Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume V.djvu/127

 COLUMBUS 123 largest island, Santa Maria do Columbretcs. On this island there is a hill of some elevation called Monte Colibre. The surface is much broken, and exhibits lavas and scoria, but there is an exuberance of dwarf olives, gerani- ums, prickly pears, myrtles, and brushwood, and crops are raised of rye, maize, pulse, po- tatoes, and hemp. The island swarms with snakes, which seem to b harmless. This group is important as a military station. COLUMBUS, a S. E. county of North Carolina, bordering on South Carolina, bounded S. E. by the Waccamaw river, and 1ST. W. by Lumber river; area, 600 sq. m. ; pop. in 1870, 8,474, of whom 2,948 were colored. The surface is level and partly marshy. The Wilmington, Columbia, and Augusta railroad traverses it. The chief productions in 1870 were 65,972 bushels of Indian corn, 79,307 of sweet pota- toes, 119 bales of cotton, and 216,964 Ibs. of rice. There were 368 horses, 1,960 milch cows, 3,550 other cattle, 5,383 sheep, and 12,- 759 swine; 3 saw mills and 1 saddle and har- ness factory. Capital, Whiteville. COLUMBUS, a city of Georgia, capital of Mus- cogee co., on the left bank of the Chattahoo- chee river, 300 m. above Appalachicola bay, and 95 m. S. S. W. of Atlanta; pop. in 1870, 7,401, of whom 3,204 were colored. It enjoys superior advantages for trade and great facili- ties for the erection of mills and factories. The Chattahoochee is navigable from Columbus to the gulf of Mexico during eight months of the year ; and from the end of October to the 1st of July its waters are traversed by numer- ous steamboats laden with cotton. Opposite Columbus the river rushes over huge, rugged rocks, forming rapids, valuable for the excel- lent water power which they furnish, and in the improvement of which large sums of money have been expended. A dam 500 ft. long has been constructed at this point. A handsome bridge connects the city with Girard village, Alabama. Columbus is regularly laid out, with streets from 99 to 165 ft. wide. The principal public buildings are the court house, Presbyterian church, temperance hall, bank of Columbus, and two hotels. Three flour and grist mills are in operation, consuming annually 100,000 bushels of wheat and 60,000 of Indian corn. There are two banks, with $150,000 capital, and eight public schools, with 14 teachers and 545 pupils. Two daily and two weekly newspapers are published. The South- western (Georgia), the Mobile and Girard, and the Western (Alabama) railroads meet here. Columbus was laid out in 1828. COLUMBUS, a city and the capital of Lowndes co., Mississippi, on the left bank of the Tom- bigbee river, which is navigable at all seasons, 25 m. S. of Aberdeen, and 132 m. N. E. of Jackson; pop. in 1870, 4,812, of whom 2,738 were colored. It has regular steamboat com- munication with Mobile. A branch railroad extends to Artesia on the Mobile and Ohio railroad. It is situated in a fertile region, and is the shipping place of large quantities of cot- ton. One tri-weekly and four weekly news- papers and a monthly are published. It con- tains a handsome court house, a United States land office, several churches, and a bank with $300,000 capital. COLUMBUS, a town of Hickman co., Ken- tucky, on the Mississippi, 18 m. below Cairo, 111. ; pop. in 1870, 1,574, of whom 761 were colored. It is situated on the S. slope of a high bluff commanding the river for about 5 m. There is some trade in lumber. A weekly newspaper is published. The Mobile and Ohio railroad connects here by ferry with the St. Louis and Iron Mountain line. Columbus was strongly fortified by the confederates, who occupied it Sept. 4, 1861. They regarded it as the northern key to the mouth of the Missis- sippi, and had in the town and its vicinity about 30,000 men. After the capture of Forts Henry and Donelson by the federal troops in February, 1862, Columbus was aban- doned by the confederate forces, March 2. COLUMBUS, a city and the capital of Ohio, seat of justice of Franklin co., built mostly on the E. bank of the Scioto, just below the mouth of the Olentangy, in the centre of the state, 100 m. K E. of Cincinnati. It lies in lat. 39 57' K, Ion. 83 3' W., on the great alluvial plain which stretches from the E. part of Ohio to the Mississippi river, and has therefore no great natural features of mountain, lake, or sea to make it remarkable. Its growth and wealth are largely due to the concentration of the state institutions and the liberal expendi- ture of public money, together with the nat- ural advantage of a rich country. Its popula- tion has been as follows : in 1820, 1,400 ; 1830, 2,437; 1840, 6,487; 1850, 17,882; 1860, 18,- 554; 1870, 31,274, of whom 7,611 were for- eign born, and 1,897 colored. The streets are very wide, and are regularly laid out in squares. Broad street is 120 ft. wide for more than two miles, and is beautifully shaded with maple and elm trees. Many of the handsomest resi- dences are in this street. High street, the principal business thoroughfare, is 100 ft. wide. Capitol square, which is beautifully laid out and surrounded with elms, occupies the square of 10 acres between High and Third and Broad and State streets, in the centre of the city. In it an artesian well has been sunk to a great depth. Goodale park, presented to the city by Dr. Lincoln Goodale, is at the N. end of the city, and contains about 40 acres of native forest, which has been improved. City park, at the S. end of the city, is similar in all respects to Goodale park. The grounds of the Franklin co. agricultural society, 83 acres in extent, on the E. border, are the finest in the state. The gardens of the Columbus horticul- tural society occupy 10 acres, in the vicinity of the agricultural grounds. Of the five ceme- teries the most beautiful is Green Lawn. The most interesting feature of Columbus to the stranger is its numerous and important public