Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1869-03-24
The Charleston of To-Day

John NJ. Francis, editor OF the
Troy Times, writes to his paper from
Charleston, s. c. The following is
an extract from his letter.
"Charleston bears an ancient APP
pearance,-ana rs for that matter, it
is old, for ii was founded two hun
dred years ago. 1t has been dread
| fully devastated by fires. Large
sections of the city, it will be re-
membered, were burned over at an
early period of the war. There has
been very little rebuilding. The
crumbling walls and blackened ruins
still remain as evidences of the great
fire Few buildings comparatively
We're destroyed by Gilmore's shell
ling from the "swamp angel bat
terry but many We're more or less
injured, and you may now see on
every hand where the Yankee iron
left its marks. Charleston is gradu-
ally improving, however, its busi-
ness men are slowly getting upon
their feet again, and trade is increas-
ing. But il will take years, many
years, to bring back the old prosper
ity to the city. The place has pass
ed an ordeal of fire and sword that
came near destroying it altogether +;
but battle-scarred and exhausted
of capital and energy as she has
been, many of the best citizens who
we've the heaviest sufferers are at
work with all their abilities, and in
a spirit of most commendable enter
prIZe. to reconstruct their own for
tupcs and restore commercial pros
perity to their city. Even now there
is a good deal of business done in
Charleston, and more will come as
the people acquire capital to rebuild
the waste places, and as the South
gains wealth to bestow patronage.
Real estate is at very low figure.
We were shown fine building occu-
pied by the First National bank,
| which with'the site cost some S45, 900
| in gold before the war. 1t was pur-
chased by the Bank corporation
about a year ago for Sll 900. we
are assured that rsal estate generally
can be bought for one-third to one
quarter what it would readily bring
eight wears ago, and it is now held
| at considerable higher rates than II
was a year ago. But the incubus
upon the city is its large debt,
| amounting to no less than $1,000, 900.
| 1t holds railroad stocks for portion
of its Indebtedness, but we believe
they yield little or no revenue
Think of such load upon the tax
| payers of "A city whose entire popu-
fation, both black and white, Is prob
| ably not ten thousand larger than
| that ef Troy. Yet it could easily
haye been carried by Charleston as
| it was, and still it may be borne II
returning prosperity comes as - an
ticipated by its sanguine business
men Now, however, it is very
heavy burden-probably more OPP
pressive than ten millions would be
| 10 Troy. The business men say,
| however, GIVE US one large cotton
crop, with anything like the present
ruling prices, and Charleston Will no
| more be discredited she will snap
| her fingers at the debt, and IL Will
not in the least impede our prosperl-
ty." Speaking of cotton. the whole
South is praying for good crop anu
continued high prices, declaring
| that this will not only put them up
on their feet again, but place them
/ in position where they will be en-
| abled To walk right along in pros
| perity.