4, put not less than 100 convicts 10
work on the road from Ripley south
ward and TO keep them continuously
at work until the read is compl,t ID to
the town eli Pontoios, unless legally
on Otherwise deprived OF the labor Of
tbn convlcis; ely, or majority, Of the
outstanding stock OF the Ripley road
n be exchanged for like amount of
stuck In the Gulf and Ship Island road
within thirty days alter work shall
be commenced on the ext snsion from
Ripley, the extension to Pontotoc 10
nnrg0v-gauge. but the grading, cross
ties and bridges to be made with ref