The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-06-14
THE CENTRE OF GEORGIA.
A LIVELY DESCRIPTION OF TIE CITY
OF MACON.
OF tho City-Trade and
manufa otures-t harlestoPians About
What is Expected Of the Macon and
Augusta Il atlrosd.
rYaox oua TRAVELLING ooaazsposDEsr.l

rPRoM ouR TRAVELLING CORRESPONDENT
MACON. GA, June 10, 1SSs.-This the "can-
tre town" of Georgia, is situated On the Ocmul-
gee River, six miles from the geographical
centre Of the Slate, which central point lies
between Macon. and MilledgeyIlle. more
healthy and salubrious situation for city,
combining so many marked advantages, could
not be found in the State. The city is built
upon hills which rise in three tiers from the
river bank to On. altitude OF 150 or 200 feet.
Socially, Macon is delightful place. it's wo-
men are beautiful and refined, and hence the
society like our Charleston circles, and from
the same causes, is pure and cultivated. The
private residences are the most commodious
and handsome that have seen, and, suIroun-
ded as they are by terraced gardens, present
an attractive appearance to the visitor. One
OF the most striking features Of these houses
is the square turret which surmounts nearly
oil Of them. A Charleston eye misses the
double p,azzas.. Mr. W. B: Johnston (a sell.
made man) lives in colossal brick dwelling
with white marble cupola and white marble
facipgs, and when the brick work was con-
cealed with cement it resembled marble pal
ace. This isiprobably the handsomest house
in the South. The building alone is said to
have cost $3.50, 600. 1t is superbly arranged,
and gives evidence Of great wealth and great
taste.
Macon does not appear to have suffered
much by the hand OF war, and 1s evidently
p1ospenng. In business point OF vieT Macon
Is doing well, and know OF no city where
money can be more easily made. The bank
interest is one and half per cent. per month,
discounted Ct two and half and three per
cent. D n month. This is good business for
tae numerous banking houses here but how
Che farmers expect to make money at this rate.
is more than your correspondent cln surmse.
There are several large and we'll kept hotels
here, and they have no cause to complain, .1 iof
even now at this dull season OF the year they
average from thirty to forty arrivals per day:
The business houses are large o ID some OF
them handsome. Macon is regularly laid out,
with wide and partially tree-planted streets.
There is one street-Cotton avenue-whlch re-
tains it's primitive windiogs and meanders
through the town. The streets from tfe City
Hall, going down hill, are numbered; above
that point there is only one thoronghfare,
Collece-street and several short streets. The
cross streets are named after trees and run
parallel to tho river. The retail stores are to
be found upon Triangular Block and the bloc:
bounded by Mulberry. Cherry, First and Second
streets, aud intersected by Cotton avenue.
Third and Fourth streets lay claim to the cot
ton and commission houses. The ne court
house IS to stand On the corner OF Mulberry
and Second streets. The old courthouse at the
foot OF the former street is now the property
of the Central Railroad, and is to give place TO
depot for the Central and Southwestern Ra i
roads. Churches and public buildings are nu-
l,ok Ia
the State Blind Asylum. Macon Cotton Manu-
featuring, Flndlay Milling and Manufacturing
works, AMI several foundries and machine
shops. There are two daily papers, the Journal
and Messenger, and the Telegraph, and one or
more weeKlies.
What Macon wants is little energy and en-
terprise ia it's municipal government. Its city
hail. for the want OF paint, is disgrace to its
CITY, and the streets and sidewalks are exc
cradle. A squad OF workmen and eight or ten
carts are kept busy all the time, but the sy5-
tenn adopted IS bad. A two-hoIrs' har rain
uudoes the work of month. Ibis could be
changed BY grading both streets and side
aud but little more at the first. Again. tbs
wide gaps IN the rows OF trees should be FL Ell
up. and many of the streets should have four
rows of trees dividing them into drives, and
a middle promenade for foot pass ingers.
Tue citizens are ANXIOUS tor these changes.
and as the municipal government ID III lilo
hands of her own people there is no reason
why their wishes should be d.sregarded. With
ANYTHING like energy and business push, Macon
must rival Atlanta. 1t now has larger num-
ber of railroads ceutreing here, aud these
roads are not short lines. They either terml-
nate at the seaboard or stretch away to the
South and Far West. II surpasses Atlanta an
the character OF it's surrounding oouDlry, and
ls large cotton market.
While speaking Of cotton, would mention
that the factors mere are paid for their cotton
the same day that they sell, and do not allow
five days' Gre lit in their cotton bills. Inc
merchants are anxious for the completion OF
the Augusta and Macon Railroad. They expect
to operate to some extent with Charleston, and
# our merchants pursue liberal policy. and
the railroads cooperate with them, the Cen
trail R rad and Savannah will feel tue ohange
perceptibly. The Central Road has pursued
such an llhberal policy Of high tariffs since the
war that the Maconiles rejoice that they will
soon be freed from that monopoly.
Bot have not mentioned an enterprise, for
which a charter has been granted, and which.
| II pushed through, will do mach for Macon.
This is the building OF q canal to tap the r1ver
eight or ten miles above this point. The pro-
posed route has been surveyed for seven miles,