The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1871-11-18
The Past and Future Of TrentOn...Re.
Elections for Merchants and Planters.

quickens the pulse of old Trenton struck
an interested party in the hope that
soon the Iron Horse would be snorting
through our streets, bringing with him
all the concomitants incident to such
an Improvement, could you be surpris-
ed that we were HHl-arious at the pros
pect of the "Times'' while standing on
Jordan's stormy bank of untold sub
scriptions? Nay, Captain? While we
were mad with delight, it grieved US to
see the sorrow your detected counte-
nance betokened, at the thought of
looseing the patronage of old Trenton.
But now that Jordan's banks are dry
and the Hill no longer shelters us from
the cutting blast, we take shelter again
under the protecting wing of the dear
old TELEGRAPH, and eXclaim with
tears in our eyes, How could we give
you.up!
| We begin to feel now the necessity
Of subjecting our enthusiasm to our rea-
son, and inquiring, more particularly,
into those modes Of working under dis
advantages, and how far indifference
to our tue position may lead us back
ward. While the bright prospects are
looming up in the future, it ill becomes
us to sit with folded arms and quietly
await fortunes; Others are equally de-
sirous of becoming rich, and feel quite
as much pride in the growth of their
towns.
While Trenton occupies the most adj
vantageous position as shipping point,
with the earnest endeavOrs of her mer-
chants to make it the cheapest and
most reliable market in North Louisi-
ana, together with enterprises on foot
to place her in connection with South
western Arkansas, it would seem that
our trade would necessarily be fixed
and prosperous. Yet, the decided fall
ing off in trade for the last two years
augurs that the .larangues which ''tricks
in trade'' offer to confuse the under
standing of the people at'large, and the
addresses being made to their interests
by our vigilant and enterprising oppo-
sition, will more than likely prevail to
such an extent that in two years longer,
without some decided steps on the part
OF our merchants, two railroads and
four newspapers could not restore her
to animation.
Curiosity in the human family
prompts them to try on new things oc-
casionally. 1t don't surprise us, ut all,
to see the farmers trying few bales OF
cotton on the market of Homer, Area
Ola or Farmerville, and we freely give
up that portion of Claiborne and Bien-
vile which can claim Minden and
Coushatta as their nearest shipping
point. Still, We can see no reason why
Homer, Farmerville or Arcadia should
divert any material trade from this
point. Farmerville, for instance, nine
months out of the twelve, is 35 miles
from navigation, land during those three
months hardly accessible on account OF
being surrounded by creeks and bayous.
Although Trenton has sustained rep
utation for paying the highest price for
cotton of any other market, New Or
leans not excepted, which her half
million dollars trade a year has enabled
her to do, an almost unavoidable credit
business has been the means of absorb
ing all the profits, by heavy losses oc-
casioned by failures in crops. Since
the war the Trenton merchants, with
unlimited means at their disposal, have
shown a generous spirit, by taking
heavy risks in advancing to their old
friends and customers with the hope of
establishing them again in business,
and thus, year after year, have carried
forward heavy balances, and at the
same carrying on murderous compe-
tition among themselves.
Well, so far, everything is vastly in
favor of the merchant sticking to Tren-
ton. How, then, shall we account for
the falling off in srade? Very easily.
One house in Farmerville, by selling
out !, large stock of goods at cost, and
afterwards paying New Orleans prices
for cotton, has so far succeeded as to be
able last season to ship three or four
thousand bales of cotton. These new
things take like hot cakes. The farmer
saws: rThis is the market for me, be-
cause it is at home and second to none
within my rcach.'' This, of course, is
all they ask; but now let us ask how
long such a gambling business as this
can sustain itself? 1t is very evident
to every thinking man that it woult