The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-05-30
THE BRIDGE TO BIZ BUILT
THE KANSAS CITY ROAD IN.
DURSED BY THEMRRCaANTS.
Proceedings Of an Important Meet
ing Held at the Cotton Ex.
change Yesterday.

change Yesterday.
Few more important me q IS
have ever been held in this city than
tina. which was called together at the
Cotton Exchange at 3 O'Clock Yesterday
evening. Mr.. j. I. Petit was made
Chairman.
MR.. NEWMAN ERB EXPLAINS.
Mr.. Newman Erb was called on for
infOImstion Ielftive II the bridge bill
OF the Kansas G ty and Memphis Rail
road and b idge Company, and ie-
responded, saying that his company
was Iecel tly organized for the pur-
pose OF constructing, owning and
operating bridge across the Missis-
tippi river at Memphis. Toe oTRsni-
cation WIS in the interest Of the Kan
sal City, Springfield aud Memph his,
the Kansas CITY, Memphis and Biz
miugham Ia'lro d and the st. Louis.
Iron Mountain and Southern Railroad
Companies, who alone now had u
d rec, sui stantlsl interest in the en-
terprise. The bill conferred no ex-
clu,iye pr vi eyes, and created 10
monopoly, it provided that the bridge
should be- open to the uss OF all
railroad companies &c irlng TO
use it On equal terms, and
the tolls ara sui je, to regulation by
the Secretary OF War. Continuing,
he said that the man cement of the
KaI sas CITY road bai been proceeding
quietly and dsl,bstaiely in reference
TO the matter. A thor )uPh investiRa-
ton OF the practicability, locat 90,
cott and plans fJr tbs proposed ttruct-
ure had been prepared by q Compe tent,
experienced eneinser Of national
fame, and the funds, between $500
000aud "a, 0C0, 900, had b.en pledged to
the al terpriss. The msnagem snt of
the Kansas CITY road is not given to
sp9t ulative enterprises or vaingloriou1
boltt'. Its INT thods era chsracteIiz d
by carsiu delibersto", and by a
wSys dong just what it promis 10
perform In this case it prop lses to
build this bidge just as soon as it can
be done, promptly on securing tbs
grant ( ON Congress.
MR.. scHooLFIELD's RESOLUTION.
Mr.. W. W. Schcolfsl then offered
the following resolution:
WHEREAS, The Kansas City and
Memphis Railroad and Bridge Com
pany, recently org nized for the pur-
pose of constructing and operating
bridge aero the Mississippi river at
Memphis, has now bill pending 10
Congress granting it the necessary
authority in that behalf; and whereas,
said company is organized and con-
irolled in the int est of the Kan as
City, Springfield and Memphis and
the Kansas City, Memphis and Biz.
mingham Railroad Companies and
other railroads; it is therefore
Resolved, That it is the sense of this
meeting, composed of the Cot on and
Merchants Exchanges and citizens OF
Memphis, that a bridge at Memph' s
is a greaE and important commercial
necessity 10 the trade and commerce
of the Mississippi Valley and the
South, and will be Of immeasurable
value in establishing the commercial
supremacy OF Memphis as a great dis
tributing and railroad center.
Resolved, That the Kansas City and
Memphis Railroad and Bridge Com
pany being organized in the interest
OF existing raiiro Dis, by gent emen Of
well-known wealth who have a d rect
interest in the construction and use Of
the bridge and in whose assurance of
good faith we have full confidence, in
the opinion OF this meeting offers the
REST assurance of the immt diae use
of the bridge grant, and that we be-.
lieve we will be surer of securing a
bridge at an earlier day through that
company than any other.
Resolved, That our Representa- YES
and the Representatives of Arkansas,
Mississippi and Alabama in Co gress
be earnestly requested TO aid in secur-
ing the early passage of the br dye
bin of the Kansas City and Memphis
Railroad and Bridge Company, and
that copies OF these resolutions be for
waIded to them respectively.
MAI. M'FARLAND's MOTION IN LIEU.
Mr., w. r. Moore said there was
another company represented which
ought to be heard from in a spirit Of
fairness.
Mpj. Mcfarland sa'd he agreed that
II bridge were to be built it ought to
be built speedily. "S)me months
ago." he said "Mr. A. P. Boiler, repre-.
senting men of lirse capital, came
here for the purpose of arrangiug 10
build q bridge. They made the prop
ar survey snd stare the movement.
In March" Maj. McFar and continued,
1--WE obtained charter, but found il
would be necessary to have an act Of
Congress. We also discovered tha'
Others had previously obtained g
charter. An effort was made by Mr.
Boiler to get that charter, thinking t.
save time. Since that time the Kan.
sas City, Springfield and Memphis
Company have come to the front as a
bridge builder. The important point
for Us to consider is 10 whom the priv.
ile0e of bu Id Ing a bridge should be
granted; whether we sha ! giant il tc
combination for the benefit Of one
or two railroads, or TO en- organization
which viii treat all railroads alike
So far rs Congress is con cerned, IL has
jurisdiction so fer as riparian rights
go, and no further The bridge mus
be built in the Southern part of the
city, and the aces to it is over very
narrow isthmus. Thisis one argument
against giving it to any one road. AL
that our company asks is that you re
fer the matter as to whom the right
shall be given to our congressman