Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1878-01-05
THE BUSINESS OUTLOOK.

luz pIOSpority VI Nc" OIIcohs
depends largely oh her fac,"ragc
,ntions WIKI the great States o.
the M;ssissi, pi Valley. IT the lead
ing staples of the valley are sent
h':her ir consumption or eXpnr;
they become part and parcel OF our
commercial life; in handling them
our industries are vita|ized;jn assn
ming the manag cement and rcspon-
sibilities Of the business our fnan-
cia' capabilities are tested ard en-
largcd.
Up to the period Of the late un-
plcasantness our commission and
factorage business was immense,
though the facilities for prosecuting
it were far less perfect than the
are at q, esent. The cost of river
transportation was much greater,
there were no appliances for the
handling OF bulk grain, and the as
sured depth of water at the mouth
o: the Mississippi was much less
than the jetties have now made it.
Moreover, we had command Of the
major part OF the cotton crop of
the country, and our domestic Gu
gar crop was thrice as valuable as
it has been since the dawn of recon
struction.
We need not here repeat the
thrice.to!d tale Of how the Missis>
s'ppi was emhargoed and the trade
of New Orleans was INTERRUPTED
by the war. With its details all OF
our readers are more or less famil-
lar. What now specially interests
us is getting back our lost trade.
filling our vacant warehouses, and
securing satisfactory employment
for our surplus population.
These desirable results are grad
ually beginning to be achieved.
The grain and tobacco trade Of the
West is coming back, our re-pcc-
tive portion Of the cotton trade is
on tie increase, and iu manufac-
turing industries we are at present
making very respectable advance.
In consequence of the exigencies Of
the season our sugar crop is small
er and later than it was expected
to be; it therefore does not figure
so largely in our C. numerical statis-
tics as might be desired But cot
ton is coming in with great rapidi-
ty, the receipts of this week being
over seventy-three thousand bales,
and the total since the first of Sep
TENDER. notwithstanding the adj
mitted shortness Of the crop, to the
extent of 700 900 bales, is within
IL $50 bales Of what it was at the
corresponding date last y. ar. Then
as to the movement OF the grain
crop, which was interfered with un>
til recently by the unusual Iowness
of the upper rivers. our proportion
thus far this season is nearly four
times as great a. it was last year.
and the probabilities are that ere
the close of the season it will lie
fully ten times as great. In tobac-
co also our share thus far OF this
seasons crop is 5474 hogshcads,
as compared with 1434 hogsheads,
at the same period last year.
1t is also gratifying to no'ice il
this connection That alarge Touring
mill has been established on Peters
street, which turns out about 800
barrels of superior -four daily; that
we have now in successful operation
TWO cotton factories, with a pros
pect of more, and our iron foun-
dries are now turning out work
equal to the best that can be made
in any portion of the country.
Furthermore, hundreds Of small
industries, such a. never fourtshed
here before, are gradually building
themselves up into permanent in
situations. and must. within a COM |
paratively short period, have de-
cided effect on our general pros
peritY.-City Item.