The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1881-05-26
Leake County Correspondence.
LEAKE County M o.. roe,

q
i diagram On the western border i a oraa,
Is crooked mark-"The Mississippi . here d.
IS Agonaiiy runs another zigzag-"The Pearl -
5 there, over In the \. E. corner, is conspic-
. uous Columbus and away down here
n is a muffin-ring-like fgure-..Natchez. /"
> Then ne sights up the banks of the Pearl
e from Natchez to the aforesaid Columbus and
draws long dark line with short marks At
: right angles to represent cross-ties. Then
! he locates Jackson and Carthage and Ed;n-
4 burg, and divers and sundry imaginary
! cities with novel names and wonderful ad
Vantages. Oh There's millions in itr'
The imaginative faculties of an artist are
called into requisition in drafting couple
of huge trains. One loaded down with cot
ton and corn and lumber and fruit-everv-
thing, IN fact, calculated to bring money
and prosperity and you will observe that he
sets down these articles at fancy prices.
The other Is an excursion tram, gotten up es-
pecialiy for the benefit of Leake-ites. How
happy the thought of visiting the Capital,
and Natchez, and trip up the Mississippi
on the r E. Lee! The trains are perfectly
] 9EANAAtN eiACf IdAC III the WnOIe ilDe ton
the dIagram) and Is not yet finished In or
der to perfect his model our artist contem-
plates projecting bridge across the Missis-
sippi and then the whole unexplored West
will be laid open to the play of his genius.
Should l be so fortunate as to procure a pho
tograph of this wonderful specimen of artist
ic Skill, shall forward it to Barnum with
out fail believe our people will offer Gen.
Martin substantial encouragement NOBODY
will oppose the road, but there will be some
opposition, Of course, to extending county
aid. But the wants of our people are such
that | think two-thirds majority can he
had in favor of county aid, without much
/ trouble.
The farmers are now hard at work plant
ing much cotton and little corn, as usual.
/ They were badly salivated by the last
crops that one would suppose the staple
would now become the surplus, and not the
/ principal product. The argument used in
/ favor of cotton is that it alone will COM
mand nearly cash. But if | must expend
1 500 90 in labor and money to realize
SO 90 in ''nearly cash. it strikes me that
my nearly cash. will soon get me into the
list of those who realize handsomely on the
interest of their Indebtedness.
| think, however that this cut-throat
policy is attributable in great measure to
the Agricultural Lien and mortgage system
in vogue in this State. | find that the
prosperous farmers among us are those who
raise the ''staff of life" at home. Let it be
known that farmer has corn to sell in the
spring and he at once enters the list of
those who are prosperous and worthy of
trust. Now, those who are out of debt
are the prosperous, and have corn to sell. |
But look at the debtor class They raise |
the cotton and they do so from necessity /
Under the mortgage and lien system the /
planting of cotton to the exclusion of other
crops is made a condition precedent to the /
procurement of money and supplies. If !
one proposes to raise "hog and homihy" the /
supply man gives him the ''go by" or if he |
is already under mortgage, which is usual, /
he is threatened with a ''close out" Cot |
ton is made the basis of credit to the mer-
chant, and cotton is the basis of credit to
the farmer. Advances hypothetical on
such basis imply high prices, inadequa-
cy of the crops to meet the supply bill, and /
ruin to both debtor and creditor.
The recent decision of the Supreme Court |
to the effect that the mortgagor is entitled |
to advances at the same price that such I
articles are sold on a credit to persons who
are of undOubted solvency, will accomplish
much good if the mortgagor will but insist
upon his rights. 1t will make the mer-
chant more reasonable in his charges and
more cautious in the kind and amount of
supplies furnished the supply bill being
thus circumscribed, the farmer will pay out,
and the merchant will pocket his money /
with a living profit
The change in the interest law will also
be conducive to prosperity. If man is
fool enough to mortgage his house and 4
farm-"all that he hath'-for money at the
ruinous rates of interest nowadays exacted,
the sovereign power with a view to the
protection of its citizens, should either
appoint him guardian, else punish the
money lender who takes advantage of his
folly or necessities. The statute is about
right, being more lenient than the old usury
laws of England which avoided the whole
contract, and more rigid than the Code of
1871 which avoided only the usury. The
money lender should be satisfied with 100
per cent, and that compounded, when the
toiling masses are thought to do well if they
realize more than bare subsistence upon
their investment of land, stock, implements
and muscle in agriculture. The adoption
of the maxim olive and let live" would
effect wonders in our material development
and general prosperity. Every class would
thrive under it.
THE NAVIGATION OF THE PEARL
is, of course, an established fact. The
Clifton made regular trips between Jackson
and Carthage for near seven months of the
season just past, and was freighted down on
every trip. There is now needed a proper
application OF the money donated by Con-
gress to cleaning out the river.
The writer has, at last, reached the prop
er step for efficient work, and we are graft
fed to learn that the work will shortly begin
IN earnest. Last year was most unfavorable
for prosecuting the work properly, and those
who claim to know, pronounce the effort
then made at removing distractions as a
miserable farce. There considerable
inclination manifested a while, to write it ;
up" but parties were induced to look chart
tably upon it from the fact that the season
was unfavorable, from the further fact that !
the contractor would probably say like Rip
Van Wrinkle, 81 won't count that time.
The river is good from GFigsby's ferry to
Jackson, but wretched from Grigsby's to
Carthage If work enough were put upon {
the river between the latter points the boats /
could run at very low stage of water and 8
the season of navigation could be set down ,
at from to months per annum. More {
boats are needed. The Clifton ran success :
i've months loaded to her guards both ways. :
But the freights carried by her were but G
small part of the freights procurable. Let O
another boat or boats be placed on the river i
and they will be abundantly accommodated J
with business-Walnut Grove and Madden +
alone can keep one boat actively employed. +
Carthage could furnish work for another, 2
to say nothing of Oklahoma, Good Hope, Tus- q
cola, Ludlow and the general country pat q
coinage below Carthage. Then again, there !;
IS ali the business of Edinburg and East c
Leake to be provided for. learn, by the 3
way, that the Edinbnrg people contemplate
mining in a boat of their own at an early