New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-08-20
The Bfuch-Abused CRY mt the Mouth of
the Ohi0-IIs Enterprise and Progress.

From the Louisville Courier Journal.
CAIRO, Illinois, August s. 187l-Corres :
pOndents who have visited the city
have, as a general rule, given a very hasty
and partial account of it. and the country at
large is led TO believe that to live in Cairo
one year will wreck their health and two
years viii certainly consisn them to an early
grave. imagine why half of these I'm
tanned quill-driving brethren of mine fail in
giving. Cairo an impartial description is
simply because it was the Eden Of the great
Charles Dickens. But that was many years
ago, and now the scene is changed
Then in 1861 Bull Run Russell fred his
ink bottle at Cairo; the city survived the
shock, earted more dirt on their splendid
levee, filled up their streets, built fine bust
ness blocks, stores and dwellings, and sup
posed that at last they were safe from
travelling correspondents, but 10 ! Down
the Mississippi onthe big Thompson Dean,
with illustrations in Hdyper's Magazine,
came the hero of the Diamond Pin. George
Ward Nichols; and Cairo was duly de-
scribed, the inhabitants in their shirt
sleeves, shaking with ague, and the levee
drug stores, Astounding with signs, Fever
and Ague Cure" quinine, etc.
Now this is all wrong, and without wish
ing to be styled a champion of this delta,
wish to rectify some of the gross statements
heretofore made. The geographical posi-
ton of the city is certainly fine one,
especially in regard to the two great rivers
which unite here. At the present time
while large boats are afraid to leave St.
Louis drawing four feet of water, they load
here to nine feet for New Orleans In the
winter season a month of ice prevents their
running to st. Louis, but never to Cairo.
On the Ohio navigation is open the entire
year, and at this season a line of five boats
find active employment between here and
L., II Al
year hundreds of steamers are called into
the trade. Cairo has sdaily lines, making
their terminus here, tosColumbus, Paducah,
: Evansville, Cape Girardeau, Nashville,
Mound City and Louisville. Boats that
travel five thousand miles of inland water
meet each other at the Cairo levee
The Illinois Central is the only railroad
connecting the city with the North. and
East. 1t has the reputation of being first
class monopoly, and in several ways has
been drawback on the business interests
of the city Their freight tariff has been
so high that manufacturers have found the
river and rail- via Evansville to Chicago
and the East, about half the rate, and are
sentling their freight in that direction.
new route North is the Cairo and Vincennes
railroad, now partly built, and is to be COM
pleted within year. This will shorten the
distance to Louisville and Cincinnati sixty
miles over the old route via Odin, and will
compete with the Illinois Central railroad
for the Northern and Eastern traffic. Cairo,
as terminus, will be greatly benefited
The Cairo, Fulton and Little Rock rail
road, and Cairo and st. Louis railroad are
projected, and WILL no doubt, be built soon,
as the public necessities already demand
them. Southwark, the Mobile and Ohio
company are about to extend their road
from Columbus, Kentucky, to Cairo. All in
all, the city is bound to have its share of
railroads. In strolling about l have noticed
a number of fine dwellings-several that
average cost of 900 to ,000 In one
group, on a higher portion of the city,.
stand the palatial residences of Mr. Charles
Gallagher. William p. Holiday, Colonel
Taylor, Thomas Halliday and Mrs. Samuel
Halliday. The grounds attached to these
dwellings are cultivated to the highest
degree, and delicious fruits are raised in
abundance. On the front levee, the main
business part of the city, are several fine
brick stores in course of erection.
1t is all bosh to talk about Cairo being
unhealthy or unpleasant. 1t will compare
lists for health and. mortality with any city
of its size in the Union. The rapid flow of
the two great rivers, on each side of the
city, seems to carry away the miasmatic in
fuences, and during the summer months
cool breeze is in constant motion from them
GRAYSON.