The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1885-01-22

which a large majority settled thei
debts. People -oi this generation
can hardly conceive of the severity
Of the times-sO great was the
sLringency in money matters that
even the merchants found it difficult
to gather specie sufficient fnr
postage. The Courts were crowded
with suits, and called terms had to
he resorted TO in order TO go through
the docket. After the enactment
of the Bankrupt Law, in lS4l, vast
numbers of debtors availed them
selves of its provisions, and the
years 1S42 '43 witnessed wiping
out of the larger portion of the
Indebtedness, and during 1S44-'45
there was perceptible Improvement
in the business of Columbus. But
as we had no Railroads, and con-
sequenLly no connection with the
outside world, except the prccarious
navigation of the Tombigbee for
some four months in the year, Co
lumbus was left to struggle against
the adverse circumstances of the
times as well as her isolated posi-.
ton; and this state of things con-
tinuea until the completion to our
town, in 1860, of the Mobile d Ohio
Rairoad-and it must he remem-
bered that even this increased
facility only gave us uninterrupted
Il
with no other commercial point
Nor did Columbus have connection
with any other point until the late
war had broken upon us in all its
devastating fury. For it is re-
markable fact in the history of the
Mobile d Ohio Road, that the first
through train that passed over it
was freighted with troops and
munitions Of wa.
Columbus had then from the com
mencement of the revival OF business
in lS44 to 1860 for progress, and
that too unaided by any adventurous
circumstances, no Banks or other
mnneyed institutions, except the
Columbus Life and General Insur-
ance Co which started in 1852 or
53; no facilities for transportation
except in one direction; no means OF
intercourse North, East or West
except by Mobile.
But during that time she built =
new and spacious Court House
winch attracts the eye of th'
stranger - the New Methods
! Church, as it was then called, nov
known as Concert Hall-a new Epis
copal Church, still one of the orna
ments of our town--a Town Hall
since destroyed by fire, from the
wreck al which the present Hail was
acquired Masonic HaiI-an OdO
Fellows lIaIl-and the beautiful City
of the Dcad was laid out and Orna,
mcnied, the ashes of whose founders
have since enriched it's soil-tht
Gilmer Hotel, frst-class in all its
appointments, and the largest il
the State, except, perhaps, ut thu
watering places on the coast-th'
Female Institute, which formed one
of the principal inducements for the
recent location Of The State lnstitn
tion for the education of white
girls, in our town-the Christian
Church, substantial brick cditic'
Gas Works sufficient size to serve
an increasing population-and or
ganized Fire Department. In addi
ion to these expenditures for public
buildings, we paid $2l5,000 towards
the building of the Mobile Il Ohi'
Railroad. In the way Of private en-
terprise, many fine residences wer'
erected; while Main and Marke
streets witnessed the demolition o
wooden shanties and the erection
of substantial brick store houses.
Thus, we have a bird s-eye view
of the progress of Columbus from
lS44, when, freed from the incubus
of debt by the surrender OF the
property of the citizens to the Bank
rupt Court, she started out To re
build her broken fortunes-to The
breaking ont Of the late war. AnC
it is remarkable fact, that during
all--or nearly all-ofthat time there
were no Licensed Saloons, no nine
pin alleys. no Billiard tables in th'
town, nor were they deemed neces
sary to our progress or improve
ment 1t has been reserved for the
more extended means of education
and higher advancement in civiliza
ton of the the present generation Il
discover that we were mistaken
The highest authority says: "Y'
shall know them by their fruits. ,
Let us, then, contrast the presen
with the past. The war closed ir
April, 1865, but it was not unit
1875 that the people OF our State go'
possession and control of public
i offices. We will. therefore. cal
these ten years a blank, and mo-
hold the present generation respon
sible for the characterization that ,
Radical, Irresponsible government
imposed upon us. But will star
with 1S75-and to the ten years, Il
lSS5--What have you done Tn,
State established College for th'
education of white girls, and au
thorized its location at snch poin