Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-11-12
MEMPHIS.
Our City as Seen by the Editor Of the
Chicago Field,
Our Leyee and Our Cotton Trade-The
EegrO as a LabOrer.

A correspondent OF the Chicago Field,
in attendance here on the meeting of
the National sportsmen's association
couple of weeks ago, writes to his jour-
nal as follows OF what he cav, and how
- looked through his spectacles, of
~, his during his sCjOurn: 'Having
airaa6I, CO. IT in the scores made at the
PonrI,snent q, Memphis last week, and
narforned mart of o,"Tr journey home
ward, an hours leisure helt "il ".to" tH
me to give you a paragraph or two
further in relation to Memphis, her 'o0-
Die and surroundings. The population
of the Bluff City is about fOrty-thIee
thousand. 1t is Handsomely located on
a high point, overlooking from her
levees q long stretch of the Mississippi,
which curves away like q sIlyery thread
to the northwest a1d southwest; as you
face the river, and most of the time
giving one sort Of panoramic view, at
once dazzling to the eye and cheering to
the mind. At the levees at all times
there are q dozen or more steam
ers loading and discharging, and
the confusion and hustle as the
evening hour Of departure comes makes
sn eniivening scene for those who
choose to stand upon the high bluff and
take in the spectacle. The trade of
Memphis, since the war, has been as
good, perhaps, as that OF any of her sis
ter cities: but the shock caused by the
great change in the social condition OF
the entire south, paralyzad for q time
the business Of all, and only within the
last five years has commerce begun to
show anything like its former greatne 5.
Now, however, the skies are brighten
ing, and the future seems most promis-
ing. The cotton trade of Memphis is
one of the principal branches of COM
merce, and just now the sales, trans
fers and shipments are very heavy.
With planters the great trouble is to get
their crops to market. The fields are
white with this staple, and nOtwith-
staading there are thousands Of idle ne
grOes, the work OF gathering is slow.
The. Unborn, natural laziness and
constitutional aversion to labor on
the part OF 'our colored breth-
rem makes it difficult to take ad-
vantage of the market and good prices,
and so the crops will continue to lag
and drag their way to the mills. Pick
ers are paid from seventy-fve cents to
one dollar per hundred pounds for pick
ing, and although they csn make from
ten 10 twelve dollars per week at these
figures, they prefer to hang around
corner-grocerie5 and country stores in
squads, and have 8 little fun and
gossip among themselves, until the
last penny is gone, than % to
the fields and earn and save some
thing for the stormy days, which
come within the lifetime of every un-
bleached American citizen, just the
same as with the 'onsartin white man.
! Too much cannot be said OF the genuine
| hospitality of the people Of Memphis.
! The visitors TO the tournament were
made the recipients Of many kindDesses
| and courtesies, which will be held in re-
membrauce iOr years TO come. The Of
/ ficers OF the State association, and of the
! Memphis club, were a5siduous, and have
/ the thanks OF one aud all" OF his jour
/ ney away from here the same correspond
/ ent says: I'VE were soon bowling along
| homewsrd over the Louisville, Nash
vile and Great Southern railroad, to
! Milan, where we changed TO the New
/ OrleaDs, st, Louis and Cairo railroad
/ line to Cairo; thence UiG the Cairo Short
Line TO st. Louis. Though the scenery
/ Is somewhat monotonous, the eye that
can appreciate the beautiful will never
weary at this season OF the yesr, when
the picture is so grand and SO glorious.
In the clearings were the fleecy.topped
cotton bolls, holding their snowy bosoms
to the sun, At midday, and drinking il
the deWy moisture under the starlight
Here and there could be seen a lazy
picker, or squad of negroes, gathering
the material which keeps alive the
grand old clatteTing looms in the milk