Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1878-09-12
[ From tho News aud Courier, September 2.
CharlestOn-Past and Future.

Only when tho mercantile operations of
tho year are grouped together and contrastcd
with each other CAP clear idea bo formed
of the progress and condition Of the trade
of any particular city. From month to
month, merchants and trades-peoplo are
unduly elated by sporadic gains, or are un-
reasonably depressed by occasional losses
and failures. When the season has closed
and tho mercantile accounts are made up as
o whole, 80 that falling off in one derart-
ment can DO oounterbnanced by the growth
of trade elsewhere, the results of the years
work, as they effect an entire community,
are. plaiuly visible, and point Enthusiastically
to movement forward, q dead halt, or,
worst of all, retreat in the face of active
and energetic rivals. Charleston, Judged
by this standard, has cvory reason to be
coutout and confident. All in all, this city
is in better condition thon she wos in wear
aso, as regards the character of her busi-
ness and her commercial standing, as vel!
as the outlook for tho future.
The universal decline in the prices of
produce mud tho market value of invested
property has effected tho amount of tho
trade of Charleston, as expressed in our.
rency, but, outside of the staple products,
tho business has been larger. in actual
volnn!c, than in 1876s77. The general
business is set down ut $50, los, ,720, against
S23, l56 900 in the previous year, but moro
goods have been sold for the smallor amount
of money, aud 80 prudent wero buyers md
so careful wero sellers that collections have
been closer than in preceding seasons, and
the small profits made have not been dimin-
ished, in any considerable degree, by bad
debts and compromising with customers
Outside Of the twenty million dollars turned
over by jobbcrs and manufacturers, Charles.
ton has received 420,135 bales Of cotton,
al 1860 tierces Of rice, 298,790 barrels of
naval stores and 9,595,058 feet of lumber.
This has been accomplished in the face Of
competition of tho sharpest kind on the
part of railroad lines operated ia tho inter-
est of othor ports. Tho disposition now is
to arrest suoh competitions as iuiures rail-
roads without beneGtipg the public, and tho
force Of public opinion must be relied on to
keep railroad wars within moro reasonable
bounds. Estimating the values of the
receipts and shipments, on tho basis OF ave.
rage prices at this point, the money value
VI the Lraue anO commerce OF CnafleStOn
for tho ycar is $44, ,036,882 This is emf
nently satisfactory, for the reason that a
large part Of the business originates horc,
and leaves in Charleston the whole value of
what is sold, less commission und the ex-
penso of carriage to market.
A striking example is tho trade in Caro-
lima phosphate rock. The shipments of the
orudo or manufactured rook in 1868 were
1862 tons. For tho year now closed the
shipments were 170,978 tons, besides a
locnl consumption of 10000 tons. Tho
phosphate rock is found in tho earth and
under tho waters Of tho rivers around
Charleston. To tho State is paid royalty
vergiug on S150,000 year. The whole Of
the selling price of SO or 81 ton, less the
royalty Of ono dollar on river rook, is
ccvorod by tho payments for supplies aud
to laborers, and by the profits Of the. mining
companies. In like manner, tho difference
botwoen tho price of orudo phosphate and
that Of tho manufactured fertilizer is real
lied horo In Charleston, to tho extent Of tho
manufactures by the extopaive and well--
equipped Phosphate Manufacturing Com
panies. So too is sc with the fruit and
vegetable trade. Last yoar, within the
aoupd Of ST. Diichael's q cbimes, 600 600
m ~ ~ ~ @ AZ 6(i(l ya q