The herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1835-1837, 1837-04-14
Private correspondence.

MoBmE, ilh April, 1884
DEAR SIR,-I have read with feelings of glowing
interest your accounts of the money market and trade
in general in the 'big city," and although one of cur
editors, the Mercantile Advertiser, has seen proper 10
you for your "extravagant remarks, and has
STYLED yoa the Balloon of the American Press
do the b.ockheads generally call me-Benneh.l IL Is
the general opinion that your remarks are no less
strange than true MY remarks On the markets are
only short Of the truh-Bennettl l wish We had
you here about week to stir up the critters IN cur
mercantile menagerle.
We have few lions and royal tigers but the rest
of the show consists Of all classes of the monkey
tribe, from the baboon to the marmozette. Apropos
OF monkies.-A monkey trick has been played oil TO
the disgrace of a bank director, who has Obtained
three advances one lot Of cotton from three differ
ent houses say the amount Of $4,000. The gentle
man walks at large and yesterday attended the races
in crack style. He is sald 70 be part owner of Br
mingham For furtherparticulars refer you TO some
Of your tailors who supply diapers with rascally
slop clothng-they are the boys for news.
You may wonder al my presumption in sending
this letter TO you by "erpress mad The desire OF
promoting the interest OF the Herald, and the hope
that this expose Of the way things done here,
will prompt your subscribers in other places TO give
you the form and pressure of the times they exist
among them-and finally the want Of the wherewlth
10 pay the exravagant postage, and knowledge that
you are one cast in natures mould, made up Of vr-
tue, love and charity, has induced me To perpetraic
this act of bsldness.
Friend Bennett, cease not, pray YOU in your ef-
forts 10 nculcate truth. Cry aloud and spare not
then shall America be Bennotzedw
With all the gloom that prevails among us there is
still some encouragement TO hope for better state OF
things. 1t is thought by prudent men, and those are
the best Judges, that the situation OF Alabama Is much
better than any south or southwestern state. The
spirit of speculation has been rife among US, but
then il is placed upon better basis than that of
neighbors. We yet IN our infancy. Our plant
ers arc composed of men who have emigrated from
Virginia, Carolina and Georgia, bringing with them
Their negroes and money, which they have laid out in
land at a low price. They have devoted themselves
entirely the culture Of cotton, neelectng 10 raise
stock or grain, finding from the enormous profits Of
the staple, that il better To pay corresponding
price for the necessaries of life than TO raise them
The manner Of conducting business here will expen-
encc change and il will benefit Mobile exceedingly.
Our State Bank is a complete political machine, and
has inflicted upon q SC OF men calling themselves
merchants Il loafers, rather-Bennet, who have
been greater pest to the community than would
have been seven years Itch The directors of the
State Bank are appointed by the legislature. The
practice has been for those who have friends in the
legislature visit the seat of government and cleo
tonecr with oysters and champagne, and perform
log-rolling in all its branches.
On dit-The Planters and Merchants Bank was
created in this manner. The "smar fcllers' are
made bank directors and then we hear OF Tom, Dick
and Harry as commission merchants in Mobe-they
receive any quantity Of cotton. The planters rally
around them because the; are the boys to favor their