Sugar planter. [volume] (West Baton Rouge [i.e. Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Parish, La.]) 1856-1925, 1856-07-26
The Steamboat Controversy,

Belox. we lay before our readers, L '"I1et
rom Capt. Gotten OF the Coast il''e .
markets. in which he complains that We have
lone him injustice.
Our article of which he complains, was
not the result of the complaint OF o"' i"ef
chant, but as we are creditably informed, OF a
neat number. Capt, Gotten truthfu!ly states
that, She believes we would not I'M nre nm p
nor would we iniure any man or men, with
ont sufficient cause. We may have been
but believe from the character OF our
for v~eracity and honor. that we
were not. There Is one view OF the matter
boverer. which our merchants may have
lin their Indignation at being forced 10 pay
higher rates than they were accustomed 'o>'
vo.rlooked. The Capitol was a ia'orite ooa'
and a large portion OF the Baton Rouge trade
was given exclusively to her, as her charges
were alucys moderate. Hhen she CEASE"
running in the trade, our merchants We're
fo,cea to have their freight carried on the
coast packets at rates wh'ch-ho matter
whether they were the customary rates OF
not Of the coast ~packets-were h1sher IMAM
those OF the Capitol. Therefore, they may
have come hastily 70 the CONCLUSION tha1 the
officers OF the c. D. and Laurel Hll!. had
taken advantage of the tapltolS withdrawal
and rajsed the prices OF freight. 1t is true
there are FIVE hundred boats running on the
Mississippi, one or more OF which pass Da'o"
Rouge daily, but it would be as SAFE and as
convenient for our merchants to ship on them
as i. would be for them to entrust tnet! entire
mails 70 the care aud attention OF private
individuals.
The coast packets arrive at a certain hour
four times a week, and deliver their itei9hts
within a few hours of a specified time al
Ration Rouge. All mistakes with them are
easily rectifcd. but with steamers out OF this
trade. how is it! 4 merchant writes to Ne"
Orleans for goods and directs them as the
coast char gss are ,oo high to be placed on an
unnsr country steamer. He does not know
! On what steamer they are conllng-on "ha'
. dav. or at what hour she leit-and to pay Tor
this information by telegraph, would only
| increase the charaes-and Ii the freight Is
landed correctly he is not prepared to receive
II, beside. the additional chargest 10 the wharf
master ior receiving it, AID even the wharf
master does no. know when be receives Il.
whether it is rightly delivered or not-;or per-
haps days atte. the upper country boat goes
on her way rejoicing. with perhaps sundrE
packages undsliveIed and perhaps to return
no more to New Orleans for weeks and some
times months. he receives per coast line mail
his Bills of Ladins.
Their only recourse is 20 have their bus!-
ness done by the Bella Donna, and she ar
,ives at Baton Rouge on Sunday when nearly
every store is closed and drays, if thy can b.
had. charge twenty per cent advance on their
usual price for hauling.
Thus, although, many Of our merchants
ireish. on The Bella Dona, still there are a
number who Justly consider the coast line :
monopoly as la as they are concerned, for
their principles prohibit them from prof,ine
by the lower freights of the Bella Donna OIL
the Sunday trip and they are literally forced
| to fire. light on the coast packets. The latter
boats present all the advantages to shippers
we have enumerated above. and if they con-
slider themselves justified in charging higher
than the other boats 1t only remains for the
merchants to grin and bear it.
We would further state that the person:
upon whose statements We have based. oul
notice of the steamboat controversy, so fal
have uniformity stated that they were sorry
that the line was persuing such a course anc
we assure the officers Of that line, that nc
one has spoken to us in regard to the matter
but in a friendly tone of spirit towards the
officers of both boats.
Capt. Gotten, certainly understands hi:
business and is justified in refusing to carr,
freight at a lower rate than will pay, bu. there
was another boat in the trade besides thu
Capitol, and j. she has lost. the Bella DoIn;
has made-that is if we may be permitted te
judge, from her constantly increasing freight!
and the loads she discharges at Baton Roug,
every Sunday. Our trade may be poor, bu
it is really surprising to US it it is SO. If
city of nearly eight thousand inhabitants ant
supporting a hundred stores of different kinds
cannot support two boats at moderate rate
in her trade, particularly when she has n
other medium of feceiving supplies but b.
the river on which they float, then we con
TESS that we were mistaken in OUT deduction
and took Baton Rouge for Bayou Goula O