Wilmington journal., 1876-01-14
A Visiting Editors EmpreSsiOE Oh
Wilmington


We make the following extract from
the Editors correspondence with the
Hilsborough Recorder, that our own
people may see the light i'll which
Wilmington is viewed by its visitors.
The close observation which char
acterizes everything of q descriptive
nature which comes fIom the, pen of
Col. Cameron, is apparent III this
letter, and after speaking of the ''eariy
associations and Impressions which
have left their inde1lible mark, and
of the changes incident to the passing
away of one generation, and the spring
ing up of another, he express IS a sigh
of regret at the departure OF some OF
the old charms which had chained
him to the past, and proceeds:
Each succeeding year shows some
remarked aud decided step towards
that position Wilmington Is destined
TO take as city. Citizens are hardly
SO sensible Of this as the visitor at
rare intervals, since each step is taken
s;nuly and use makes i fAmlliar. The
visitor is; better able TO make cOmpar
isoas. One of the most striking dem
OnstratiOns of prOgrcs Is III the bar
Dor improvements which illustrate
themselves in the jncrcErs" OF vessels
of heavy tonnage st the vyhayyea.
These are the foresHadGWing Ol tGaa
heavy foreign trade which fB"ze I'M
proyenents make probable 1T All early
day. Before the works Oh tila bar
and in the river were begun, vessels
drawing more than II feet water could
not load at the wharves. Ii they 5nok
in cargo that increased their draft
over that depth, they flushed thelr
loading outside the bar. Now, vessels
are loading, drawing st the whacyes
fourteen feet. The effect Of this is
felt already. Vc%scIs Of five and SIX
hundred tons are jna6:ng fCr Liver
pool aud other por.a in Europe with
cargoes befoxe ohtainr! elsewhere.
The cotton exports have been dir city
affected by the increased depth Of
water. Before 1870, certainly not five
hundred bales had been shipped TO
foreign ports. Last year about six
Thousand bales were shipped. Up to
date for the season beginning on the
1st of October, upwards Of thirteen
thousand have been shipped, and i've
vessels are Oading now, which will
take six Thousand more. The total re-
ceipts at the port for this season are
estimated at I25, 900 bales.
The cotton business increasing so
rapidly, has demanded Increased facili-
ties, and cotton company waa formed
last year for the purposes of storage
anu eompressing. TIE company
bought tract lying on the river in the
upper part of the city, through which
tracks connecting with all the rail
roads passed. Upon this, they erected
large brick warehouse, divided into
fire proof compartments, with plat
forms all round convenient for un-
loading and with six or eight hundred
feet of wharfage along side of which
vessels drawing Is feet load.
They also erected a powerful COM
press, which reduces 8 bale at once TO
the thickness of about fourteen inches,
and making it as solid as a log of wood.
The Compress reduces about five hun
dred bales a daY-about one third of a
cargo.
The whole works cost about sixty
Thousand dollars, and are said to be
the most complete in the country, and
they fill want SO long felt that they
are largely patronized. None but cot
ton for foreign export is cOmpre ssed.
Five foreign vessels are now loading
at the Company wharves.
Another Improvement here Is the
cotton factory, large and handsome
brick structure in the lower part of
the city. The machinery IS all Of the
very best character. run by steam.
The article produced is print cloth,
which is sent to Pilidelphia, to be con
verted into Calico The fabric is much
superior TO any Calico cloth I have
doubt the finished material is the very
b9st of goods. The factory employs
about 100. looms, and consumes about
two bales of raw cotton day about
one hundred hands are employed.