The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-08-06
THE GROWING CITY OF ATLANTA.
ATLANTA, Ga, July 80, 1875.

ATLANTA, Ga, July 30, 1875.
Dear Bulletin Thinking perhaps that a fe,
iotti ngs from my notebook concerning th
Chicago of the South might be of interest
your many readers, / append the following
Left New Orleans on the 440 train; arrive
at Mobile at IL 2. NJ, Montgomery at %
NJ, Atlanta at 400, just "a hours out. Thi
line all the way through is in AL condition
and the trains are in charge of polite an
gentlemanly officials.
The crop prospects s, as viewed from a ca
window, were not of the most fattering de
scription. Both corn and cotton have suffere
from the protracted drouth prevailing in tn
section of country along this route.
Arriving at Atlanta 1 was most forcibl.
impressed and astonished at the great i'm
provements to be seen on every side. New
business houses and residences were spring
ing up, as if by magic, in every direction
The clank, clank, clank, of the trowel, the
cry of "more mort, the busy hum OF In
dustry, the hoarse coughing OF locomotives
with their bells ringing, as the trains from
"all points" dashed into the magnificent
Union Depot, was more than enough to con
fuse quiet citizen from The Southern Metrop
oils, and make an impression not easily over
come
Iinwardly asked myself: Why is it tina,
these people are SO lavishly investing their
capital in adjoining and embelishing these
barren clay hills and the answer came back
to me at once, this is the tree State of Georgia.
Here they have a aoiite mans government
their executive, their legislative, their judi
ciary, are immaculate; their capitalists have
confidence in the government; their invest
ments are sacred and are beyond the reach OF
the hungry carpet-bagger; and this is the
secret of their ccess and the advancement OF
Atlanta.
Atlanta is situated on a range of hills, at an
elevation of 1850 feet above the level of the
sea, computed from Savannah, and is consid-
cred the heathiest spot in the State. When
Sherman passed through on his grand devas-
tating march to the sea Atlanta had popula-
ton of about 1000 inhabitants. He left it a
mass Of ashes and ruins, with defenseless
women and children weeping where once
had been their happy homes. with starvation
and misery staring them in the face; and this
great chief ain passed on to add fresh laurels
to his victorious brow. To-day Atlanta num-
bers nearly 10000 souls; its business houses,
hotels and residences are credit to any city
in the Union, and its merchants are men of
honor and great liberality. Their chief and
only object appears to be to outvie each other
in pushing Atlanta ahead.
This remarkable city boasts of three hotels,
with another one building, the finest depot
this side of Baltimore, two daily papers, gas
works, water works. opera house, one ice fac
tory in operation and another building under
the auspic of Nevada Jones" street rail
roads, churches representing every denomi-
nation Except Beechers), a fine police force,
composed exclusively of white men, and
whose very name is terror to the evil-doer,
and cotton factory, -four mills, saw and plan
ing mills etc. In fact, attempted to dis
&c s,,.J-
scented here but failed in my effort.
The people are enthusiastic on the subject
of the future prosperity of their city, and say
that nothing can prevent them from building
up the largest interior city in the Union.
They claim to have complete control of
the wholesale trade for hundreds of miles
around. An established rule with the mer-
chants here is to sell to customer at the
smallest possible advance above cost so that
q country merchant finds that he can buy his
stock as cheap as though he had bought
direct in New York The merchants and
bankers tell you, when Intercepted as to
what they base their calculations upon in
regard to Atlantas further advancement
that good government railroads and selling
close having built us up SO far, will build us
up still further"
Atlanta, in its sudden rise and progress,
has attracted from far and near thousands of
mechanics and laborers, and the natural re-
suit is that capital has controlled labor to
such an extent that good mechanics command
only ST. so and laborers 75c. per day. and
even at these famine prices numbers of good
mechanics are unable to obtain employment |
No doubt this fact alone and the cheapness of
building material have been an incentive to |
many capitalists to invest in real estate and |
improve the same.
The Water Works when fully completed |
will ever stand as lasting testimonial to the |
business enterprise and energy of the people |
Of Atlanta. No city ever had so short q water |
supply or so many obstacles to overcome in |
water. A dam or pond some seven |
miles distant has been built from which the
water will be drawn under the Holly water
works system; and when it is stated that an
elevation of 240 feet must be overcome in
bringing the water into the city, it must be
conceded that "this people" are seriously in
earnest whenever they undertake anything
which will be of benefit or profit to either
themselves or their beloved city, and in such
. cause they do not stand upon the order of
their spending money.
This is the home of Gen. Gordon, Ben Hill
and many others to fortune and to fame we'll
known, and than whom none stand higher in
he esteem of their countrymen.