The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1886-01-20

Mr.. EDITOR Upon the "Chicasaw
Bluffs" of pioneer days sits Memphis,
THE BLUFF CITY
of Tennessee. A wonderful and check
cred career has been hers, but in spite
of pestilence and war the city still pros
pers and grows The industry of the
modern South has made Memphis a city
OF enterprise and importance, without
completely obliterating the old southern
air Of opulence and repose, and to-day
she stands a queer mixture of capital
and labor, industry and ease. 1t is the
metropolis of a large section embracing
portions of Mississippi, Arkansas, and
Kentucky, as well as Tennessee, and
millions and millions of cotton-bales are
brought to and shipped from her busy
marts each year. The majestic Father
If Waters" is a channel that turns great
wealth into the city, and during the cot
ton season the steamers do a big bust
ness in carrying cotton, to say nothing
of other products. The river, however,
has been for years a constant menace to
the city, threatening to undermine the
bluffs and let them drop into the cnan-
mel. The big elevator of the Mississippi
Elevator Company toppled into the
river two years ago, and it was feared
that the elegant new stone custom
house might some day follow it. This
building, Just finished at an immense
cost, is situated on the bluff by the pub
lie landing. The River Commission and
its engineers have been and still are
working to prevent this, and much
money has been expended. 1t may be
supposed that prompt and efficient
measures will prevent the treacherous
stream from doing further serious in
jury, but then the Mississippi is a
mighty volume OF water and one that is
hard to depend on. It generally has its
own way, and when it takes a notion to
swipe out a town or take a short cut
across the country, it might as well be
humored.
During the busiest cotton shipping
months it is no uncommon sight to see
a steamer loaded with cotton until
nothing remains visible but the pilot
house and smoke-stacks. Cleopatra s
barge may have been an elegant craft
but it wouldn't have a show alongside
some of the boats that now navigate the
Mississippi, either for comfort or speed.
The big boats, with their broad decks,
electric lights, and elegantly furnished
saloons and staterooms are veritable
floating palaces,
Memphis has had great deal OF hard
luck The war was rather hard on the
city, and the yellow fever scourge of rs
almost depopulated the city. She has
survived these Affections, and as much
more stringent sanitary rules are now
enforced there need be little fear thai
such another calamity will ever fall
upon her, Her population now mum
bers about $4,000 souls, and is increasing
steadily. Among other enterprises now
talked of is a big bridge over the river
and I opine that within another decade
another monster iron span will connec
the east shore with the west.
At Memphis I met lots of friends
Bob Armstrong, who used to be foreman
in the mechanical department Of thD
paper which was assisting in conduct
ing in Vicksburg, now has a simila
position in the Kellogg AuXilliary ofic,
here. "Big" Smith, who was also ont
Of my partners in iniquity, has ceaseI
to get up" the river column, having
supplanted an offensive partisan on thu
| L., n. 0. d II. mail route between Mem
phis and Nix. also was so fortunate
as to make the acquaintance of Messrs
Picard and Colston, of the Aralaucls
and Brooks, of the Appeal, who are
credits to modern American journalism
Aside from all these favorable points
Memphis is celebrated for beauuiu
women, and if the Judgment of a con
frmed and crusty bachelor may b,
worth consideration shall take pleasur,
in stating that its reputation is no
undeserved.
After Memphis came Brownsville, &
little county seat in the country, anC
thence we joumeyed to
CLARKsyGLLE-oN-THE-CUMBERLAND
Which is often mentioned in the ac
counts of the campaigns in this section
during the war. 1t is also a live towI
of the "new southern" order, with man
uiacturing and business interests O
considerable importance, and I shoulD
iudpe that it is the home of about eigh