The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1870-09-07

was only twentysx freigh cars loaded with thirt
bales eaeh) give power sufficient to move with cas-
sxty-six loaded cars At very moderate calculation
1900 bales of cotton, and like weight of up freigh
can be transported the road daily with the
number of trips which, in emergency, can b.
; doubled.
BUILDINGs.-During the past commercial year there
have been erected and commenced twenty brick store
houses at average cost of $4,000 Jewish Syna
gogue, the cost of which 5000 Presbyterian
Church, to cost $34, 900 five two-sory dwellings at
average cost of s7000 of which is under contract
for sl2 800; IS single story residences at cost OF
$4,000 each The average price of brick in the wall
has been SIS per thousand green pine lumber, s2S
dry $780, green cypress s35 and dry $40 ahs 81 so to
S. per thousand shingles s.. The wages of journey
men carpenters 81 to S. day; of SIS so to
Sc So plasterers 81 to 81 So painters s. to 81 so and
of day laborers 81 There is slater here
for whom there is urgent demand very serious
drawback to the ntesests of the place is the deplor
able scarcity of small domicils for mechanics The
best of them who labor here only remain three four
months during the fall winter, and then return to
their families in the West which results from their in
ability procure houses terms commensurate with
their means. Could not some enterprising man who
owns ten acre lot erect number of small residences
suitable to the means of this Glass;
The brick store house being erected by the Messrs
Jacobs will be one of the finest in the State outside
| of New Orleans.
| SCHOOLS We have eight white and four colored
schools OF the former four are male three are female
and one is mixed of the latter all are mixed.
| The aggregate number of white pupils the past
year three hundred, and of coored one hundred
and thirty. In addition to these Academy has been
opened the corporate limits, and the Shreveport
University, only and half miles out, is already
in successful operation both institutions being under
the control of competent teachers.
CHURcHEs-There are five churches and one Syna-
gogue in the place, comprising large membership
namely, Baptist, Methodist, Episcopal, Presbyterian,
Catholic and Jewish The pulpits are ably filled by
the Revds A. E. Clemens, John Wilkinson, W. T. D.
Dalzeli, W. C. Dunlap, J. Pierre and NJ. Samteld.
The Presbyterian church is now being erected and
when completed will be quite ornament to the
place There are addition, three colored churches
all of which have large congregations.
The MARKEr.-The market house is leased out
at five thousand seven hundred and ten dollars per
num- There were slaughtered during the year. five
thousand eight hundred and forty head of beeves;
nine thousand hundred and twenty FIVE head of
sheep and two thousand five hundred and fty-fve
hogs The estimated sales of game and fish amounted
to ten thousand nine hundred and fifty dollars and of
vegetables to forty -four thousand hundred and
fifty dollars.
THE STREET RA1LwAY-This enterprise, which was
initiated in June last is now well under way, and the
company hope to have the ming by the lst OF
December. 1t will be and quarter miles in length
commencing at the intersection of Texas and Spring
streets and terminating at the corporation line. The
capital stock is s27 ,O00 Of which sixty per cent has
hnnn
purchased and expected daily The iron is already
here, and considerable portion of the cross-ties
ready for the track The grading is progressing, and
is to be completed about the middle of October
RIVER AND BoArs.-During the past year there have
been three hundred and thirtyfve arrivals of steam
boats from New Orleans and St. Louis, aggregating
hull tonnage of about sixty thousand three hundred
tons which approximates actual carrying capacity
of one hundred thousand tons. The tonnage has not
at all times been kept fully employed-both up and
particularly in the dull season. but generally SO
during the busy The up freights consist of
Western produce, general merchandise, railroad iron,
rolling stock. The down freight consists mostly of
cotton, cattle, picked beef hides, peltres, beeswax,
etc. The travel has been immense, and went far
towards the support of the river trade The past sea-
son ushered in with very low water and most of
the fall stock brought up at two and three card
rates. but the bulk of the winter business card
rates and the spring business at onethrd less than
card rates.
The bulk of cotton taken off at two dollars per
bale, though during the fore part of the season it
ranged from five to dollars per bale. But few
boats loaded at the last named price. During the
spring it dropped to dollar. !
Cattle during the winter shipped at eight and
ten dollars per head but the cotton shipments fell
OF In the spring, rates cattle declined to two and
five dollars per head. The rates of beef regular
throughout the season-seveny five cents for barrels
and dollar for teIces. The bulk of the beef was
shipped to New York via Cairo per St. Louis packets
During the spring months good deal of travel took
the route).
The country above the raft shipped about twenty FIVE
thousand bales of cotton which out through
the Posteon Bayou route. Most of this was reshipped
at this point, but is not included in the shipments
proper of this city Old River shipped about six thous
and bales besides that brought to this place for sale
The ports the lakes above here shipped about
twenty-five hundred bales.
Comparatively speaking the loss of boats and cargoes
las been light in Red River the past The low
water packet Richmond, sunk at the beginning of the
season with full cargo of merchandise Both nearly
total loss. The fine steamer Jefferson, with seven
hundred bales of cotton, was total loss by fire. The
caroline sunk above the raft, but most of the cotton
vas saved in damaged condition. The Carrie S.,
With a full cargo, sunk Grand Bayou and was
otal loss. She was running in the Mnden trade The
NJ Shreve lost wheel overheard which is the only
accident to the ST. Louis line of packets The Texar.
ana with full freight of merchandise was sunk on
he last day of the commercial year The insurance
companies suffered loss of at least 100000 These,
We believe comprise all the losses of the season.
Our city has been singulary blessed in escaping the
courges which have visited other cities Epidemics
lave steered clear of us, and that destructive element
ire has not occasioned the loss of single dollar
Although the present opens later than the
asst owing to the laeness of the cotton crop and the
ow price of cotton, yet look for considerable in
rease over the last season. Our receipts of cotton
nay not be much, if any larger Blu. the shipment of
cattle and beef promises to be much more. The large
influx of immigrants during the past and the present
season will require increased supply of groceries,
c., which will largely increase the up reights. I'm
migration promises TO be greater than ever, and with
Iverage health and crops we anticipate lucrative
business season.
The RAFT.-This obstruction to the navigation of
upper Red river has been permanent draw back to
he development of t. vast of the finest cotton
Producing country of the world.
Capt shreve in 1886 cut channel entirely through