New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-11-06

gerated-New Orleans n Prosper0n.
and Growing City-Increase in Her
Commerce During the Past Year.
To the editor OF the Tribune:
The Nove1n Der issue of iScriJaer's Monthli
contains, as its leading article, protuseiy
illustrated and proiusely advertised, tie
first of a series under the above title. 1t il
from the pen of Mr.. Edward King, a gentle
| man well known in literary circles as a
graceful and easy writer; and the style OF
The present contribution is worthy OF his
reputation. But to it's matter. or at least q
material portion ct it. exception must be
taken by every Southern nran who. loS es
and respects his section and it's people, and
who desires that both should be placed be-
tore the rest OF mankind as they are.
The Great South" has often had occasion
to utter the oespairing refrain, Save ne
from Iny friends before, during and since
the war, from President Johnsou's day
down to the present; but never was the cry
more applicable than il response TO this
well meant manifestation Of friendship.
For we Go the writer OF that article tie
justice to believe that his sympsthies were
enlisted by what he saw, and what has been
told him Id wrunged and misgoverned New
Orleans, and that ne Las written under the
impulse OF generous indignation, kindled
by eloquent complaints from elderly gen
tlemen who live III yesterday. The trouble
Is tha: he saw~but halt aud that the darker
half OF the situation, making bad worse
and difficult desperate, to the &etrmerJ OF
the people he sought to serve, if lis picture
be accepted as correct one.
AS e Southern man, born and bred, whose
life and l;.bors have been devoted ITO sue
people and interests of his section, and
whose knowledge OF both is derived from
actual residence there, refreshed by re-
al.
States. feel it my duty to supplement the
statement in Sc,idner's Monthly by another
which will put al entirely different face on
the whole matter, and prove how the At
terance OF half truths may be more misleaG-
ing than that OF falsehoods. All that is
said as to the suferings and wrong. of sle
people of Louisiana is true, in SO TAR as
political pressure has been brought to bear
Language can exaggerate neither. Wha.
Mr.: King repeats as the language of his IL
terlOcutor and adopts as true as regards
the actual condition and prospects Of the
population OF the city and State, in a ma
terial and financial point OF view, is al ex-
aggeration OF existing evils, untrue il itself.
and calculated to cripple the credit and
damage seriously the interests and progress
OF the community and city thus held up as q
CHASTITY ard grinnirg caput moftuua,, with
ont blood, brains, or life ktt in it. for though
UllClc ND bC db tille tIAic II lew 0EIalElULlt
Louisiarlans viDg in Paris, yet. as the az
ticle staIes, they live on their rents, de-
rived from the sery property said 70 De
valueless, and are exlles from choice, noe
from necessity. 9! those chat yeMaiH in
the city alone to tue number Of near
10000, che great majority, although com
PEELED to curtail their expenditures au1
live economically, are neither suffering
from semi-stars &or in want Of she
at1 1,{
PEELED to dispense with luxuries, as the car
nival pageants painted by pen and pe4cil
prove. To this may be added this very
conclusive Pact, @lat ID subscription Of near
ly 100000 was raised at New Orleans to
enab ole the managers of The French Opera
House to 60 20 Paris and engage che best
talent there for the coming season. she
imp,esatto has just returned after having
accomplished Ais mission, and visitors to
New Orleans this sonins winter will sind
there an operbtlc troupe equal. il not sa-
pegior, to any that has ever delighted New
Workers. Moreover, the Mviving conf
dence Of phe people is one of the won ders
OF Che Crescent CIsv, which, with the Ian
guage Of France, seems 60 have inherited
much OF the recuperative powers and airy
gayety of that mother country. There are
two sides to every shield. and Tr. King,
unfortunately. seems to have been shown
Uut bldCh dIO MOI VIC WDllG Ouee
The article in Scribnels S, though prepared
in March, was not published untif the
middle of October. On the first of Sep
nerce of New Orleans for 1928" was
issued in aquadruple sheet by the Picayuus
of that city. and the facts and figures i, |
establish the reviving prosperity
of city and State beyend the possibility of |
cavil. commend those facts and figures |
to the publishers OF Scribner's NOntitiy az |
sn appropriate supplement- to the article !
which they declare their intention of spread !
Ing broadcast over this country and Eurooe. !
IL they 90 indeed desire to do justice 70 the |
South. the writer of that article is not 70 |
be held responsible t,y ats shortcomings in I
this regard, Tor he ss a stranger, who had |
to rely on the information given and .Le !
statements made him by fhe few persons
be was brought il contact with upon the |
spot: and the topic as web as the place aLd |!
people Were new 70 lillo
To save space, she following briet extracts |
my are made trclE sllc copious stores If |
acts named, Ssus j. ~l1G be seen shey are |
sufficient:
The year juss eiose0 has been one Of che |
most remarkable, perAapss in the history OF |
New Orleans. Balancing the misfortunes, !
disasters and drawbacks against tie i'm. |
we may hesitate to pronounce i,
prosperous season. But it has been by no
means disastroues 1t is not our province 20
llscuss political complications; we eontine
ourselves to the more pleasant task OF re-
-iewing the commercial history of the past !
welve months. The first great element Of
ur prosperity was not wanting. The la
'ors of the tillers of the soil were rewarded
with generous yield. Though the sugar
-,t ~, St,{a ~ |
PRODUCTION OF cotton was beyond the aver
ge, and, indeed, greater than any year
ince the war, with the exception of 1901.
This has been marketed at profitable
rices, and the sales Of plantation supplies
nd general merchandise sin return Save
een therefore on a liberal scale.
Our city has lost none of its prestige as
reat cotton centre. and the increase in
ur receipts over last year is in exact pro-
ortion to the increase in the total crop.
The l,3s0,93S bales received here have
old for SIG, ,472. an amount equaled
Il v twice in our annals. Last year it was
"a 4S0, 600, and the year before $I0l. .0l5.744
The total value OF receipts of produce
'om the interior has been fully $780,
10000, All increase over the preceding sea-
N of S3j, 900 0C0. The exports TO foreign
,untries Tor the fiscal year ending July J
ere Sl0l ,99i, ,5ll, com pared with So, 100000
le preceding season. |
The imports from foreign countries show
CORES spending Improvement.
The tables Of exports and imports show !
lat both have doubled during that inter.
a. The dearth Of ocean tonnage, seit
-eryw here, also operated against the com
ercial progress OF New Orleans, which
ould have otherwise been more marked.
he rise in freight rates during the early
mmer stopped the shipment OF great
lantities OF cotton, grain and tobacco
eking that outlet and compelled To ind
hers
Our steam marine is in 1ourishing and
owing condition Several lines Of ocean r