The Daily clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1888, 1886-01-29
[coMMUsIcATED.l
The Memphis, Birmingham & At
lantic Railroad Company.
ANSWER TO RAILROAD. 4"

name and in the disguise OF an Impair
tial observer The plain farts Of the
case are as follows, viz:
/. The Kansas City Railroad Com
pany, up TO within few months ago,
bad the most ample opportunity to
purchase the property now owned by
the Memphis. Birmingham Il Atlantic
Railroad Company, and it declined TO
do 50 though often importuned on the
express grounds that it was not the
purpose or intention of that company to
come east of the Mississippi river.
2. The owners of this property hav-
ing failed in their efforts to sell to
tue Kansas City Company sold con-
trolling interest in the property to Mr..
J. B. Pace and associates, who reside at
Richmond, Virginia, and who were at
the time assured that the Kansas City
company would sustain towards them
an attitude Of friendly commercial inter
course. They purchased with full
knowledge of the fact that it was the
ayowed policy of the Kansas City Com
pany not to come east of the river.
3. These purchasers, and their associ
ates at Memphis, organized the Memphis,
Birmingham and Atlantic Company, for
the express purpose OF extending the
raad from Holly Springs to Birmingham.
They have made all the necessary finan
cial arrangements to do the work, and
have only delayed active operations until
they could procure legislation autho
rizing them to change their main line
from Columbus to Birmingham.
L. The Legislature of Mississippi has the
highest assurances that the Memphis,
Birmingham & Atlantic Railroad Com
pany will build, equip and operate its
line at the earliest day practicable. Its
stockholders are all citizens OF Virginia
and Tennessee and are men of acknow
lodged wealth, integrity and enterprise.
The Richmond parties have invested
nearly, if not quite, four hundred thous-
and dollars in the purchase Of coal and
iron lands on the route. The Company
has forty.s miles of railroad in opera
ton. 1t has its line surveyed to Biz
mingham. II has the right of way pro-
cured. 1t has the money in bank to
construct its road from Holly Springs
to the Mobile & Ohio Road, and
Mr.. Pace, the President of the Company,
in answer to telegram, states that the
contract for construction will be made
in twentyfour hours after he feels
assured that the Kansas City Company
will not be granted charter to run a
road to Birmingham along its right of
way.
s. Since the 18th day Of last Decem.
Der when the President of the Kansas
City Company wrote such emphatic as
surances of friendly commercial inter
course, that company has changed its
policy. Through Mr.. Newman Erb, its
attorney, and also the attorney of the
Memphis, Birmingham and Atlantic
Railroad Comps it has acquired full
knowledge of every fact pertaining to
the latter Company. Its right of way,
its surveys, the cost of the road and the
earnings of the completed portion were
all known to it. An attempt, whether
genuine or feigned, { neither know or
care,) was made by the Kansas City
Company to purchase the property and
franchises of the Memphis, Birmingham
and Atlantic Railroad Company, and
the last named Company expressed the
determination and the wish to retain the
property and build the road. Thereup.
on the Kansas City Company, by its
trusted representative, threatened if it
did not sell, the Kansas City Company
would procure charter and parallel III
road"
In pursuance of this threat the Kan
sas City Company, by its general coun-
sci, Mr., Pratt, who resides at Kansas
City, has prepared charter for the in
corporation of the Kansas City, Mem.
phs and Birmingham Railroad Com.
pany. The Hon J. w. Clapp, of
Memphis and Gen. Blair,o Leavenworth
Kansas, are here urging the passage of
this charter. am here insisting that
it should be so amended as to release the
Company | represent from the mearace
which would otherwise impair the value
of It's securities.
7. The proposed charter is for
railroad running in the general
direction of Birmingham" BY emitting
to designate any locality in the charter
it is sought by this general phraseology
to conceal the sting and suppress the
real purposes of its promoters. 1t is
cunningly devised to catch votes
General direction" means Oxford
West Point and Columbus; il
means Pontotoc, Okolona, Aberdeen
and Columbus; it means Ashland
Ripley, Bonneville aud Guntown; and
it means New Albany, Tupelo and
Fulton, the last named being on the
line of the road | represent. In short
it means every county and every town
in North Mississippi.
s. The amendment proposed ty the
friends of the Memphis, Birming
ham Il Atlantic Railroad Company
is simply to restrict the charter SC
as to prohibit the proposed company
from locating its line within twelve
miles of an air line from Holly Springs
TO New Albany, from New Albany to
Tupelo, from Tupelo to Fulton, and
from Fulton to the Alabama line in the
direction of Birmingham. 1t will be
seen that our line calls Tor four county
seats, to wit: Holly Springs, New
Albany, Tupelo and Fulton. There 10
not single county seat within the belt
from which the proposed company is
excluded. 1t is said by many that the
best route to Birmingham is by way
of Pontotoc, Okolona and Aberdeen.
It is said by others that by way of Gun
town is the best route. We have sur
veyed and adopted the route through
New Albany Tnneln and Enltnn Tn, re