American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1880-03-06
SHALL CANTON LOSE HEB TRADE,

Ung pigmies In nigh places. we
want to see an end of it.
SHALL CANTON LOSE HER TRADES
1t is evident that those most
hugely and vitality interested in this
subject are asleep-yea, have been
asleep for ten years-and indeed IL
has become question if il is possi-
BILE ever to awaken them to sense
Of the dangers that menace their
trade, and consequently their props
erty values aud revenues of all
kinds. The n. o., j. & Great North
ern Railroad extension was divert>
Cd from Canton by McComb's manip-
ulstion of the Black>and.Tan Legis
iature, aud hundreds of bales of cot
ton and thousands Of dollars now 60
to Durant, that of right should come
here. The Canton S Wick sburg rail
road is my til, chimera, the base
less fabric Of q dream, and not 40
much of it exists as of that road
which the discharged engineer
eneerIngly described as "the right
CT way and two streaks of rust"
But jackson 10 soon to be connect
ed with the Mississippi river by the
Jackson s. Matches road, now fast
approaching completion-thus giv>
ing her two outlets to the great riv-
er, while Canton has none. Fur
therm0ie, a movement is afOot to
build a road from jackson to Yazoo
City, and tap the vast and fertile
Yszoo>Mississippi delta, Otbe rich>
est country on theCreator's footstool)
1T its very center. Jackson steam>
boats are to run up the Pearl, only q
few miles from US. getting cotton
from oil the country south, south>
east and east Of US, from Pearl
River Church to Carthage. The
Ripley and Ship Island road will
run few miles to our right. leaving
Canton out in the cold. 1t is soon
10 be completed, and may carry a
part Of this next crop from a region
that has always desired to trade
with Canton, but, of course, will
seek the best route to market for
its products. Thus Canton-siut
of above by the road from Koscius-
10 to Durant, on the east by the
Ship Island road on the west. by
the Jackson 4 Yazoo road, on the
South by steamboats, built by her
rival will pine. and lauguish, and
die.
Grenada has secured the diver.
sion of the Mobile g. Northwestern
railroad 50 as to touch her town
limits, and Greraa. has already
two roads. Meridian has four rail-
roads and a compress; jackson has
two railroads, two in Progresses riv-
er route, aud is building a COM
press, C0rintb and Wesson have
cotton factories. AL these towns
are thriving-their people are busy
their merchants are happy and rat.
tie their money-bags; their land
lords scan their bank accounts and
cry "HA! ha! let US laugh and grow
far, for it is goodIy world"
and their mechanics can scarcely
build houses fast enough to supply
the ever-growi1g demand.
How il it with Canton Has she
any compress, any cotton factory,
any railruad? Has she any eager
new conner asking for house.room.2
Nay, verify, these things be un-
known in this Celestial City. Here
the merchant taketh his afternoon
riesta in peace, uudisturbed by the
annoyance Of many customens the
clerk stitch on the goods box aud
whittleth, and swappeth jokes and
tobacco with bis neighboring clerk.
The vacant storehouse remaineth
closed aud is not worn out by busy
feet; and the landlord, or capitalist,
10 not troubled by having to count
his weekly or monthly gains.
A traveller from any thrifty town
or city, on reaching Canton. and Oh
serving the dilapidated buildings,
vacant spaces and empty stores in
the sO-called business part, is forced
TO think he has found the lotas-eat>
srs, and at noon, has come "untO a
land where it is always afternoon"
These be hard words, masters, but
they are true, and are written by
one who loves Canton aud her peo~
pie. and longs for her resurrection
from the Iethargy that has come
upon her. Something must be done,
and done right speedily, too-else
it will be too late. If proper steps
lie not taken 10 euable us to compete
with the great advantages already
ana fast being secured by
~ cities, our commercial
doom 10 sealed.A mildew will settle
over our cIty-her marts will be de-
serted. her streets will grow grass
.