New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-08-04
Dividing II Among Them.

Dividing II Among Them.
The st. Louis people are certainly emit
tied to the credit of sincerity. At least
they believe in themselves, which is not a
bad thing to do for either individuals or
communities Having satisfied themselves
that they have crippled, bursted up and
carted away to their own city all the Red
river trade, they thus lay down their pro
gramme through the Democrat. Promising
by quoting an article from the Republican
upon the Importance to New Orleans of the
Red river trade, that paper discOurses as
follows:
That New Orleans has lost the trade be
yond recovery, there can be no better proof
than the fact that the best of the New Or
leans boats employed in running in that
trade have now come to st. Louis to ply
between here and Shreveport. The iron
steamer John 7. Moore is a sample of these
boats. St. Louis has no fears Of Cincinnati
competition. Any Cincinnati effort to get
this trade away from US will but terminate
in discontinue and loss, and the more
colossal the effort, the heavier and more
disastrous will be the loss, aad the more de-
mOralizng the defeat.
But notwithstanding the vantage we en-
ing the regards and confidence of the Red
river people and in having 1924 miles less
distance to travel on the round trip, we
should not abate jOt of our enthusiasm
concerning this trade, nor relax an effort
toward its enlargement. What is now
greatly needed by this city is Cotton As
ISOLATION that will actively interest them
selves in getting the cotton of the Red
river valley to come here. This can only
be done either by arranging with the Bal
timure and Ohio and Ohio and Mississippi
roads for a low rate OF freight on cotton to
Baltimore tie &C on low rate by
steamer to Europe, or by making St. Louis
q speculation cotton market. Ii the Cotton
Association will send buyers into the,
Red river valley to buy the cotton for
cash. either on the plantations or at the
large towns and ship it here on the Red
river boats, and hold it here as regular
stock, buyers will soon be attracted and
cotton would soon begin to seek our market
Of its own accord as naturally as wool does
1t may be replied that it costs large sum
of money to carry cotton. No doubt. 1t
costs large sum of money to carry wheat
too. Yet our banks have abundance to
loan on wheat certificates all the time, and
they would be glad to loan ON cotton Ger
titiCateR, without doubt. There would be
no trouble about the money. Money is
abundant enough, but pluck is scarce, and
that's what's the matter nine times out OF
ten in St. Louis.
We have not a speculative cotton buyer
in the city. There is not a single member
of the Cotton Association that has more
pluck than will just enable linn to receive
cotton on consignment, sell it when he can,
and pocket his commissions. This last pOr-
ton of the business is done with special
bravery. There isn't one among them with
the pluck of our wool men. Look at the
IN t, do I,,
risk in cotton. Wool 10 worth 60 a 65c per
pound, while its average price for ten years
past has not been above 4OG. Cotton is
worth PC; and has averaged fully l8c dur
ing the past ten years. Suppose each should
drop to its average, wool would inhiCt a
loss of Sc per pound, and cotton of &c per
pound. Yet the wool men eagerly buy up
every pound Of wool that comes into the
city at outside rates. They even pay the
expenses Of buyers to 90 through the coun-
try and purchase it wherever II accumulates.
And now the wool men are agitating the
question of establishing a warehouse, where
i'll wool may be stored as a speciality, and
upon which receipts may be issued, which
shall form good collateral for banks to
loan money upon. The meaning Of this is
that they want to hold this wool here in
stead of in the East. It's insurance pre-
MUM will thus be paid here instead Of in
the East. The warehouse charges will he
paid here instead of in the East. The in
terest upon the money required to hold it
will be paid here instead of in the East
The commissions and guaTantee-five per
cent-will be saved to st. Louis, instead of
going into Eastern pockets. Eastern buy
ers will be forced to come here and buy.
They will pay fare to our railways, money
to our hotels, and become famlliarized with
Western people, Western cities, Western
opportunities for mOney-making, ana, in
many cases, will invest some OF their mon
ey here. Thus it will be seen what great
good can be accomplished by the wool
men. Full as much can be done bv the
hide men, and much more by the cotton
men if they would.
We OCCASIONAL ask cotton men why they
don't buy cotton outright to sell again
They say, with much Observation-Disclosures of
manner, ooh, my good friend, we never
speculate" Now, purchasing cotton t. sell
again is no more of speculation than pur-
chasing wool or hides OF grain to sell again
and not half as hazardous rs purchasing
dry goods tn sell again, because dry goods
may change styles suddenly, but raw cot
ton Is always i'll fashion. Wool men buy
millions of dollars worth of wool every year
to sell again, and they prosper. Cotton
men do the same thing. To sit in a com
Portable office, receive other peoples prop
erty, sell il and pocket handsome com
kind of business. There is nothing ener-
giz'ng about it; nothing brilliant about it,
nothing which requires zeal, talent or great
business energy. Whole families of stupid
people with capital can manage to get safe
" through the world in the commission
business, but the SPECTATOR must be a man
OF mental vigOr. He must perceive quick
and be bold TO act. He must be an untiring
worker; a careful and appreciativo scanner
OF facts and figures. He must be alive
He must be i'll certain sense fast He
must III short, he typical OF the rushing
age in which we are living.
But we are giving the subject of the Red
river trade rather a wide range Still it
seems necessary 10 urge upon our cotton
men the absolute necessity Of making St.
Louis depot where large stock of cotton
should be held for sale; and to accomplish
this we must have speculative buyers here.
We must have u cotton warehouse Lere,
where cotton can be stored, sampled and
graded Then receipt can be issued to
Mr.. A or b for so many bales of cotton of
named grade, and his receipt can be safely
taken by any bank as a collateral for money.
1t seems to us that this need not be hard of |
accomplishment. Such a warehouse can be
erected somewhere near the proposed tun-
mel, and "a track Land to it, so that cotton
could be brought directly in and taken di-
rectly out without carriage. Such a ware
house would need to be furnished with am
pie COMPRISING facilities, and in our opln-
lou would not Ouly pay q handsome divi-
dend, but would settle forever the suprf III
acy Of St. Louis in the.Red river trade.
A Hindo0 woman who had married an
Indian merchant and accompanied him to |
England, recently, on his death, followed |
him to. the tomb in the orthodox Hindo- |