The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1879-01-05
PROSPERITY OF GEORGIA
Savannah News.

The New York Herald recently sent cor
respondents to all the Southerns States to
gather facts concerniog the condition of the
people. In relation TO Georgia, the CORES
pondent assigned to this section of the
country presents very truthful statement.
He says:
( "The merchants are without exception bno-
yant aud hopeful beyond what have known
since the crazy days of inflated values. Their
trade has been larger than in several years,
the surplus being more than large enough to
account for the early movement CT tae cotton
crop. The business of the railroad and steam
ship lines has been heavy beyond precedent
The Central line via Savannah to New York,
reported q surplus of SS5 600 net profits over
the same month of 1877, and the stock of the
road has advanced in three months from AZ to
"a. 1t is indicative of the increased briskness
and confidence that the stock and the earnings
of every road in the Stats of Georgia have ad-
vanced heavily and steadily within the past
year. The Central has gone within that time
from 33 to its present figures. Within t1at
| time four ocean steamers, costing together
over 81 600 600. have boen purchased by q
Georgia company from Roach's shipyard, and
are plying between Savannah and New York.
The Northeastern Railroad and tho e berton
Railroad. both developing new sscGions Of
country, have been finished, and the Marietta
and North Georgia Railroad is rapidly ap-
preaching completion. Within about one year
over $500 900 has been invested in cotton fac
tories in the State. There has been falling
off in the total values of the tax books, bat
Lne peTC OF ueOllno nAA Oeen Ouly 6UOuG
one-third of the general decline in value"
The secret of the revival of business and
enterprise is largely attributable to the
general adoption of the diversified system
of farming as opposed to the exclusive cul-
ture of cotton. Under the old eystem of
raising cotton almost entirely, cultivating
enormous plantationa, and pledgipg the
crops in advance at high rates of Interest,
the amounts of money lost by tho planter
were enormOus. 10 is stated that in this
way Senator Ben Hill lost over 500 600 in
three years, and other heavy planters did
even worse. Now, however, nnder the
system of diversity of crops, email farms
carefully cultivated, the raising of corn,
meat, stock, etc., at home, together with q
repeal of the lien law-by which farmer
could mortgage his crops in advance-and
turning the attention to orchards, vine
yards, cereals, sheep raising aud such
branches of farm industry as have hereto
fore been overlooked by our farmers, the
reeult has been spiendid, and our State 10
"almost entirely independent of the West,
W which means Independence of factors, of
hi Oh prices, of heavy interest, ruinous dis
counts and loose expenditures"
point is made by the Heralds cores
pondent relative to the colored population
of Georgis, which is worthy of special men
fion. He says:
''Tbe negroes in roet osses prove to be good
tenants, and generally make their wives and
children hoe and plough. In this way they
mHnage to make good rental for the farm end
living for themselves. The negroes have
shown 9 wonderful capacity fer saving and for
acquiring land. Up to the accession OF the
Democrats to power they had nothing. They
now own over SC 900 900 worth of property as
sho wn by the tax book. This represents an inn
mense amount of land, as at its reduced price il
sold for ominsl figures. The property owned
by the negroes is almost entirely land. Erery |
property oioning negro is Democrat, almost ,Cih
out exception. There is sort of prFjudice |
against selling lands to negroes"