The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1852-03-23

station. The South, quietly and in
silence, looked on while this revolution
was making its changes.
After eli ,ther period of twenty
years, viz: in 1916, another era in com
mercial affairs, and tho business of
the sea, was commenced. In that
year, Jeremiah Thompson, Isuac
Wright, and others-in honor Of
whom the city of Now York should
erect n monument-commen the
system Of packet ships, departing at
stated periods throughout the year.
They put three vessels of 800 or
400 tons each, on the line to Liverpool,
to sail on stat, days regularly once
month, or tllercway. The croakcrs
all tn 'ught and many said, that these
ships would he "no go"-that they
were entirely too large, and that after
the day of sailing would arrive when
there would be neither freight or
passengers to take. But the stated
old Quaker who WAS in the concern
knew what he was about. Tie sailed
on the regular day, and gave his cap
tains the postage upon all the letters
conveyed to and fro, for quick
passage he promised them IL new
gown for their wives, sometimes
new coat for thcmclvcs.
The 'Lncrs," as the packet ships of
New York came to be called, went on
increasing i'll numbers aud size and in
favor with merchants and ship owners,
until the sea became white with their
sails, and New York the focus from
which they divcrgcl to all parts of the
world, and to which they all returned.
Opposition lines were got up to
Liverpool, and independent ones cstab-
lislled to London and IIavrc. Besides
these, lines of packet ships, packet
brigs, and packet schooncrs were cs-
tablishcd between New York and eve
ry seaport town in the United States
They all had their regular day Of sail
ing, and daily fleets of them were to
he seen going out and coming into the
harbor Of New York.
Having their regular days of sailing
for New York, they would bring any
thing at any rate Of freight that would
pay for putting i'll and taking out, rath-
or than return empty. Hence they
would take for mere song, pine wood
from Virginia, naval stores from North
Carolina, stones from New England,
because Cuba ores served for ballast.
Thus the packet system built up
New York, and made her the great
central market for all the surplus pro-
ducc of all sorts from all parts Of the
sca-board. Whatever the country pro
duccd for sale, samples Of it were
brought by the packets to the whurvcs
at New York, and thus the warehouses
Of that city became al immense varic-
ty store, in which is to be found what.
ever is to he bought or sold III the
United Suites.
The packet ships carried tic mails
across the Atlantic. They nndc New
York the point of communication with
the Old World; and they controlled
the business Of dispatch for the whole
country. They were the "Adnms'
Express" of the day. The merchants
of the North and the South all sent by
them tor their spring and fall fashions
their light goods, small parcels
special orders were executed in that
way. So completely had they monop-
olized everything for New York in the
way of foreign business, travel and
correspondence, that in the year 1887,
when they had served ont twenty years
there was not Il single vessel that
cleared from Boston to Liverpool. -
But they had rum their twenty years.
and another era in the business of
commerce was about to rise.
In, 1887 commenced the era of Ocean
Steam Navigation, though twenty
years before that the South had sent
out an avant courier from Gcurgii; but
the South rested content with the hon
or of being the first to stride across the
Atlantic under steam. This was the
337-wlcn the idea was thrown
ont that Virginia should offer to coop
crate with the French and invite them
to send their steamers into Norfolk.
The steamers, contrary to all cXpcc-
tatlons, gave an impulse to the packet
ships. the packet Ships reacted upon
the steamers, and both greatly incrras-
cd i'll numbers and enlarged the bust
ness of the country. Boston got its
line OF steamers, sent its ships to Liver
pool, and recovered ut the trade. and
more too, than it had lost when steam
crs first began to ply.
The steamers, it was found so far
from interfering with the regular Line"
created IL business of their own. New
York looked on quietly for ten years,
before she understood this matter, or
began to move in it. But New York
during the interval, was feeling the
way with English capital, as in the
meantime Norfolk might have done
with French capital. Finally, New
York got the federal government com
mittcd the tune ofmany millions for
her steamship enterprise. Thus bcclicd
up, New York launched her ocean
steamers, and now leads the world in
that navigation.
~~~~>>ol~-..-os..
ANOTHER COMPROMISE Wash