Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-03-05
LAUDERDALE COUNTY.
From TIE Rinlev NeKs.

LAIDERDALE COUNTY.
From the Ripley News.
We propose TO give to our readers abroad
such statistics as we can gather from the
census returns Of 1870 as will furnish some
idea of the wealth and other advantages
possessed by our county of Lauderdale.
/ There are in the county 100000 acres of
land, about Il, 200, or little over one-fifth,
of which are improved. This land averages
equal to any in West Tenness, producing
anything in abundance that will grow and
! thrive in this latitude. The population of
/ Lauderdale is, 10 round numbers, $4,000;
/ whites $500, and blacks $500; the former
! outnumbering the latter more than two to
one, thus making the county very desirable
as home for the small farmer. There are
large districts where there are very few
blacks, and these few harmonic so fully
with the whites that no inconvenience
arises from their presence. The farms and
fences are in far better condition than in
almost any other county in this end Of the
State, mainly in consequence Of the pre-
ponderance of the white race, added to the
fact that even prior to the war majority Of
the landowners were themselves tillers of
the soil.
PRODUCTS OF THE SOIL.
There was produced in this county in
1870, 5000 bales of cotton, worth $500, 1000;
100000 bushels of Indian corn, worth
100000; 10000 bushels of oats, worth
S.. 900; 10000 bushels of wheat, worth
$4,000; 1900 bushels of IRISH potatoes,
worth $4,000; 5000 bushels of sweet pota
toes, worth $4,000; making an aggregate of
value produced from the soil, in the year
1870, of 81, 045, 900, or about $SS for every
man, woman and child in the county,
white and black. When it is considered
there is no account taken of the grasses,
garden vegetables, fruits, live stock and
fowls for this year, the figures make hand
some showing for the wealth and prosperity
of our people, and present an inviting pic
ture to those who are seeking new homes.
In such an abundant country there is no
occasion for want, even among the poorest
class of the population, and with frugality
and industry there is no reason why all
who reside here-Or may come here-can
not command a competence, if not grow
ich.
MANUFACTURES.
There are in the county ten steam mills
that turns out large quantities of the best
quality of lumber, corn meal, and con-
siderable quantity of family -four, equal to
y ~
and horse mills, one wool csrding machine,
four steam cotton gins and about twenty
five horsepower gins. In addition to these,
workshops for the manufacture of wood
ware and iron implements of husbandry
exist in reasonable numbers throughout the
county. We would say, in this connection,
that there is no branch Of the mechanic arts
that does not in this county offer rare in
ducements to skilled artisans of enterprise,
especially if they can control small
amount of capital. Capital is the great
need of our mechanics, particularly those at
the county seat.
SOCIAL. STATISTICS.
There are in Lauderdale county about q
Methodist Episcopal churches, 3 Presbyte-
rian, II Baptist, 2 Christian and Episco-
pal. Number of common schools, 81; acad-
emies, 4; female institutes, 2. This does
not make as favorable a showing in behalf
of education as we should like to offer; yet
we can say that this condition Of educa-
tiOnal matters will be speedily improved
under more enlightened and beneticent
system Of common schools.
CRIME AND PAUPERISM.
The number of criminals during 1872 has
been 8; number of paupers, 3. Quite a
ucdlbIH SLtUC Vi blllLAo NOACC4 AAll5 JOoSiNO
and morality, and showing the almost entire
absence of pauperism in the county.
LABOR.
Farm labOreTs command S15 per month
and board; carpenters, $3.50 per day; COM
mon labOrers, Sl.50 per Gay.
LIBRARIES. q.
The value of private libraries is estimated
at $500; Sabbath School libraries, $500;
Church libraries, $1,000.
REAL AND PERSONAL ESTATE.
Value of real estate, 81 $4,000; value of
personal estate, S2,116,00O; making an ag-
gregate value Of S3,742000
THE TOWN OF RIPLEY.
The county seat has population of 500
souls; has four church edihces, two hotels,
one male and one female academy of the
highest class, and several smaller schOols,
seven dry goods stores, four grocery and
furniture houses, one restaurant, three sa-
looms, two boot and shoe makers, two sad
dlers, six wagon makers, two blacksmith
shops, one ieweler, one tin and stove house,
one steam mill, one photographer, six ply
sicians, eight lawyers, and one newspaper.
There is sold annually in Ripley about one
hundred and fifty thousand dollars worth of
dry goods and about fifty thousand dollars
worth of groceries.
1t is considered that the annual loss 10
the business Of our town in consequence OF
having no railroad is at least one hundred
and fifty thousand dollars. Close Observ-
ers feel sure that our business will be in
creased to that extent the first year after
the completion Of the Memphis and Paducah
road. The business men mere have credit
equal to any in the South, and are not sur
passed in enterprise and capacity to those of
any other town in the State. There has
been but one mercantile failure in Ripley
for more than twenty-five years. Can any
town of equal population in the world beat
this?
The moral sentiment of the community
is elevated, and for taste, style and intelli-
geDce it is not surpassed by any.
We look forward to the completion ofour
railroad as the signal for general advance
ment in all that pertains to the good Of the
town, and especially in wealth and popula-
ton. These will be doubled in afew years.
We would say to mechanics and business
men who are seeking a rising place, come
TO our town and invest your capital and ex-
ercise your skill and talents, and certain
reward will be within your reach. Proper
~ is now comparatively cheap, but 1t will
advance ranidlV uDon the compilation of our