The Kosciusko star. (Kosciusko, Miss.) 18??-1898, 1895-06-07
4 THRIVING TOWN.
BUILT UP and Upheld Err
tircly by ENcai Trade
COMPARISON WITH KOSCI-
USNO.
The Large Business Done by Il
Mississippi Town Without
Any Country Trade.

my OOUHtIS LItuC.
Everybody knows that Koscius-
ko is one of the best towns in the
State, and all who have been here
also know that it is almost exclus,
lively country trade that makes it
SO. This season our merchants
have bought 20, 900 bales of cotton,
tor which they have paid about
half million dollars. This, with
the cattle, poultry and some other
articles of produce of limited
amount, forms nearly the entire
basis of our trade. We have few
local industries that distribute
money among the people-in fact,
clerk hire makes up fully half the
wages paid in the town. Under
these conditions, however, kosci-
usko has prospered to a considera-
bic extent.
Now, although comparisons are
frequently odious, not long ago in
our mind we got to comparing
kosciusko, depending entirely on
country trade, with other towns
which rely altogether on local
trade, McComb City, Miss, came
up as a good place for comparison.
We requested Mr., George McMil-
Ian to furnish us with certain fig
ures in regard to that town; and
he, with the assistance of the cash
ier of bank and an old book
keeper for a large firm there, gave
us the facts on whica, the following
asticle is based,
Where McConob Citynow stands
was no town at all before the rail,
'road and planning mills were built
there were only few farmers liv
ing in the vtcInity, and lanG
brought ouly the ordinary price ot
farming lands IN this State. Now
McComb City estimates her pop
ulation at 5000 people, and the
volume OF her mercantile business
is close to half a million dollars,
which is derived almost entirel,
from her locRl population The
two Industries that sustain the
town are the railroad shops anc
the largt. plar1ng mills OF a weaIlthy
citizen Eamed White.
The raibroad shops employ alDou
400 hands and their monthly pay
roll is $50, 600 to $40, 600 a m0nth
The saw and planning mills EN-
ploy 200 men and pay oat 81 5, ooe
to $40, 900 amonth. Twelve year,
ago the owner had only an ordina
ry country SEW mill; now he sell,
lumber all oysf the South, in nlanN
parts O, the North and ships tC
Europe. 1t takes six figures tc
indicate his estimated fortune anC
the first fglre IS neither a "cne'
nor a "two." He sells $40. eco tc
$4,000 worth Of lumber pei
month, this NOT being included il
our above estimate OF $500, ,ooo as
the towns volrme OF business.
In addition to the above indus
tries McComb City has an ice fac
tory that employs eight or ter
hands during the sumlssel
season. McComb City merchants
have bought about 1000 bales Of
cotton this season, and this is larg-
est amount they ever bought; SO il
will be seen that the large amount
business done comes almost wholly
from the two monthly pay rolls.
1t cannot be said that the town is
not in a cotton country,
because Magnolia. town
lust seven miles below, gets
IA, 600 bales year; and Summit,
three miles above, buys $1,000 to
49, 600 a year.
Now, let us see the difference
between cash and credit business.
Summit is wholly a cotton town;
yet, although it buys nearly as
much cotton as kosciusko, prop