Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1873-02-13
Letter from the West.


Dcar .lge.
promised YOU in Il prryiou, com
Municat!onto give II short summary OF
the towns and cities along the line Of
the Illinois Central Railroad. did
write short article On the subject,
but the treachcrous mail failed to de
liver il. somehow OF other, and the
best we can do is to give up al hooc
Of ever seeing it in print.
presume there is scarce y a reader
Of your paper who has not heard of
Cairo as the meanesl. sickliost, and
wickedest place ON the American Con-
tinent. Even the late Charles Dick
ems describes it rs the drcariest and
most God-forsakcn spot that human
mind can imagine
In spite. however, of all the abuse
heaped upon its devoted head, by
English prejudice and American eN
aggeration, Cairo to-day is the most
prosperous city in the Valley OF the
Mississippi. Situated as it is, nj the
confluence OF the Mississippi and Ohio
Rivels, ii is the objective point OF
Navigation ON both streams. 1t is
easy of access at all seasons Of the
wear. has Il good harbor and il the
head Of Navigation during the winter.
1t is already the terminus Of two
trunk lines Of Railroad. the Illinois
Central. and the Cairo, and Y inrpnnes.
lust completed, and already doing Il
large business. while there are more
in contemplation or nearly completed
viz;
Cairo K st. Louis short line, nar-
row gauge, which has ~ miles in
running order. Cairo and Fulton,
nearly completed, and which is IN air
line from this point to the Red River.
Mobile, and Ohio, At present running
to Columbus Ky. Cairo and Tenn
cSsee River, narrow gauge in contempt
lation. and various others.
1t has Il Custom house which is the
handsomest in the Southwest, end
cost nearly 100000, is the County
Seat of Alexander County, and has a
Court house which cost over 100000.
1t has besides numerous other fine
public and private buildings including
two fine LARGE public schools, st.
Charles Hotel. Catholic Orphan AsyI-
um. Gas Works. Theatre. &C.
1t has effective Fire and Police
Departments, two daily papers, the
cairo BuHctjop. we'll edited Jude
pendent Morning paper. and the
Evening sun. an able Radical sheet.
1t has also two Weekly papers. I'll"
Gu&ette. and the to00lcrciaI The
population Of the City. number about
$4,000, and is rapidly Increasing, aud
will | doubt not reach 10000 at the
end of this decade. Taking every
thing into consideration. this city is
bound to outstrip New Orleans and
Memphis, and will even compete with
st. Louis as the Metropolis Of the
Mississippi River.
The winter has been u dreadful
severe one, the cold being something
extraordinary for this latitude-the
thermometer some days being as low
as seven degrees below zero. 1t has
been showing for the last 3G hours,
and their are at present five inches
of snow on the ground on level.
The severe weather has caused consi-
derable suffering among the poor, and
several deaths from cold and exposure
have occurred.
Personally | do not admire the Win
ter very much, and wish again for the
"Summer days in summer Woods
when one need not muffle up to go
out of doors, orIshiver and snake when
getting out of bed in the morning.
News Items are n scarce commOd-
ity in this vicinity. Business here is
very brick. Small Pox has been rag
ing to some extent among the colored
population, but not in an epidemic
form. Take it all in all, this is as
healthy place as any of its size in
the United States, and its death-rate
as low. But | think | have told
about all of Cairo that you wish to
know. So l will close my letter and
remain as ever OMNus.