To follow up on your mention of railroads of that period and press the point made by Ayers a bit further, let me offer this --

In 1850, the State of Mississippi reported 75 miles of railroad track, constructed at a cost of just over two million dollars.
In 1860, the State of Mississippi reported 872 miles of railroad track, constructed at a cost of over twenty-four million dollars.

In other words, during the decade ending in 1860 the state's rail lines increased by a factor of twelve.