36 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



KlMJE OF THE VIISGIX FOUEST 



The Hub of the Hardwood World 



THE CITY OF MEMPHIS. 



\Vli''u Don Gayosii, the last S():iiiish gciMTiior of tbe jjreat streti-h 

 of territory embodied iu the Louisiana pureliase, celebrated the 

 liirthday of his master, the king of Spain, by crossing the Mississip])i 

 river from Arkansas to the present site of the magnificent city of 

 .Memphis, he little dreamed of the future greatnes.s of this chief city 

 of Tennessee. 



This meniorable trip occurred in 17S4, and started from Don 

 (Jayoso's encampment and headquarters at what is now known as 

 ilopefield, Ark., across the river from Memphis. Don Gayoso crossed 

 the river ui)on a flotilla with cannon and music and on dress parade. 

 He celebrated the occasion with pomp and splendor. 



The city of Memphis, now having a population of well towards 

 200,000 jicuple, is situated on the Chickasaw bluti's, forty feet above 

 high flater. It is laid out with broad, regular, well-paved and shaded 

 streets, with numberless handsome residences and scores of modern 

 fireproof steel, stone and concrete liusiness buildings that would do 

 credit to New York or Chicago. 



Sundry well substantiated (daims are made for Iilemphis whicli 

 are worthy of being set down in connection with this article: 



Memphis is the center of the greatest area of virgin hardwood 

 growtli in the T.^nited States, and Memphis men and ilemphis money 

 annually manufacture and market more than five hundred million 

 feet of oak, gum, Cottonwood, ash, hickory and cypress lumber. 



No city in its class has grown faster iu population and wealth in 

 the last decade than has the Tennessee metropolis. The population 

 in 1880 was 33,892; in 1890 it was 64,495; in 1900 it was 102,320; 

 and in 1910 it is approximately 200,000. The taxable wealth of the 

 city has doubled in the last sis years. 



Memphis has eleven trunk line railroads, i. "Derating seventeen dis- 

 (iiict lines in and out of the city. 



It borders on the Mississippi ri\er. a great thoroughfare with 

 freight carrying facilities equal to a thousand railroads. It has the 

 only bridge across the Mississippi river below the mouth of the 

 Oliio river. It enjoys the lowest freight rates of any city in the 

 Mississippi valley. Switching charges of only $2 a car are fixed for 

 all time by municipal ordinances. 



Three belt lines with interchangeable switching, municipally con- 

 trolled, afford nnexeelled facilities to mills, factories and other in- 

 dustries. 



The unexcelled distriljutiiig fa-ilities of the city are of paramount 

 :.dvantage, not only for mills and factories but for storage and 

 distributing warehouses. 



The city has nearly five hundred manufacturing establishments. 



Ideal labor conditions and an ample supply of labor prevail. 



Alcnijiliis is (he greatest iuhiml inHon niarket in the world, Imn- 



dhng one iiulUeu bales annually. It is therefore a most advantageous 

 point for cotton manufacturing becouse of its unequaled supply of 

 manufacturing material and its distributing facilities. It claims an 

 advantage of .$.5.20 a bale over New England as a saving in freight 

 rates. 



Memphis is the greatest producer of cotton seed products in the . 

 u orld. 



it has tliree stock yards and one local packing house. 



Buildings costing sixteen million dollars are in process of con- 

 struction this year. 



Mempliis has twenty-seven banks and trust companies, with re- 

 sources of forty-five million dollars. 



It is a United States port of entry and has the finest custom house 

 iu the South. It is the home port cf one hundred and seventy-five 

 steamboats, and is tiie third largest grocery jobbing market in the 

 United States. 



It is surrounded by the largest and most rapidly developing agri- 

 cultural territories in the nation. 



It has a splendid system of parks and parkways. Its parks contain 

 eight hundred and fourteen acres and the parkway is eleven and one- 

 half miles long and from one hundred and forty to one hundred 

 and sixty feet wide. Half a million dollars is being used on addi- 

 tional park improvements during 1910. 



Memphis has one hundred and sixty miles of improved streets and 

 large apiiropriations liave been made for further improvements during 

 the next two years. 



Tlie city has more than six hundred miles of turnpikes. Slielby 

 county, of which Memphis is the r-ouuty seat, has moi-e pike road than 

 any county in the United States. 



Memphis has one hundred and twenty miles of electric street rail- 

 way. 



It has the largest and most complete zoological garden in the 

 South, containing five hundred and thirty different animals. 



Water is supplied to Memphis by the greatest artesian well system 

 iu the United States. 



Memphis has an equitable and enjoyable climate. The death rate 

 is only 9.03 per thousand among its white residents, being third 

 among American cities in healthfulness. 



Memphis has a splendid sewerage system modeled after r-hose of 

 the greatest capitals of Europe. 



Its city liall is one of the mo.st beautiful public buildings in 

 America . 



Memphis has one hundred and fifty-seven churches, five theaters 

 and numerous minor places of amusement. 



Memphis contains twenty-three colleges and seminaries ; six busi- 

 ness colleges; two medical colleges; ten hospitals; three public 



