The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1881-10-06
SOUTHERN RAILWAYS.
Cincinnati After the Mississippi Trade

Cincinnati Gazette.
The commercial relations which have
hitherto existed between Cincinnati and
Central and Western Mississippi have not
oeen particularly advantageous to either
The trade of Vicksburg, Jackson, Brandon,
Canton, and, in fact, the whole country
tributary to the Vicksburg q Meridian
railway, is very large and for years it has
been controlled by st. Louis and New Or
leans. These markets have had a monopo-
ly, as it were, of the cream of the business,
and have, as a rule, treated it as il it were
bound to them for all the time to come
The Chicago, st. Louis & New Orleans rail
way has greatly aided them in fastening
their iron grip on the inland, and the
Anchor line of steamboats, on the river
trade. The merchants and planters have
had no choice. in markets except as between
New Orleans and St. Louis. This state of
things has existed for years, and although
the Vicksburg & Meridian road was built
for the express purpose of giving an outlet
to Mobile, and thence to the east and Flu
rope, it failed to bring much relief, for the
war coming on soon afterward, prevented
any advantages that might otherwise have
accrued to the localities named.
From the close of the war down to the
present time the Vicksburg & Meridian
roads physical condition and equipment
have not been of a kind to be of any adyan-
tage to its would be patrons or profit to its
owners, hence there has been no Opportunity
in that part portion of the south to do bust
ness with the several marketso the coun-
try except by circuitous routes, and when
tried it always found that rates were against
them, aud not until the Yicksburg g. Merid=
ian road passed to the control of live, active
bushes men, did any relief appear. Since
the purchase of the property by the Erlan-
gers, the outlook has been changed. The
new owners of the road set about at once
putting It IN condition to promptly move
all business on the line, The track is be-
ing ballasted, and new rails to the amount
of 1900 tons per month are being laid.
Ample equipments of the best kind have been
ordered, and by the time the cotton crop is
ready to be moved the road viii be fully
prepared to move all business offered with
dispatch. and it promises to be very large
that is, it will be, if the merchants and
manufacturers of this city do not shut their
eyes to the fact that enc of the richest sec
tons of the southern country is now opened
up to them, and all that remains for them
to do is to 90 in and aa eapture the trade.
The people down there are anxious to make
Cincinnati their market, and General Man
ager Scott is ready to give all the aid and
encouragement needed, so far as transporta-
ton and reasonable rates are concerned.
The people in that region are doing all that
can be asked of them to bring about bust
ness relations between themselves and this
city, which will be highly advantageous to
both. They have gone so far as to delegate
Col III. ). Fulkerson, of Vieksburg (yho is
in this city,, to visit Cincinnati and urge
upon our merchants theimportanee of turn |
ing their attention to Mississippi, and to
come down to our country and show US
what you have for sale, and see what we
have to exchange for your merchandise, |
your grain, and Your provisions The |
game is well worth going after, and it be-
hooves our merchants to up and doing and
that right speedily.