The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1866-11-03
MercIant,s Meetlne. -

number Of leading business men OF
the city met at the Office of Messrs.
Baird n Start last night TO devise
some plan for the relief of the plant
era of the regions bordering On the
Tennessee River, who are unable TO
have their cotton shipped to this port
direct, an they desire. The cause of
this difficulty has been more than
once 'set forth in the columns Of the
JOURNAL. ~. -
The importance Of the subject and
the necessity for prompt action is best
explained by the following letter,
which was introduced and read by
Mr.. Ragon, Of the firm Of Ragon q
Dickey:
.sHHleNa EAsTPoRT, Miss. Oct. %. 1896.
10 me Merchants Of EvdnsvfiLe, Ind;
GRsTLEMEa 1--WE iearn from Captain
Brown, or the =. b. Phantom. that yon
are making an EFFORT TO. get the United
States Secretary OF the Treasury TO so mod
ify the instructions to Collectors and AS
SCISSORS of internal Revenue, that cotton
growers may ship cotton 20 your place
upon the same terms aa it is now being
shipped by rail 10 Memphis. Capt. Brown
was under tie impression that your efforts
were only Intended To relieve The cotton
growersin the Districtiof West Tennessee,
and that you had overlooked the import.
ant interest of this place. We sincerely
hope this In not the case, and take the
earliest moment 10 call your attention to
Eagtport. We are under the impression
that the trade between the merchants OF
Evansville and this place will aggregate
four or six times as much as any other point
upoBt the uivera We not only buy largely
in your city. but In our shipments OF cot
top 70 your MERCHANTS Try TO keep the bali
ance IN our favor after paying our bffla
The fact that you have kept IA steamer
constantly running between your city and
Eastport, and thatshe only, Of all theiiTies
STARTED. Ind been Sustained, Is PROOF or
the importance which these two points
are TO each other. The cotton crop is going
10 be small this year. The corn crop less
promising, aud the prospects now are that
our farmers will need fair proportion OF
the proceeds OF their cotton returned to
them in corn, and the various kinds OF
provisi6nA. II would snitt them better, be
far more economical land economy this
year ~ necessity to trade with your city j
Besides all the cotton shipped East from
this place direct, goes by way OF Evansville,
and hecessariiy leaves q, per cent. there for 4
commissions, storage, and handling. We,
therefore, earnestly request you TO try to
have some arrangement made with the
Collector of Revenue by which we can
ship our cotton without paymento OF taxes.
or else have an accredited weigher APP
pointed for this point. This must be done,
or the cotton will lind n market at Mem
PMS. and tine grower wifi suffer both In
higher freighta, apdan advance on the ar
ticles OF living which nc receives for his
cotton lMemphia mechanic are making
Herculean and laudable efforts TO turn the
bulk Of the cotton 10 their market, bat we
do not believe il TO ha the advantage OF
the cotton grower 10 60 there. Certainly
II IL not to yours or ours. We, believe a
much 'arger amount OF cotton is1shipped
from this point than any other on the
river, or the railroad between Me nphia
and Decatur. so IL has been heretofore,
and 80 IL IL 10 the interest OF the seller, OF
you and OF ourselves for IL To be In the fu-
..tl Very respectfully, M l3a
" 1tf w. ii. WEIGH & Co., 800
, II. h. BROWN & Co., COG
LEWIS MILLER A. Co.,
j. A. DoRNALLY a Co.
tf q. Fl. PHILLIPS a BENNETT,
WILSON & MOORE,
Ri THGHe JNo.C. BKIaas d. 90. t7pA
After considerable informal discus /
sion, the meeting was organized as |
Board Of Trade! Ba8a3 al8so
Mr.. Gardner, Of the firm of Miller
4 Gardner, moved that q committee |
of three be appointed to examine thu
law on the subject, and, if deemed ex-
pedient, to send q man to Washington
to urge upon the Secretary, of the |
Treasury the subject under consider
alton. 1,.,,; ~ u.
Mr.. Allis, President of the Board
Of Trade, appointed Messrs. Gardner,
Nesbitt, and Start as said committee.
On motion of Mr.. Ragon, $500 was
appropriated from the Treasury efthe
Board Of Trade to defray the expenses
IF commissioner 70 Washington City.
iAimeeting of the Board of Trade
vas called for three o clock this after.
loon at their room, corner of First
md Main Streets, /
The Committee agreed to meet at
o'clock this morning at the Office of
Baird x StarI and if deemed nee /
'ssary to send a Commissioner to
Washington City, he will go this af-
ernoon. Some further informal con-
'ersation was held on the subject and
he meeting adjourned. sa.a |