The Cairo daily bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1870-1872, 1871-05-26
Tke 8ulleiin.
FRIDAY.
CAIRO. ILLINOIS.
EARLY HISTORY-LOCATION-MAN.
UFACTURING FACILITIES.
Il Cairo Unhealthy
TOBACCO MARKET. ETC., ETC.
TOBACCO MARKET. ETC., ETC.

| From the 81. Louis Journal Of Commerce
Cairo Ia undoubtedly the best slandere,
town ON the continent. Ever since Dick
ems wrote "Martin Chuzzlewit," it ha
been associated in the popular mind will
all the dismal horrors Of Scadder's Colony
so that most people have really come to be
lieve that here, fever, death inundationi
and ague, hold high carnival, poverty be-
| comes chronic and incurable, and life q
burthen-in short, that 1t is "a place with.
out one single quality in eartn, or air, or
water to commend it,
We confess to a pleasant surprise in
| finding this traditional Cairo as much a
| pure fiction as the "Walley of Eden it.
| self, and having seen and become pretty
we'll acquainted with the actual Cairo we
propose, in the following article to spread
before our readers some of the facts we
have gathered respecting its location, re-
sources, present condition and future pros
poets, together with a brief account Of
ITS EARLY HISTORY.
Thirty years ago an effort was set on
foot TO build city at the mouth of the
Ohio. English capital to the amount of a
million and a quarter Of dollars was en-
listed and some Roadway made with the
shops, a dry dock, hotel and other business
and manufacturing establishments were
erected, and some Of them placed in oper-
alton. Protective embankments were
thrown up, and a city marked out that
comported with the utopian ideas Of the
projectors. Many hundred acres of land
contiguous were bought at extravagant
prices, and made the basis of a credit for
the company. During period Of two or
three years that inspired an undue conf
dence in the future of the city, and the
company, believing that the excitement
had not yet reached its zenith, perempto-
rily refused to sell or lease foot CT the
land to either individuals or corporations,
for any purpose whatever. In this way
the very element that builds up Western
cities was ,ut of. In time the Companys
means were exhausted the English house
through which it had negotiated
loans failed, and soon thereafter the
abandonment Of the Conpany's
works and projects became unovaida-
bic. During succeeding period of four
| teen years, the place maintained a state of
torpidity. Interested parties were urging
the passage through Congress of the llli-
nois Central land grant, while others were
engaged in the work Of relieving the city
site Of the membranes TO which it had
been subjected. The passage of the bill
referred to through Congress was the sig.
nal for more vigorous measures. The
property was conveyed to two trustees
who removed every shadow from the title
and in the year 1852 commenced laying
off the city. By an arrangement with the
Illinois Central railroad, the present
| levees were, in part, cted-thc trus.
| tees completing them-the whole at q cost
| of nearly half q million Of dollars. In
the summer Of 1854 the first lot was sold,
and what the city is to-day is the growth
of the intervening period, something more
than fourteen years. Every vestige of the
original effort to build city here has been
wiped out Cairo as it stands being the Gre
alton of the time stated.
For the above facts we are indebted to
the Cairo Bulletin, wide-awake daily
and weekly, published by John II. Oberly,
Esq.
Cairo is enjoying more real and sub
stantisl prosperity than ever before. Hav
ing suffered severely from severa
'spells" of spasmodic growth, in
cident to extravagant speeulating shemes
damaged equally by dazzling visions o.
| Wcuitu anu BEtdtutSs, anu tut
gloom Of an inevitable reaction, she has
at least, settled down to a steady prosper,
ity, bassed upon wise development oi
her resources, system of judicious city
improvements, and upon the well directed
efforts of class of reliable business men
to build up a prosperous commercial and
manufacturing center.
The levees, which now entirely surround
the city, are more than seven miles in ex-
tent. These levees are several feet above
the crest of the highest flood ever known
| in this locality, broad based and we'll set
tied and, with an outside slope Of five or
| six feet to one, all lateral pressure of the
| water is destroyed affording the most am
Pile guarantee against even serious annoy
ance from the floods. These levees were
constructed and will be maintained per-
petually, free of any cost TO the citizen
and tax payer.
An extensive system of sewerage effect
ually frees the city from that heretofore
intolerable nuisance, sipe water, many
miles of streets have been filled up to a
level with the levees, and the rough
wooden shanties of early Cairo, are rapidly
giving way to fine business blocks, well
| built, and in many cases, elegant and
costly private residences.
To give some idea of the extent Of the
city improvements We give the following
items from late report of the Trustees OF
the Cairo City Property Co." There
have been expended by the Trustees over
5000, 900, in cleaning the ground and
draining it, in building levees for its pro-
lection, wharves for the accommodation O.
its commerce and miscellaneous improvef
ments. The corporate authorities have
expended about $5Oo.Ooo in general i'm
provements, and the Illinois Central Rail
road Company, not less than 100000
more, making The whole expenditure for
the improvement Of about 300 acres, not
less than 81, 100000. While the material
prosperity Of Cairo is thus placed upon a
iirm footing, the moral and Intellectual
tone or people, is reflected in its
PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES.