The Orangeburg news. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1867-1875, 1869-08-14

for home consumption. The profit on
the crops of rice and cotton for one year
is, therefore, sufficient to pay off the
whole debt of the State The seaconst
has met with disastcr after disaster, but
for three years the middle and upper
counties have been steadily making
money. Old debts have been cleared off,
and no new ones of any consequence
have been contracted. When loans of
money were wanted they could not to be
had. This compelled the general ndop-
tion of the cash system of doing business,
throughout the State. AL our mer-
chants agree in saying that the goods
sold to the country dealers are promptly
paid for; aud we know that in the
North and West our credit is as good as
it was in the palmiest days before the
war.
But after paying off old debts there
was still large surplus of money in the
hands of the planters and farmers. This
was applied to putting the plantations
in working order, to the purchase of
implements and stock, and to the repairs
of houses and buildings The money
still remaining could find no investment.
There were no negroes to be bought, and
OF land there was already moro than
enough. The greater part of the sur
plus was invested in gold, and, in every
village in the State, tens of thousands of
dollars are carefully hidden from day
light and usefulness. Upon this point
we have made careful inquiries and we
arc convinced that there Is more hard
money m South Carolina to-ddv Than
there ,cas at any one time Jc/orc The uar.
We want t. sec this money in active
circulation, and it will gradually flow
into the channels of trade But confidence
is plant ofslow growth, and the dangers
and the vicissitudcs of the past are not
easiiy ioTSottoH
Passing from the country districts,
which arc practically out of debt and
have more ready money than they ever
had before, We turn to the cities of
Columbia and Charleston. In these cities
the spring trade Of 1860 was better than
that of 1868 or 1867, while there is
every reason to expect an unusually
good fall trade Columbia is gradually
rebuilding. Senator Sprague promises
to erect mills or the Columbia canal.
and the value of real estate is advancing
steadily, if slowly. Charleston is rapidly
recovering her old business. Georgia
and Alabama are again supplied by the
Charleston jubbers and merchants, and,
thanks to the improvements in our rail
road system, freight is sent without
transhipment from Charles to ST. Louis,
Vicksburg aud the cities of the Gulf.
We have feet of swift steamships ply
'iHg rvr.yi+ AA,sss..
ports. A line of steamships fiom Char
lesion to Liverpool direct was established
last year, and is an accomplished fact
In October the first steamship of tho
season will be loading at our whorves for
Liverpool, taking abuard not only the
South Carolina staple, but the cottons
of Georgia and Alabama and far Mis-
sissippi. What other Southern city, ex.
cept Baltimore, has established direct
trade with Europe? In our sister cities
there was a great deal of talking and
writing Charleston said nothing, but has
established the Charleston and Liverpool
steamship line.
And in regard to railroads our people
are not idle. 4 number of new railroad
projects are already before the public.
Some Of them may injurc Charleston,
but all Of them will be of benefit to the
State at large. The Big Father of
Railroads the Blue -Ridge-is under
contract, and is expected to pour into
our lap the vast trade of the West, while
through Charleston will flow the imni-
grauts and the foreign goods which the
West requires. Governor Scott will
probably make cool million out of the
Blue Ridge Railroad contract, but it
appears to be the general opinion that
the road viii be well worth it's cost in
Guiding the stealing. We have also the
Port Royal Railroad, the Air LINE Rail
road, the Chatham Railroad, the Cksraw
and Greenshnrn Rnilrnnd and nthnrs