The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1873-01-01

for year or two thereafter the operations In
this line were less numerous and important.
In 1870 considerable amount of money was
expended in the neighborhood OF Charleston
rles and warehouses, but this proved only q
temporary revival, and 1t has not been until
within the past twelve months that this I'M
portant industry has assumed the proportions
to which 1t attained in 1867. During the year
lust closed the new buildings In the city are
numbered by hundreds, and they include such
important structures as the Masonic Temple,
the new German Church and the new
Charleston Exchange; the mechanics have all
been kept busy, and at better wages than
were ever before paid In Charleston; every
Industry which Is dependent upon the build.
ing trade has grown and prospered, and at
least one enterprise has been established
which is quite novel In Charleston, and
which promises to prove an important ad-
dltion to The city's commerce. This enter
prise consists of the manufacture OF "ready-
made houses" for shipment to the interior OF
the Southern States, or to any point where
skilled labor Is not accessible, or where the
ready-made structures can successfully COM
pete, from their cheapness aud good quality,
with the productions of the carpenters upon
the spot This business is now conducted by
Mr.. John b. Devereux at his steam saw mills
on the Ashley River, and he has already
shipped considerable number of dwellings.
barns, &C., to different portions of the Souti.
One dwelling house just completed at these
mills Ia two-story pitch roof frame cottage,
measuring forty by forty-three feet en the
ground floor, and containing six rooms,
which cost the purchaser, delivered on the
vessel by which 1t Is to he trans7orISa, Just
$230O.
King Cotton.
The transactions In cotton rp to the close OF
the commercial year on September l, 1877,
have already been fully reviewed IN The
NEWS, and the encouraging report there
made Of the progress and prospects OF She
Charleston cotton trade has been fully con-
frmed by the transactions of the past few
months. A prominent dealer, in reply TO q
Question as to the trade of the fall Of 1872 as
corcnared with the corresponding season of
1871, Yesterday eSsE essed hlmseif as iolionp.
"The transactions OF our house have shown
an Increase of about forty per cent, and
have Isa doubt that the trade In the city has
decreased fully twenty-five per cent. Wears
still behind Savannah In our gross receipts, but
we sell greater proportion of the cotton re-
ceiyed than the Savannah dealers do, and the
proportion Of sales to gross receipts has been
larger in Charleston than In any previous
year since the war. The area In the Gotten
section which ls the feeder of Charleston is
constantly increasing, and this year we are
receiving more Of the staple from Edseheld,
Abbevie aud other western border counties.
Our gross receipts from September l to dale
are a little over forty per cent. in advance OF
those for the fall OF 1871, and the volume OF
sales ia Charleston may be fairly estimated at
ABOUT the same proportion. 1t would not,
however, be accurate 10 estimate that the
crop of this year would show that extent ofin-
crease over last years crop, as there are a
variety OF reasons which may be Impelling an
early movement of cotton from the interior;
but from the Increased acreage reported, and
the increased use OF fertilizers, 1t is sale TO
assume that the crop of South Carolina will lie
fully twelve or iteen per cent. greater than
In l87l-2."
Iu long staple cotton the volume Of produc-
ton on the sea Islands is reported 10 have In
creased nearly fifty per cent. over the produc-
ton OF the same period of last year, but there
has been a large falling off in prices. owing to
increased competition from Peru. south Sea
Islands, Egypt and Brazil.
The principal occurrence OF the year, In
local cotton circles, has been the organization
of the Charleston Exchange and the erection
of It's fine building on Atlantic wharf This is
an institution which has already proved a
great convenience, and which promises, when
it shall be fully organized and In complete
operation, TO contribute materially to the
commercial prosperity and importance of the
city.
Shipping Lines.
The ocean and coastwise transportation
facilnies now enjoyed by Charleston are COM
pleie and admirable, a number OF important
additions to The merchant feet having been
made during the past year. The fleet OF steam
ships plying between this port aud New York
City now Comprises six large vessels, with an
aggregate Measurement OF eighty-fve hun
dred tons. anG carrying capacity of more
than two hundsd and fifty thousand bales OF
cotton per ann,m. This affords tri-weekly
dispatch from etter port throughout the year,
with elegant Accommodations for passengers,
and admirable facilities for freight. The
freighting business for the latter half ofthe
year has been uneqnlled by any similar Pc
riod in recent years, the imports OF
assorted merchandise from the North
having been unusually large as well
as the cotton movement to New York
and through TO Europe. The through cotton
business of the year has been signal success,
and as an evidence of the dispatch attained
In this business 1t may he noticed that par
eel OF sea island cotton was recently landed in
Liverpool in the Unprecedented time of four
teen days from its shipment at Charleston.
The advantages thu shown by this port In
through shipments to iurope have, of course
attracted a good deal OF 'rade from competing
Hines, and the Georgia central Railroad has
recently given evidence otts appreciation o