The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-04-25
IN Y Htriittttt,e1 Hriiibttttt,e.


IN N, Z Z. Tribune.
New ORLEANS, April 10. 1t is very
much the fashion in oil parts OF the
to speak of New Orleans In plying
way, as though she had fallen into %
hopeless decline and were chiefly in
teresting on account OF memories OF her
past prosperity.
I do not share these somber opinions.
On the contrary, think that the city's
prospects, now that the State 10 released
from the unwholesome rule OF igno-
rance and greed, are more encouraging
than those OF any place south OF st.
Louis. Her business has unquestiona-
bly, suffered decline in recent years,
but not nearly to the extent generally
supposed, and there are many indica-
tions that it has got to the bottom and
Is beginning to climb the hill In spite
Of all she has endured from the war
and the misgovernment that followed
she is still q real metropolis and stands
peerless among the cities OF the South.
New Orleans is an Indigenous growth
Of the sub btropieal civilization OF the
| Gulf States, and besides, the cosmopoli-
| tan spirit which comes OF large interests
and extended intercourse with the world
| is found here as nowhere else In the
South, and with 1t degree OF culture
only compatible with the possession OF
assured wealth by q considerable ele-
ment of the population. / was prepared
by much that had read and heard to
see marked evidences OF the decay, IL
not of the utter ruin Of the old New Or
leans aristrocracy, but l do not hnd
them. The best streets OF dwellings,
such az st. Charles avenue, Camp and
Prytania streets, and In tho French
quarter, the beautiful Esplanade, show
no signs Of shabbiness, but on the con-
trary the houses look as IL freshly
painted, and the lovely gardens sur
rounding them are well kept.
| The great number Of handsome houses
show that the city possesses an amount
OF accumulated wealth surpassed by
few other places Of the same size. The
business streets have brighter and
q more lively look than | anticipated,
and the levee, covered with cotton bales
and hogsheads of sugar and molasses,
and fringed with line Of steam boats
crowded In side by side with their noses
to the shore, leaves no room to doubt
that the city Is still finding an unfailing
source of wealth In the great staples OF
her commerce.
The statistics OF the trade of New Or
leans tell the story OF her present con-
dition better than any surface gener-
tLIHbLtOH5. lbSb y5bl ShO nShalCa
Az, 900 bales OF cotton, net-that Is,
exclusive of what came here from ether
delivery ports-a larger amount than Ia
any year Of her history except 1860.
which was the phenomenal cotton year
all through the South. This year 1t Is
expected that she will handle 1,400, 900
bales. Taking the average of the past
FIVE or six years, 1t appears that more
cotton is coming to this port annually
than came in any similar period prior to
1860. The percentage OF the whole crop
of the country that is handled here is
not as great as it was before the war, the
completion Of railroads all through the
cotton belt and the great reduction In
the price OF rail transportation having
diverted the product Of large districts
from the old river channels OF carriage
to take it directly to Eastern ports.
With the completion of the work Of
deepening the channel at the mouth OF
the Mississippi, New Orleans Will no
doubt regain something OF this diverted
trade.
The most important source Of wealth
for the Crescent City lies within her
easy grasp and cannot be taken away
from her mean the products OF the
rich soil OF Louisiana, which mu4t al
ways seek her markets. The magn1tude
of this source may be understood from
the following statistics Of the chief
staple crops Of the State in 1875: Cot
ton, 425, 900 bales, valued at $N 800, 900;
sugar, 163, 900. 900 pounds, valued at s12.-
100000; molasses. IL ,0Oo,0 900 gallons,
valued at $4,000 900; rice, 40,000,O00
pounds, valued at 81, ,796, 900.
Here were nearly $l8, 100000 brought
into the State and distributed among Its
people in payment for the years yield
OF the cotton and rice plants and the
sugar cane. A settled government and
amicable relations between the white
and black races will operate to increase
the product Of these staples. Old as
; Louisiana is, compared with her sister
States Of the Southwest, there are still
, borders not under culture that can be
profitably worked when her population
increases and the labor system is better
adjusted, and the present plantation can
be made more productive with more
, thorough culture.
II no improvements were made in hel
, commercial facilities, / think New Or
leans would hold her own as the
} metropolis of the region Immediately
} dependent upon her, and the outl ct OF
much OF the Mississippi trade, but she
has opportunities OF greatly enlargiue
her business in three directions, which
her men OF enterprise comprehend and
are eager to embrace. The first Is the
,, increase Of the cotton and grain trade,
which can be accomplished by little
effort, IL it does not accomplish itself as
soon as permanent deep-water channe
3 is secured at the mouth OF the river
The second is the Texas trade, whici
can in large part be made tributary tt
this city by the building Of railroads tt
Jefferson and Shreveport, connecting
with the system Of Texas roads already
n constructed.
= The third direction from which the
= city will in the near future draw new
sources Of wealth is the Gulf trade. Hel
geographical position gives her. th'
9 nower to control the commerce OF the