The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-11-04
OUR COTTON.
AN IMPROVEMENT ON THE OLD WAY
OF HANDLING THE STAPLE
.resst Saving In Time and Money an
Fixed Out by ~ Democrat Reporter.

: :. Eeet Saving In Time and Money az
Fixed Out by ~ Democrat Reporter.
Being informed Of great enterprise On foot
to cheapen and facilitate the storage and COM
pressing OF cotton al this port q reporter Of
the DEMOCRAT called on Capt. s. K. Gilman. at
the corner OF Fourth and Prytana streets,
who WAS supposed to be the prime mover In
the matter, for moro definite information.
Reporter-Capt. Gilman. the DEMOCRAT would
like to give Its readers n full account Of tho
new cotton press enterprise about to be inau-
gurated here which, it is said will greatly re-
duce the charges ON cotton passing through
this port.
Answer-You take it for granted then. that
am engaged in such an enterprise and am
authorized to mako 1t known? Well it Is true
that moro advanced plan for handling cotton
was proposed by mo to some Northern capital
lists while at the Centennial, three years ago,
and that details Of the plan have been COM
pleted and submitted and approved and that
some Of the parties were here last season in
| vestigating the subject. and selected site for
the necessary plant" etc. and that they sent an
eminent engineer to all the cotton ports to in
vestigate the congresses. tics, band pullers,
ETC.. and have adopted those covered by my
patents, and now controlled by the Louisiana
Cotton Tie Company. Yet have no authority
to make any statement. but can give you such
Information as the company would not object
to being made public.
Rep.-1 would like to know wherein your plan
differs from the present mode, and how much
New Orleans is to be benefited by 1t.
A site has been selected with about one
half mile Of river front, on which will be erect
ed cotton warehouses sufficient to handle
900 bales Of cotton ouch season. These
| warehouses will be In ten divisions, and will be
built with brick walls and iron roofs: no wood
whatever In any part Of this structure Each
division will be divided into sections, and each
section will be furnished with storage cribs
! made Of wroughtgas pipe, perforated with small
holes and so arranged that every bale Of cotton
rests on the pipe. and not upon any other bale.
Every bale will be exposed to view for selection,
| and any one bale can be taken out without NOV
ing any other one In the tier. The cotton will
be slowed In Its crib tiers and taken out by
travelling hydraulic cranes. More cotton can
be- slowed by this plan on the same area Of
ground than Is now DONE The perforated gas
pipe crib tiers are so connected that q current
of heated air can at any moment be thrown
around every bale Of cotton in tho press and
dry 1t II received wet, and keep 1t perfect
y dry In wet weather; and In case OF fire
shower OF water Gun be at once thrown upon
all sides Of every bAle Of cotton In the press
nnd Immediately be followed by q shower Of
heated air until it Is dry again. The air will be
heated by the escape steam Of the presses and
thrown in by fan blowers, and the water sup
piled from elevated cisterns. always kept full
by steam pump
The yards will all be covered with g1ass roofs
80 that cotton can be ,cassed and weighed In ali
weather. The entire levee from the warehouses
IT, the front Of the WhHrves. will be covered with
m iron roof, 50 that receiving and shipping
cotton can go on as well in wet rs III dry
Tie flooring of the whole will be of granite
blocks, faced perfectly level. The presses will
consist Of eight Of my reversible duplicates Of
the Cham pOn, with my steam band tightener
and fastener and grip and globe ties. Each Of
thes1 presses using the 1,, ete1m bale bander ss
cotton every twenty four hours, or 900 bales
atogether. Steamboats, will discharge their cot
ION at the press Whafvne and cars from all If
the railroads will unload under the sheds at the
rear Of the press. Ships and steamers will load
at the press Wharves.
Of the city. and connected by telegraph and
telephcne with each division Of the press, 50
thai sellers. buyers. brokers. shippers and ship
captains can at any moment step In and learn
the condition Of their cotton or transmit any
orders to, their cassers, weighers. press clerks
or their ships. There will also be Fl pneun attic
tube for the instantaneous tfhr smiasion Of
written orders. sam ples Of cotton, etc. such as
are now nsed in many arge cities.
charges on - bale Of cotton?
A.-Welj. to begin with drayages, there will be
none at alI-they are now 80 cents; xt, tbs
storage will b. 25 cents The fir-t and 10 cents the
following months, say an average Of 81 cents
from go. the present charge, leaves Is cents
gained: next, Insurance. in such press will be
no risk at all, but say hnIf the present rat4. 10
c"nfs; cOmpreaBng will be 80 cents, from 50 at
pre- e.t leav $ 30 cents; duplicate presses Of
the Champion can turn out more profit at 30
cents o. bale than the present presses can at Is
cents. The Cham pion loads -seIa ut the rate
Of 1900 pounds per ton, while no other press
has Or can exceed 1900 pounds when compress
ing bales with one ct Of bands. which Is iDds-
pensabe to the attainment Of the greatest
speed and economy; this difference in storage
Of COO pounds Der ION is equa to onp dollar per
bale savei in freight. The largest cotton man
ufactories in the United States, as we'll rs some
foreign shippers, estimate the saving pr bale
on cotton compressed by putting two bales d.
rectly together, at fully 40 cents per bale in loss
from damage and waste.
The gain to the distant spinner in loss from
damage by stain, resulting from wet bag9iug
and mud to which bales, are now exposed, will
@ dry, clean house under cover and always kept
dry in the warehouse until put on board sbip
This loss 70 hs spinner is now fully twenty
forward in this improved condition Orleans cot
ton will command at least one dollar per bale
ports. Here then is q gain Of three and one
quarter Cllar8 per bale on the coat Of handling
cotton at this port amounting to the s artling
sum Of fire millions hDo lr,indred nnd fifth thOu-
sand d0ars on one crop Of 100000 bales at this
port. The most Of these fig ures are made By
gDinners OF the largest experience in the manu-
facture Of cotton goods, and are below the aver
age Of that experience. 1t is scarcely necessary
to say thatsuch difference will inevitably draw
tbree-fourths of the entire cotton crop to Now
Orleans.
ReD-Why have not our present press men
adopted these improyements>
A.-Invested capital is, always, everywhere.
antagonstc to improved methods and invpn-
tions that interfere with It. There Is day
not single article Of food or clothing. not q
luxury Of domestic life or Of travel that is not
produced By, and tributary to some patented
il venti0n, which has reduced its cost until the
laborer with one dollar Dar day can enjoy luxu-
ries that were denied to the millionaire only A
century back: and It Is q statistical fact that 81
per cent Of these industries have been inaugu-
rated and prosecuted by men who had never
previously been engaged In similar industries
while Investors In the old nethods have re-
NAMED in the fancied security of their ezpe-
rience until left entirely in the rear, saw last
summer at the North the plants" Of one com
Dany that, had cost four millions, now shut 10
and idle because, refusing to adopt improve
ments Of one Of their employees. Outside mar
ties had taken it and were doing q profitable