Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1869-11-20
TnE PAST AND PRESENT PROS.
PERITY OF OUR CITY.

the high road to speedy and large in
crease. AS commercial point, we
were second only to- Memphis, and
all our dealers were busy and making
money rapidly. Now, we propose to
inquire what was the cause Of this.
Then we had large number of iron
establishments i'm this vicinity. All
their banking business was done here,
and dealing principally in bills, our
bankers reaped rich harvest. An
nually, about January first, thous-
ands of negroes were hired out here,
publicly and privately, and our town
was thronged by those desiring to
lire and to hire out. Our hotels
then had large transient custom,
which is the most remunerative part
of bookkeeping. The negroes, re-
turning home to spend the Christmas
holidays, brought with them their
extra wages and savings, and spent
with liberal hand for their various
needs and wishes. Our town was so
throDged that 1t was difficult to pass
along the most public thoroughfares.
The songs of those returning from or
going to the works were daily and
nightly heard. At each of these
iron-worlts was store, and they
were supplied from this point as a
general center. 1t was no unusual
thing for many of our merchants and
grocers TO take inn one thousand
dollars day for many days In sue
cession. Farmers, and all others, de-
string help, looked to GAINESVILLE as q
point of supply, both for laborers and
oil kinds of supplies. Our com
merce was then counted by millions,
and general elation, and success was
the rule, and not the exception. All
through the year the supplies for an
immense number of consumers had
TO be provided and purchased, and
this town-was the depot from which
the wants of n large section were
supplied. Merchants would bring on
annually as much as one hundred
thousand dollars of purchases, and
this when prices were regulated by
heavy competition and gold basis.
Purchasing such heavy stocks, they
could command such concessions
from importers and makers that they
defied the cross-road competition, and
in fact, supplied all the surrounding
country stores with what they sold.
SO rapidly did trade increase that
business divided itself into various
and distinct lines. From the general
mercantile business, which formerly
included all kinds of supplies, two
hardware houses, many largely pur-
chasing groceries, three drug stores,
separate boot, shoe and hat stores,
several ready made clothing houses,
(milliners superseded dress makers,
and became largo importers and va
rious and sundry other distinct busi-
nesscs sprung up and were main
tanned steadily and successfully.
Then every farmer had his hands"
to supply, and depending on the SER
vices of an overseer, he and his fam
lily gave themselves up to social life
and the lighter business and cares OF
household. Maintaining their car
riages and vehiclcs--on their business
trips, at the beginning of each sea-
son, they would carry out to their
plantations thousands of dollars
worth of needed supplies, and would
out of their agricultural products ex-
pend nearly the whole amount with
us. If they had more money than
was needed for their yearly wants
they would invest in land, negroes
or good notes. All was prosperous
?hc basis If III this prosperity wal
the settled condition Of labor, whicl
was reduced TO q system simple ant
huccessful. When the war broke NJ
this settled condition Of labor, al
this WINS changed, Each man, by hi
losses during the war, was under ap
prehensiops, well founded, that h
could hardly make +" buckle an,
tongue meet.n. The hborer remove,
from asystem where work was onl.
given through fear or coercion, be
oamo unreliable and not TO be lie
pended on. The wages Of an over
seer became TOO heavy am item Of ex
penso 10 be incurred. Overseas
themselves, Wore so thought of b.
the laborers as to prevent the hirin
of labor where they Were employed
If you planted, there was no cSr
tainty that you could retain labor t
cultivate or TO save the crop, Henc
'distrust, and cutting down all ex
penses which could be curtalled, wa
universal, Each man was trying I
solve thenew problem of labor Ia il
changed form, and the great stud
was and Is how to get the laborer I
be worthy of his hire. homework
could not be maintained under tn
new system, and hence they ceased
and with them the great advantage
pur town derived from them. Agricu
turo was depressed nearly 10 thepoin
~ raising only bare subsistence AN
all the Industries of the country su
forod The sales of our dealers d
n4inished 20 much that their pureha
ses no longer commanded former COZ
e,s,luus and with smaller stocks AN
higher prices they no longer defie
competition from smaller DEALER
Hundreds of nlen--- ma tters for inves
mont OF funds having chnnged $