The primitive Republican. (Columbus, Miss.) 18??-1852, 1851-08-28

/ it JEFFERSON.
%, 1861
duces, and to purchase all that be requires.
on much better terms than now. sothat lie
would b doubly gamer The citizens Of
eastern Mississippi, had last season, practi-
cal demonstration Of the loss and delay aris-
ing from d dependence upon river navigation.
Had this railroad been constructed at that
time, the planter might have had his cotton at
Mobile, when the market was at its best, in
stead Of being obliged to submit to an enor-
nous reduction in price. "A very intelligent
gentleman Of Lowndes county, recently made
al. accurate estimate Of the loss sustained,
by the people Of that county, on the crop of
last year-the loss being the difference be-
tween the price obtained or offered for it when
it reached Mobile, and the price it would
have commanded when ready for market
aud he found it amounted to a sum sufficient
to build the railroad through the county.
These are facts that address themselves en-
phatically to the pockets of men. The evils
of last winter may recur again and again
No skill can guard against them, noprudence
can escape them.
The only security is in the early. compile
ton Of an avenue to market that shall be
always open and always available The
completion of this railroad would be Of vast
benefit to the MERCHANT. He could then
do an equal amount of business on a far less
capital than MOVE Instead of being obliged
to lay in stock for years trade at once, he
might receive fresh supplies weekly or dali
lly if he choose It would enable him to
sell much cheaper than he now can, and of
course his customers would profit by it,
Take for Illustration the prime article of bag
ging and rope. Now he is obliged to keep
stock year ahead of the demand He
must purchase it at New Orleans or Mobile,
paying commissions, insurance, dray and
wharf charges, and freight for nearly 1000
miles carriage added to its original cost.
This road completed, he could purchase
of the manufacturer as he wanted it, and
would only have freight to pay for from 200
to 400 miles of carriage
This season much suffering is anticipated
in portions of Eastern Mississippi and Wcs-
tern Alabama, from deficiency in the corn
crop, and am told corn is now selling at
some points for 81 so per bushel, and that
the country must be supplied by importa-
ton from the west, by way of New Orleans
aud Mobile-at carriage of nearly 1000
miles. Suppose this road completed and
how would it be /? Why corn could be pur-
chased now at its northern terminus for from
IS cents tos1 per barrel, and could be land
led at Columbus for so cents a barrel, so that
this whole region might be supplied with
corn at very low rate. Flour | am told
was selling last fall at Columbus at So pei
barrel, and it cost that to get it there; bat
: had this road been in operation, it might
5 have been sold at six. Salt has also been ex.
ceedingly high at times, and bacon is high
} now; with this railroad, they conld at any
: time be procured at reasonable prices. This
is tempting and fruitful theme, but an
already extending this article far beyond my
t original design, and must hasten to aeon
S clusion. It was not my intention to elabo
i rate, I wished merely to throw out sugges
: tions that occurred to me, after giving mucl
study and thought to the subject, with til,
6 lhope that they might induce a people s.
: deeply interested in the enterprise as ar,
those address, to pursue the investigation
e for themselves. 1 will however, add anoth
s er thought before dismissing this part of th
subject: and that is the effect of railroad
. upon the value Of lands, &C., contiguous t
s them. There is scarcely an instance of .
railroad in successful operation, where th
advanoein the value of real estate from i
6 construction, does not exceed the entire COS
5 Of the road.
: The increased valuation is frequently ]
: advance Of the expenditure. Mobile afford
= an illustration Of this when the work va
:. y commenced on this road the assessed yalu'
: ton Of real estate in the city was nine mi
lion Of dollars. A little more than half
n million has. been expended on the road, an
pc the last appraisement little exceeded ele
Of en- millions. Thus showing return to Il
ID city of two millions of dollars in the increa
ne ed value Of her real estate, for an outlay
Sc half a million.
he TO illustrate still farther, let any one
along the line OF the road and offer any Ian
of owner an advance Of ten per cent upon q
ia price set for his land three years ago, Al
en- how many would accept it? Yet the no
st has not reached Mississippi. f what I ha
he said be true, the people along the lines a
nd In the counties contiguous to the road, b
be better gre were it necessary twice over t
isi- amount required to put this road e operati
ngg through this State But this is not asked
rs desired. There can be nodoubtof the sto
tn being very valuable, and were Il not 50,
ere that You subscribe is expended among Is
80 x4 II ! -