The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1873-01-01

| line has met with signal success, the steamers
going and returning on every trip with full
! cargoes, and being compelled in many cases
TO leave freight on their wharves.
The Peedee River Is supplied with several
superior craft, with capacity OF twelve num-
dred or fifteen hundred bales each, and tne
Sanlee has equal accommodations, and every
landing on these streams sre regularly VS.
tied, and the people accomplished with cneap
and excellent facilities, Ty these means I'M
nense quantities of cotto1, naval, stores, rice
and other products are brought to the city,
where they meet one Of the best markets Ia
the country. To the south, Edisto, Beaufort
and vicinity have speedy and regular steam
transportation, bo;h by vessel a4a3Sal|HaRa6 6,
the means of Communication With tn7 II
are good aud improving. To Georgla~snu
| Florida one of the best steam lines on the
coast Is now running, which Is doing large
and remune.ative business, and the passenger
and freight movement by this route is valuable
and growing; the country reached produces
the richest staples, and the important trade In
that direction is only In Its infancy. Most OF
the country is capable of raising sugar, cotton
ans tobacco in the greatest perfection.
The direct trade between Charleston and
European ports during the past year has been
In most aourishlng condition, the packets
bringing salt, railroad iron, crockery, tin
and metals, and returning with cotton and
naval stores. the clearances during the past
four months have been unusually numerous
to all the principal ports of the United King
dom, and to Havre, Bremen, Genoa aud other
continental points. The coastwise packet
lines have also been fully employed during
the year, q fleet of nearly one hundred
schooners and brlgs oeing kept busy with
freighs of cotton, naval stores, phosphates,
lumber, &C., between this city and almost
every port of the Atlantic coast.
Naval Stores.
A very large increase In the production and
shipment of turpentine and rosn is reported
during the past year, and the entire tide
water section of this State, as also the valley
of the Peedee River, ls now dotted all over
with ,.s.- :urpentine dlstieries. This
branvn Of Industry is coming principally from
depended upon as the main supply OF all these
products for 30 many years, that they are get
ting stripped and nnremuneratlVe, and the
turpentine men now seek the vast prlmeval
forests of South Carolina. The consequence
Is q steady increase In the trade in this line Of
Charleston and Georgetown, which amounted
during the past year TO fully fifty pei cent.
above that of 1871, and which promise an
equal Increase for the year just opening. The
quantity OF rosn and spirits OF turpentne
shipped from this port during the past twelve
months is estimated at from 100000 10 220, 900
barrels.
The .Iobbing Trade
of Charleston is steadily advancing, and is
getting every year upon frmer basis, with
constantly Increasing proportions. The dry
goods trade during the past year has shown
an increase of about twenty-five per cent.
over the trade of 1871, and the sales at whole
sale have amounted 10 about two and one-half
million dollars. The increased demand is
owing partly to the appearance IN The
Charleston market Of purchasers who have
formerly gone North for their supplies, but IL
is probably more largely due to the increas-
ed prosperity OF the interior merchants, who
are now buying larger bills, and upon more
prompt and satisfactory terms than at any
previous season since the war. There have
been no changes among the business houses
In this line during the past year.
The same general remarks will apply to the
wholesale clothing, boot and shoe, hat and
cap, and fancy goods trades. Business IN
each OF these lines has shown q noticeable In
creass In the amount of transactions, with
prompt collections, aud few If any losses.
The area OF country looking to Charleston for
its supplies of merchandise In these lines Is
also constantly increasing, and trade has
been flowing into the city during the year
from various portions of Georgia and North
Carolina in addition to the trade of this State,
which has always been enjoyed by Charleston.
In The hardware trade the largest business
has been transacted during the past year that
has been known in Charleston since The war,
the Increased volume of trade being due large
ly to the accession OF buyers 10 this and the
adjoining States, who have in former years
been trading with New York. The prices In
many articles of hardware have advanced
materially during the year. owing to the
heavy advancesin the cost of metals, but the
merchants of Charleston have been enabled
to sell Just as closely as any In tha-country,
and, indeed, during some portions of the year
they have had an advantage over the North
ern markets, owing to their facilities for direct
Importation. The position of Charleston Is a
favorable one in this respect, vessels coming
from Great Britain, Sweden, 3D., for cotton,
being frequently enabled 10 bring heavy
freight to Charleston at lower rates than to
New York, where the demand for ocean
transportation Is mach more constant.
The manufacturers and dealers 10 steam
and other machinery, mill fixtures, &c., re-
port the heaviest business OF any year since
! the war, the Increase in sales being estimated
at from twenty-five to thirty per cent. over
1871. One prominent cause OF this prosperity
is the large Increase in the number of saw,
mills throughout the State caused by the de-
msnd for lumber, ties, &C., for building and
railroads, and the comparative depletion o.
the Northern forests. A large and increasing
demand for engines, pumps, wagons, DC.
has also been caused by the transfer OF The
production of naval stores 10 South Carolina