Vicksburg weekly herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1868-1883, 1870-09-24

hlu tha Aurell htgisla
VB0wgnBma.
It may not be an~intoresting OF
Improbable TO the ~statistioan and
the Intelligent commercial advon-
turer TO make, now and then, an
estimate Of the expectation inc
commercial point Of view, Of the
city in which, or near which be
dweIls, or does business: We dc
this for Vieksburg as being hc
city Of our State.
The area Of that portion Of the
United States composed Of States
lying east Of the Mississippi and
upon the western bank Of that
river, is l,435,S03 square miles
In those States, in 1869, there
were forty-two cities of over 90
900 inhabitants each. The aggre-
gate population Of those fOrty-two
cities was three millions eight
hundred and flity. four thousand
eight hundred and thirty-two
1884, 1897. This is equal to 192
cities Of twenty thousand inhabit-
ants each.
Now, supposing the population
of Vicksburg had been, In 1850
what it is now, 10000, her tex
pectation" would have been
1-l92nd part of the trade of the
whole country, when viewed In
the light Of population. The fact
Is, however, that Vicksburg Is so
situated, that with enterprise and q
liberal policy she can command the
trade within q radius Of one hun.
bred miles, thus giving her the
patronage Of q territory Of thirty
one thousand four hundred and
sixteen (3l,4l6) square miles,
This is about one forty-fifth
l-45th) Of the territory Of the
States above named. This gives
her over four times the average ex.
pectation Of cities Of the United
States. But the fact Is the pOpu'
lation Of Vicksburg in 1860 wa'
| not over half the present. So hel
expectation" under the direction
T., of brain and capital may then have
been set down as eight times or
average expectation.
Some may say the radius is toe
long; Vicksburg cannot command
} trade ct that distance, The fact is
she does get some trade beyond
that distance, and enterprise nigh.
enable her to get the greater par
i, of the trade in q circle whose IA
dius Is one hundred miles, an'
. centre, the city itself. This woulI
F. give her expectation" or bust
D ness prospect, between four ant
five times the average prospect o
other cities Of the Union.
We have said nothing Of the IN
, rivalled fertility Of the soil With
, this territory. On all sides ar
\ rich fields, and families of increas
ing wealth. The productivenes
Q of the whole is, at least, doubl
the average Of the whole country
Those who visit the counties with
9 in this circumference, will be a
. most convinced Of this by a cul
: sorry view Of them. This bring
the business prospect, Of th
twenty thousand inhabitants
q Vicksburg up again to eight
y nine times the average expect
ton Of the cities Of the Union.
8, In other words, ViCksburg, vii
Z, her railroad and river commun
v cations and connections complet,
4 with capital, and intellect direc
a ing Its use, may be made a city I
/. one hundred and sixty thousan
10 inhabitants, and still have a bus
10 ness prospect equal to the averag
y expectation Of trade Of the citiC
y of our land. We appropriate ii
term, expectation" in this art
y Gle to denote the business pro,
= poets of a city. It is quite as 81
Dr. propriate in this connection, as
N insurance tables.
os We confidently believe tn
Vicksburg could have a bett'
h business prospect than any otht
10 inland river city in the cOuntr
o. Will she avail herself of these co.
!, ~ siderations of her surrounding
Al We have been moderate in assig
in ing the limits of her trade.
I'd may be made even more extensi'
Of than we have indicated.
q She needs nothing added to h
es military renown. She is one
q, three cities that must occupy t
y, foreground in American histoI
Her lofty hills, rising in majes
Nv on all sides, seem to invite b
en- loftiest aspirations, and encoura
I'm her to look to the future from
to commanding position. The m
that live on those heights oug
to be men of large and libe.
~ views. They should be men
seize the present by the forelo,
'Mr and compel It to deliver, from I
ed womb Of the future, a gloric
in destiny. Let them count on no
lb- ing less than the great inland C
Om ton mart of the South.
.ue We may recur to this subject
future issues.