Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-09-02
MEMPHIS MASS MEETING.
Tho Reasons Why the Railroad Has Not Given
the Town OF Memphis a Depot
and Switch.

Judge J. c. Sherwin of Quanah was
introduced to a GAZETTE man at the
Pickwick last night. Upon being intro
duced, the judge said:
lam very glad to see representativ .
Of your paper. Your paper this morn
ing publishes the proceedings of mass
meeting held at Memphis and l want to
say a few words to your readers in de-
Tense OF the Fort Worth and Denver
railroad which has done more for Fort
Worth, the Panhandle and the state OF
Texas than all the other roads In the
state together. Twill try and give you
in q few words the reasons why the rail-
road has not given the town of Memphis
a depot and switch. The town of Sails
bury was located and established by the
railroad company when tbs railroad was
constructed early in the year 1887. A
depot was built and telegraph and ex-
press office was placed there at that
time which have been maintained ever
since.
The largest store and lumber yard In
Hall county was established, which does
twice as much business rs all the other
stores in the county.
Not until the summer of 1889 was the
town of Memphis thought of, and then
purely as a town-site speculation.
Before the promoters OF the town had
spent dollar for improvements they
were told by all the officers of the road
that the road could not place switch at
Memphis, as 1t was only three and one
half miles from Salisbury and four or
FIVE miles from Giles, another station on
the railroad on the other side, and as
Memphis was located on a very unfavor-
able grade for stopping trains justice to
the railroad would not allow them to To-
cate q switch or depot there where there
was no business, as they had already es-
tablished sufficient railroad facilities for
that county and section. At different
times after that the request was made of
the railroad officials with the same result.
Yet the owners of the town not content
constantly made boasts that they would
force the railroad compan, to give them
a depot. Memphis IL situated in the
n ortheast corner of the county, within
six miles of the Donley county line, and
two miles of the Collinsworth line. The
"whereas and resolutions OF the Mem
phis people are full of Representations
from beginning to end, and are like all
the statements which have been spread
abroad by these same people ever since
they began their speculation. The Sin
justice and tyranny" connected with this
matter are and have been exercised or
attempted to be by the people against the
railroad. The railroad owns no land in
lots at Salisbury except the right of way.
The "people' of Memphis are the tall
ors of TooleY street.-the men who own
the land-who want to make a town.
Uncer the example of the people of
| Memphis the people of another county
along the line Of the road are talking of
taking the same steps, viz: OF starting 3
town between two stations already es-
tablished By the railroad company. II
the railroad company yields in one case
It will have TO in all. 1 will further state
that it is claimed by many citizens of
Hall county that the seat of Hall county
was not lawfully located at Memphis,
and they have taken steps TO have the
question tested in the courts.