The primitive Republican. (Columbus, Miss.) 18??-1852, 1851-09-18

his annual supplies The demands Of his
family are pressing and constant, and he is
obliged to seek credit in the town where he
il known The merclal sell hm from
tine to time what lie needs, and hen his
crop natures, becomes KS purchaser Thus
a kind Of barter is constantly kept UP conses
nicnt and necessary to the one party and prof
table to the other.
Is it not fact that Columbus derives her
support more from the trade size receives
from Pickens, Fayette and from the small
planters of Noxubee and Lowndes and the
counties adjoining on the West, than from
the many wealthy planters who surround her!
Being the shipping port Of millions of dol
lars worth of produce is little advantage to a
town unless the avails of it, or portion at
least, are scattered among its citizens Now,
it seems clear to me, that Columbus will lose,
by the construction of this railroad very lit
tie of the profitable trade she now receives.
She would rather largely increase it by the
strong inducements which such a railroad
connection would enable her to offer. As
suming that the profits of her business, are
mostly derived in the manner have suppos-
cd, Is there anythingin the completion of the
railroad, to change this current of trade?-
VIII the small planter have any more real
facilities for trade with Mobile than he has
now? And if he has would it be to his in
tcrcst to 60 there2 Will not the daily de-
mands Of his household be the same as now?
VIII he have any greater probable ability to
buy at wholesale, his necessaries for theyear
than he now has? And is it not preposter-
Gus to suppose that he would send from week
to week or from month to month to Mobile,
buy at retail there, and pay freight and
charges, which are always proportionably
much greater on small packages than on large?
"But there will be town built upat the rail-
road depot, where all our trade west Will be
stopped" IfColumbus were small X roads
town without capital or influence, l admit
there would be strong probability Of rival
at the depot, but there is too much capital in
vested here, there are too many interests clus-
tering about the place, it is too well built,
and has and will have too great facilities for
trade, to admit such suppositOn for mo-
mcnt There would be warehouses there,
Of course, and perhaps grocery or two, but,
if Columbus connect with the road, there
could be little growth beyond this. Cotton
would not of course be hauled across the rail
road to town, it would be left at the depot;
but the owner, if it be a small crop, would
come on himself to Columbus and purchase
his goods, and sell his cotton by sample, or
the cotton buyers could have an agent at the
depot to receive and report upon it, or, if
you connect by rail or plankroad it would be
very easy to go thithcr and inspect for your
selves With the facilities this road would
give him, the merchant of Columbus, from
the comparative chcapncss of rent, clerk hire,
&c &c, could afford to sell goods consider
ably cheaper than they could be rotailcd at
Mobile, thus making it the direct interest of
every small buyer within reach to trade here.
On the other hand, he could pay SO near the
Mobile market price for cotton, thatit would
be far better fror the maker of five, ten, TWEEN
ty, or even fifty bales to sell here, than to
pay transportation, commission, and the thou
sand and one charges, that somehow manage
to flston upon it before the proceeds reach
the hands of the owner Sothatit would be
doubly his interest to trade here. Then the
opening of this railroad would enlarge the
channels Of trade by diycrsifying the pro
duction of the farm and the plantation -
Many products which might easily be raised
and could then be in good demand, will moi
now pay for cultivation indeed will not bring
money at all All these would primarily
fud their way here, be bought up here, and
forwarded to the larger market. This would
give variety and spur to business, thatwoult
soon act like a charm upon the growth ant
prosperity of the town.
So much for the trade west From Ala
baml you would draw hither a much large
trade than now. The planter of the horde
counties, would not delay their cotton for thu
uncertain rise of the Warrior and Bigby.-
Columbus would become a toIerabIe marke
itself, and the planter would prefer haulin
here, for he would then have three chances Q
satisfactorily disposing of his crop, where h
now has but one. There would be the Gel
tainty of sending itaton to Mobile by raj
road--tho opportunity of selling for remunel
atiyo prices here, and third the chance of
rise in the rivers The supplies for larg
portion Of these counties would either be pu
chased here or be brought through here, an
the greater portion of their Mobile trav
would seek the railroad. The completion
the railroad would largely increase the POI
uIation, and that increase would be prime
pally Of the class most beneficial to the trat
of the town Even during its CONSTRUCTION
the road would bring a large and proftab
trade hither There would be the suppl
of the hands and teams at work upon it,
be furnished, and hundred other means
trade growing ont of this In this article