The Aberdeen examiner. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1866-current, 1878-07-04
CAMARao, MISS, June %, 1878

4NUN, III 10 IL liAeu ldCi Jllibt tllt NJ s5
gle Y. opened up new era in our
commerce last winter, by not only
giving us short haul to market, a
competition in transportation, and
certainly reduction in freights, but
by utilizing one of our old and before
the war esteemed and only means |
Of transportation-the navigation Of
Town Creek through which our
produce found an outlet to Sea, where
the white wings of commerce waited /
it on and away to the markets of the /
world for free barter or free exchange
And as Columbus demonstrated the
way to make the egg stand upright
the Maggie Virginia has shown the
chute not only feasible but practica
bic and profitable, and others who
spurn monopoly in any way. are
moving readily, rapidly, happily, up
to giving us some competition on the
taxless tide.
Let us contrast the water craft age
Of navigation with tho present period:
Then, we had but one season to ship
in, and Of course the market felt the
influx, and low prices ruled, even
lower than now. Our merchants did
not spend restless, sleepless nights
over ponderous, uncrodited lodgers,
for they, too, HAD their availabilities,
and liabilities had been cancelled, loss
and gain had been balanced; and they
armed themselves with the profits
for q repetition Of the last years
business buying to sell, and selling
off in order to buy again. This was
indeed a happy era for us. We very
much doubt il there were as many
lier S, mortgages and deeds of trust
recorded in our county during the
ten years from 1850 TO. 1860, as were
recorded last year from the first day
of January until the 18th of May.
We do not believe there were as many
barrels Of flour brought into the
county and sold in the same decade
as have been sold and brought in to
be sold this year. We are satisfied
that there was not tho one ten thou
sandth pound of Northern bacon
used i'll Monroe County then that is
used now.
While we cannot urge that the
want Of river navigation has caused
the stringency OF the times we live
in, yet it is factor, great auxiliary
i'll the cause, and certainly one that
can as easily be operated for good if
we would but encourage the means
The river has been declared naviga-
bic for steamboats, to this point, and
years ago, often and oft did they ply
these waters, during the winter sea
son, carrying cotton to Mobile at
Sl75 and $500 & bale, bringing back
our groceries, etc, at proportionate
rates.
As means of encouragement to
Messrs Ii. johnson & Co., who. we
are informed, not only contemplate
but are actually engaged in buildinga
steam barge, with capacity for car
rying four hundred bales Of cotton,
for this trade, and the poll barge,
the MAGGIE VIRGINIA, which did such
efficient service last boating season,
we suggest that hands be apportion--
ed on said stream to clear out will
lows and underground of every de
scripton that frets the banks, and
overseers be appointed on certain
sections o. the river to superintend
the work, to the end that the river
be put in good boating condition.
And to help ON This project, we
would further suggest that the amt
necessary to build a bridge across
Town Creek, at any given. point,
be appropriated or q sufliciency
to aid in the prosecution to the per-
feet completion of the work of clear;
ing out.said river. If the Board of
Supervisors will do this, and the nu-
merous petitioners for bridges wills
withhold their pleas and withdraw
their petitions, we will heartily en-
dorse their action; otherwise, as hith |
erto we have done, we shall urges
fair ptoyl
Let us go back TO the good old
days and work in unison for the at
tainmont of ends that foreshadow |
prosperity from their inception; the
days before distrlfst had cankered in
the vital principle of society--conf-
dence--to its utter destruction. Let
us have no discord in our ranks, but
like well drilled soldiers, march in
solid tramp for the pud1ic goody
In my article in your paper of the
18th inst, ] called upon prominent
county official to answer why the pc
tition of r. johnson & Co., asking
the County to aid to the amount of
81, 900 in building bridge, etc, was
not Needed That official was Capt.
j. l.. SYKES, cur member of Board of