The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-03-23
RAILROADS AND A CITY.
WHY THEY ARE LITTLE BENEFIT UN-
LESS ENTIRELY FRIENDLY.
A Business Man Who Knows Details
Information that Proves Memphis lie
Not Favored BY Any Line Centering
Here-A Ray of Hope.


known Front street merchant TO an Ar
PEAL reporter yesterday, the present com
mercial supremacy OF Memphis is difficult
to understand at anything less than a
providential blessing. 1t also proves that
railroads, unless friendly, do not always
give city an upward boost in the scale Of
prosperity and general vitality. The bust
ness man quoted is one Of those shrewd,
but upright, conscientious and sterling
characters that meet and overcome OBJ.
stacles both orhmseli and the community
in which his fortunes have been cast. The
conversation, begun on the subject OF poll
tics turned on business as affected by ex-
orbtant freight rates. Said the merchant;
''The situation begins to look very much
brighter Tor Memphis commercially speak
ing. A sweeping reduction in freight rates
has recently been made on the Louisville
X Nashville railroad, amounting 10 two
thirds, and in some instances even more.
Heretofore it has been almost impossible
for Memphis to enter the country traversed
by that road. owing to shameful discrim-
ination in favor Of Louisville. Why, that
city could put freight down at Bartlett,
only eleven miles from here, as cheap as
we could"
"How far will the revised tariff of rates
enable Memphis merchants 10 enter into
competition with those OF Louisville?'
Paris, Tenn, and give us margin for n
living profit. Where the revised schedule
establishes 3 cents. the former charge was
nine, This ratio prevails up to 10 cents,
which succeeds - cent rate"
Docs not the interstate commerce com
mission prohibit any such discrimination
by the railroad2'
"Yes, where any one elects TO lay the
grievance before that body; but II has to
60 through such long string OF red tape
that no one firm or individual cares 20
make the test. Exceptions 10 this rule
have been made, however, and successful
". One Mississippi merchant carried the
matter OF overchargc on one bale OF cotton
before the commission and recovered
judgment. Thus encouraged another bus
incss man followed suit and recovered on
| 800 bales"
But is their no recourse for such prac-
tice short Of the interstate commerce COM
missiOn2"
"Of course all the roads have claim and
contracting freight agents, and an appeal
to them sometimes effects the same pur-
pose. AS said before. we do not care 10
assume the attitude Of open warfare
against the railroads, and we have been
working on that line. For instance, we
collected facts and figures, brought them to
the attention Of the agent, unaccompanied
by threats, and generally secured what we
wanted. But the arrangement was not
permanent enough TO be entirely satisfac-
tory. In the matter OF the claims, the
Memphis & Charleston railroad Is awful.
Not long ago the company transferred its
claim agent TO Chattanooga. Several
months ago I shipped n lot OF freight to
a point little off the main line. Instead
OF reaching It's destination, II Is now stored
alta point away up there in East Tcnnes.
SEQ, and can't get pay for II or have IL re-
turned"
SLOW are the other roads leading into
the city2"
"Not one Of them is what might Dc
properly termed friendly 10 Memphis,
In the sense generally understood. The
Huntington system is operated In the in.
terest Of Louisville on the upper division,
and New Orleans on the lower We can't
do anything on the Chcsapeak < Ohio "a
1 70
way on the Mississippi Valley. The Kan.
sas City road coniesscdly works for Kansas
City, and the Illinois Central has no love
for Memphis at all. II il easy enough 10
get goods here, but difficult 10 distribute
them. We have boosted Of and relied a
great deal on the road from here 10 Bir-
miugham, but as part Of the Neitlcion sys-
tenn, Il enters into the pull for Kansas
City. True, Il has made n reduction ON
certain classes OF freight that will give
Memphis living chance, for all Of which
we feel grateful, but Il doesn't enter into
the support OF Memphis against all rivals,
like a thoroughly friendly rad would.
And tho Mobile < Ohio road, that's sim
| ply atrocious. IL regards Memphis in the
same way rattlosnake would, ready 10
poison her 10 the death, II possible.
/ II will not even make connection with any
road running trains from here. Take
raldwyn, Miss, Tor example, which n
about 100 miles from Memphis, only a few
miles south Of Corinth, and on the Mobile
& Ohio line. Mail n letter from here 10.
night II IL distributed at Cornlh tomor.
row morning. waits for q train, and the
Baldwin party addressed receives II the
following day, about thirty-six hours. The
only way we could get cotton from of IL
line Is by having Il shipped TO Corinth un-
der the State railroad commission, then
have Il rcshippcd 10 Memphis. II will
not pro-mte with anyroad In our favor"
"Why doesn't the mail service look after
this state Of aiIairs2"
III cannot say, but II does not"
"IIow have the Memphis merchants
managed 10 pull the city forward Ia such q
distinguished rank, thenr'
THAT Is a mystery 10 me, but We have
had 10 cut the profits down 10 almost moth.
ing. Take carload Of -four, for instance.
On that we could only make profit Of -,
and ON meat Of Sill. Say VIC wait thirty
days Tor the purchase money, and you car
easily see that u we had 10 borrow 30 carry
II there would be no margin nj all, But
there In freight bureau organized here
nov and 10 that institution We may all look
for a revolution In freight charges. Indi.
yiduals could never see the philosophy oI
bringing suit for claims arising from dis.
elimination, unless Il were unusually large
But with the bureau In operation, Ill will
intrust their claims 10 Il, and contests will
ensne unless the railroads do the fair
thing"
"was not Memphis at one time In posi-
ton 10 become a great grain distributing
point did she not make the start, and j
30, how was the movement checkmatet
and broken up1'
THAT n correct and painful reflection
and properly laid nj the door Of unfricndl,
railroads. About a year ago grain mer
came here 10 the number Of half n dozen
and several local dealers began the buui