The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-11-06
SOUTHERN PROSPECTS.
Interesting Statement Of Southern Man on
the Crops Throughout tho South.
Financial and Labor Difficulties with
which the Country has to Contend.
Devastation Of the Louisiana
Estates.
&c. kc. &c.

4/oGosSOoe
Our Columbia Correspondence.
COLUMBIA, g. O., Oct. 81 1896.
Affairs Louisiana and the South were the subject OF
interesting conversation at Nickerson's Hotel last
Friday evening gentleman who owns q large planta-
ton there and in this State and who appeared TO be
thoroughly acquainted with all the planting interest OF
tho South gave statement Of the condition Of the COT
ton and sugar crops together with q good deal Of In
formation the general agriculture Of the country the
capital invested and the different branches Of trade con-
nected Herewith.
THE APPRARANoR Tm COUNTRY
he said 1t first strikes the eye OF the traveller in
passing through Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi and
tho testimony Of all the planters met with in
travel Is that OF general poverty and destitutionthe
utter deficiency of crops Of every sort. Az general
rule tho upands the crops which should have made
from fifteen TO twenty bushels to the will make but
FIVE or six. On the prairie lands whore was formerly
made from thirty to forty the yield ia about ten bushels
to the There is evident prostration Of agrcu
ture in every part Of the country arising simply from
the fact Of the inability Of tho planters 70 apply the
labor in the present condition OF affairs
APPROACH MOBILE NEW ORLEANS
marked by evident appearance Of thrift In business
which surprising considering the real condition Of
the country On examination however, into the Affairs
Of the business OF those two Cities the whole trade is
found TO be based upon small amounts OF cotton mostly
of the old crops and other produce Of inferior
value sent by persons who for four 1--WE years have
been deprived Of the nccessares and comforts Of life to
provide themselves in these matters.
In NEW ORLEANS
especially there large influx Of transient popula
ton from the country, seeking examination Of old
accounts with former business men, and endeavoring TO
provide for the restoration OF their property
something like productive condition There no
money to supply these deficiencies except in very pecu
liar cases, and almost every after weeks soourn
in the city returns disappointed TO his home. The
business men we're utterly unable TO afford any accom-
mediation to their old and valuable customers Tho
largest and most fourishing mercantile houses before
the in New Orleans declared themselves powerlcss
unable 10 resume the business which thor only
means Of support One who before the worth
at least six hundred thousand dollars stated TO tho
speaker that no was obliged to conane himself TO a
small pcddDg trade TO procure fifty cents TO get meal
rHE pEspoSDgscY OF THE PEOPLE
is very great serious question In the minds OF bust
ness Is how they to maintain themselves In
their respective classes in tho absence Of incoming crops
after the present supply OF money from the old Is
is called the coast OF Louisiana s at once struck and
the observation corroboraed at every step, with the
complete destruction OF the cotton and ohcr interests
Tho evecs in many places have fallen in the rank weeds
and grass have the former and pro-
life crops the canals and d!tches have boon filled up
with drained ands and the cultivation, which only
second in beauty to that OF the lands in belgium COM
petey forsaken Such il the condition OF the land that,
leaving aside the prccarousness Of labor an immense
outlay Of money Is requisite 10 reduce the plantations 10
their old state 70 insure for many years 70 como,
with abundant labor much more tan half Of their
rnx CROPS or LOUISIANA
were thus estimated. Taking the former minimum
crop sugar b. three hundred and ty thousand hogs
heads and the maximum FIVE hundred and forty thou
sand the cotton the Mississippi and its tributaries
mnirnum three hundred thousand bales maximum four
hundred thousand the incoming CROP compared with
that will not be than thirty thousand bales of cot
ton and fifteen thousand hogshcads Of sugar. and this
a very large estimate.
THE rgvEEs or TIE MISSISSIPPI RIVER s
and its tributaries and outlets embrace length Of three
thousand miles with average height of embankment
Of perhaps about twelve feet with base Of ninety Or
height Of thirty feet with base OF three hundred feet
These large works located always at the most dan
gerows places where thcre tho largest nroads OF
upon tho tiliable land. Without cocrced system Of
labor these breaks cannot be repaired AMI kept up
loss indeed the government Of the United States under
takes that nbor1ous and indispensable work Even I'M
der that SYSTEM II such appropriation Is made the
evees would bc less eectu In keeping out the waters
particular property day and night IS TO exercise guar
dianship which . disintcrested hireng is not
likely to do. In addition TO this large por.
the sugar houses and machinery, erected at such
heavy cost have been in most sections entirely de-
during s s n The S s
fences lmost OF which have TO be puchased the ditch
ing, canalling, &C. puts II out Of the power q the
great bulk Of planters 10 their former avocaons
II must also be taken into consideration that In the
delta OF the Mississippi for the cccua cultivation OF
@ cane and cotton U eaSn nrS ss sc1ss o.
mailing ditching and drains, the latter varying
from four feet in width to five in DEPTH and more from
twenty feet In width to eight feet in depth; also an
canallage that connect the drainage Of
each plantation with the regular outlet or bayou for
carrying on supernuous water. When these difficulties
considered TO the planter in his present condition,
without credit without organized system OF labor,
tho risk before him OF undertaking such work is really
in the valre OF his lands the entire loss Of eli the i'm
provements, buildings and machinery, will leave the
planter pcnness, his possessions before the
MR. JOHN BrRrsrDss PLANTATION,
OF the largest In the South may be taken a. an e.
ample II has been the most systematically managed,
both as regards as cultural developments and economy
OF expenditure and notwithstanding liberal compensa
ton TO the few hands he hos been enabled TO employ,
heads OF sugar In 1851 between Ave and SIX hundred
hogsheads In 1886 But this loss Of products not the
&c ~ 70 an o s inability 70
cure the reasonable labor and remove the dlcues Of
drainage the Of his estate nearly or quite ono
half is lost altogether 10 present usa
ADJOINING RgTATEH
OF Governor John L. Manning, Hon. Duncan y Camp
bell Mr. Branch Mr. landry, MT valcour and MT Aime
than that Of Mr. Burnside, and with all The lands
lying what commonly called the coast OF LOUISIANA
but which IL really the banks OF the river down 70 the
city Of New Orleans and below ~
N ABovB BATON Rou0g,
which 10 more Immediately on the seat OF war, the de
sructon has been entire Nothing remains 70 the pro
prietor excepting hs abandoned lands and even those
are subjected 70 taxation which no will not 30 able 70
pay and IN all LIKELIHOOD will be removed from MS pos
session or sold for taxes "a ~ Y. *
cxssRAL wADs nAxrros's PLANTATION
on Lake Wsshinstos 10 ruins, although the family
throughout the resided the under the care OF the
Generals brother, Mr. Christopher Hampton During
the war the General removed his negroes about eleven
hundred In number, 70 South Carolina Between two
and three hundred remain with him on hs place here,
which u also but the wreck OF magnificent estate
the remaining negroes supported by the efforts Of the
General, doing little or no work 70 help thsmsslvss
UP RID RIVER, La, 81 an.
far as the war offended the destruction Is - oom
Ulste. with the exception THAI The lands. being more ee-