Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1871-10-06

We have also to thank our cOtempora-
ries of the Newbern Journal Of Commerce
and the Weldon News for kindly refer
ences to the JOURNAL and its Editor. The
good opinion of our brethren of the press
| is one Of the few attrec lions in the edito-
rial tread-mill.
OUR WESTERN CORRESPONDENCE
Mem phis Trnde-Her Grand Canal Scheme
| Steam Canal Boat Prize Memphis
Press-Crops In ACKNOWLEDGEMENT In
De Soto-PoIItics-How a City was Built
| In Six Years.
| DEAR JOURNAL The summer months
having given way to incipient Fall the
stagnation of business attendant thereupon
has yielded to rapid identification of
| trade in Memphis, not confined to any
particular branch, but showing itself
among goodsmen, grocers, boot ar d
shoe aud hardware people, dealer. in
building materials, lumber, bricks and
iron. In fact season Of unusual activity
eeens to have dawned. The cotton crop
in the portions of States that trade with
this city is very fair one; all Ats means
Of com mercial activity and transportation
are in a more vigorous condition than ever
before and lst now her giant and infu-
entail Appeal is advocating a grand canal
from Memphis to Mobile, making Horn
Lake in Mississippi a part of it !; then
adopting the channel of Coldwater, Talla-
hatchie, Little River, Big Cypress, Big
Black Pearl, Leaf, Chicasawha and Esca-
tawpa rivers to Mobile. It's purpose is to
open an unbroken water.route for grain
and heavy freights from the Northwest to
Europe and South America. The canal
extended to the mouth of Mobile Bay will
touch the Gulf at point VIII sre there is a
depth Of water of twenty two feet, deep
enough to float the largest river craft. \
cheap and short route for imports from
Europe, the West Indies and South
America will thus be opened and by con-
structing a canal between navigablo rivers
in Florida forty miles, the commercial
distance between the Northwest and Liv-
erpool will be les3ened sixteen hundred
miles The canal would be three hundred
and fifty -four miles shorter than the river
distance to New Orleans, AID by its means
the wealth of Eaf IL continent will be con-
centrated at Memphis and Mobile, the
terminal cities
At pre- cat Memphis is chuckliDg over
the New York plize of one hundred thou
sand dollars for the Steam Canal boat of
one of her citizens. F. M. Mahon, which
is said TO make four miles an hOar with
out abrading or washing the banks.
The city boasts of new evening pa
per bearing the title of the Daily Press,
said to be uader able ard experienced
editorehip.
The great Brown case, lately argued,
he's established the precedent of irresisti.
b!e impulse as plea, where enc man
kills another to mako it granddaughter, a
bailable offence.
Crops in Mississippi have not turned
out so favorably as early representations
led us to hope. The corn crop is gener-
ally good throughout the State, but very
little fodder was saved; fodder pulling be-
ing business for which freedmen have
little fancy, aud they invariably shirk it
all they can.
Cotton in all parts of the country has
had to run the gauntlet of rust, the army
and boil worm, which pests, in some sec
tions have we'll nigh destroyed the crop. |
and intelligent farmers say the yield will |
be about half that of 1870. Here in DeSota.
pearances Of rust and very few worms,-I
the weed is magnificent and fine picking |
of bolis on the lower part of the stalk now |
open.
Planters are paying cotton-pickers
seventy-fve cents hundred and board.
The drought in DeSota prevailed a
month, but did not damage corn in the
bottoms. In the LASS week we have had
abundant rain, which will, perhaps bene-
fit cotton by bringing the third forming
of bells to perfect maturity.
The people of Mississippi are fully alive
to the Importance of the political issues at
stake, and Conventions are bsing held by
Conservatives, and nomin atoms made 1
with great unanimity. At fernando, in
DeSoto county, September 18th, Demo.
cratic candidates were nominated for the
Senate, House of Representatives, Sheriff,
Clerk and Treasurer. It is q regular
white mans ticket, and will afford pretty
lair test of the comparative strength of the {
different elements. {
People are taking uncommon interest
n the approaching election, and it is be- {
ieved that the Democrats will carry Mis- =
issippi as triumphantly as they did Ken
ucky.
We see letter from a Kansas citv {
ojourner, showing how that municipal q
own in half decade became a city. Just Ii
hat long ago it had fee thousand peoDze. Ia
nd no railroads. When the shceme of La
abroad building was preached, each com. la
amy was offered subsidy by the towns v
nen. The projectors of a bridge over "
be Missouri. were given a bonus lie
hey taxed themselves fifteen per cent to IL.
omplete these undertakings, believing TX
hat the lnnux OF popu!atlon, 80 attracted, LIE
'ould pay them back. They were right. In
he property-holders of that day are now Nv
oh, and taxes are only three per cent, Ib
q FIVE years they have gained thirty thou. sh
md people, and their town is now city, La