The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-02-17
GROWTH OF BUSINESS IN LAST 40 YEARS PROVES
MEMPHIS, AS DISTRIBUTING CENTER, is SUPERIOR

Strat5gIcaIly situated from a gee
graphical standpoint Memphis is today
Faaping the benefits that were predicted
for her half a century ~ when COM
mercia pursuits generally We're Of the
small town" variety. but with splendid,
alluring promises for the future,
Ten trunk line railroads and the two
bridges across the Mississippi river the
only structures SPANNING the Father OF
Waters" south Of Thebes. IL, are the
principal contributing factors. The river
Itself, although II has fallen into COM
parative disuse these last few years,
has contributed 10 no small extent "a
the growth OF Memphis as "A distribut-
ing center. and with the promised good
roads activity for the entire surround
ing country within the next few years
through state and federal financing, dis
uibuung facilities should be further en-
HANGED.
ANY city that has the railroad eoa-
nection which permit speedy dispatch
Oh merchandise In any direction al any
time Of the day or night, and whose pas a..
senge train service Is on the scale OF
efficiency enjoyed by freight, Is bound
to become a center Of distribution.
True of Memphis.
This Is especially true Of Memphis for
reasons other than its railroad taclli-
ties. One iS the low rates the city en-
Joys on both inbound and outbound
shipments and the milling-tn-transtt
rate on several articles Of manufacture
which was recently permitted by re
interstate commerce commission Il =
ether IS that Memphis IS the natural
metropolis OF a vast territory roughly
circled by a trade radius extending mid-
way between st Louis and Memphis on
the north and New Orleans and Menu
phis on the south,
Some idea Of the train service from
Memphis may be obtained from the fol-
lowing table. which shows the distance
from Memphis to big center in the
New York. Sc hours; New Orleans, II
hours; Chicago, 1911 hours, ST. Louis,
zine hours Philadelphia, 81 hours,
Pittsburgh. 95 hours, indianapolis, u
hours; Buffalo, 24a hours Cleveland,
90 hours; Detroit. 20h hours; Cincinnati,
is hours; Washington, 70 hours Rich
mond. Is hours; Chattanooga 10 hours;
Charleston, "a hours; Savannah, 90
hours. Jacksonville, % hours; Atlanta
IL hours. Birmingham, 81 hours; Mo-
bile, IA hours: Louisville, IL hours; Gal
weston. % hours. Houston, 20 hours;
shreveport. 10 hours; Dallas, is hours,
Oklahoma City, lsIs hours, Wichita, q
hours: Denver, IS hours: Omaha, %
hours, Kansas City, II hours.
In other words, with but two or three
exceptions. the great trade centers Of
The North. East, South and West are
but a days journey.
Rates Attractive.
Every packing house Of any impor-
lance In the country maintains plants
or warehouses In Memphis. why?
simply because OF transportation facili-
Ties which permit the maximum Of ter.
ritorial distributions at minimum rates.
Manufacturers OF flour, meal, mixed
feeds, saw mill machinery, structural
materials, mill supplies, hardware. aRri-
cultural implements, automobiles and
accessories. farm machinery OF every
description, dry goods, drugs, etc, also
make tremendous distributions from
Memphis.
Here, in a condensed form, are a few
figures that may prove interesting in
this connection. as recorded in the lat
est publication OF the Chamber OF Com
Eneyce:
Agricultural implements. including
fAarTn wagons. are distributed from
Memphis within a radius OF 400 miles.
70 the value OF s12.5 800, 900 annually.
structural steel, sawmill and railroad
supplies, tanks and boilers and output
g machine shop and foundries reach a
total Of $40. 00o. 900.
Drugs, proprietary medicines and al
Ned products. including those manufac-
fnred N Memphis, involve a total OF
VI, 0o0, 900 each year.
!. groceries n provisions are distri-
puted by wholesale grocery houses here
% b extent Of $42, $780, 900 annually,
making this the third largest grocery
In the United States
wholesale handlers Of dry gpoda
and notions are selling SIS, 900. 900 WORTH
% these in the South every IL months
Cotton drawn into Memphis each
year = distributed from this center
10 every part Of the United STATS ants
overseas involves APPROXIMATION s@EtH
COCO every year w.
Hardwood lumber, including that