The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-09-16


4. $50. no. the largest grown prior to the war;
and ten years subsequently, In 1870, with crop
81 \ s47.ogs bales, the overland movements to
delivery ports and mills north and east Of the
Ohio river had increased to $50, 613 Bales.
Last year this overland movement aggre-
gated S70,95O bales, with crop OF 900
bales. It would appear that wherever sec
tioR is tapped by railroads with through con-
| nections, it liz not entirely TRIBUTARY to any
particular port: In other words, movement OF
cotton year by year becomes more and more
governed by the cost Of transportation, and
contingent charges between points Of original
! shipment and destination.
| The movement via Norfolk, Va, also shows
| the same features as the overland shipments,
| In 1866 the entire quantity Of cotton handled
at Virginia ports was g. 900 bales; In 1861 r.
had Increased to 1882 bales, but feH back In
1866 to 1881 bales; the repair and extension
| OF the various rail routes from the interior,
subsequently, increased it from 12ey627 bates,
in 1867, to 505;s76 bales in 1874,
Last year the shipments via Virginia ports
we're Bsl, 4es bales "A large part Of the cotton
Skipped via Norfolk and overland Is
the production It States formerly sribu-
tary to New Orleans and Mobile.
| Memphis shipped last year sss,e57 bales, and
4 0f this New Orle.ns received l09,9s4, Norfolk
4 received 1855 bales, and the balance went
l overland Here rises the question. why. with
\ the Mississippi river rolling dn front of both
Ecities, and with direct roll toemmuRc cations,
cotton should not come to,a.port shout 400
miles distant, suit seeks an outlet $50 miles
away. m@.@
ALI the incidental questions OF cheap trans
portetion, cheap insurance and cheap port
,charges have had the careful attention
Eof our Exchange for some years past and
we Eete with pleasure the progress Of the Ex-
| change in this direction. Tire great reforms
inau9urated at this port in the.past few years
and the earnest determination now exhibited
by our merchants gives promise that we will
no longer repose upon our natural advan-
tages, In the face OF the fact that Providence
mills are buying their cotton ID Jackson,
Memphis and Selma, and carrying 1t even IN
compressed 1900 miles to their mills.
| Our planters and farmers have been gradu-
ally coming down to hardpan In the produc-
ton OF the staple, and our merchants are de-
termined to seek out the causes Of trade di-
version, and apply the remedy. Every item
hauling is now receiving searching investiga-
ton, and our merchants fully realize the fact
that they must fight for our commercial su-
premacy with all the weapons Of modern
commercial warfare. They are now free from
the fear of improvidenoe in government, or
soon will be, and they mus5 survey the old
fields and pastures, upon which our former
grandeur was founded; adapt our business
and trade relations to the changed conditions
and draw back to us our oid-time friends OF
Texas, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas and
Alabama. rr-=..M.-=
| TEXAS.
| The immediate future points to bright
prospect for our enterprising merchants. In
December next railroad connection with Hous-
ton, Texas, will have been perfected, and we
hope that ere q second season has passed
away the New Orleans Pacific will have been
completed. Let us glance at the field to be
opened to competition next December by the
completion OF the Morgan Railroad. The re-
ceipts Of cotton last year at Houston were
about $4,000 bales. The receipts at Galveston
for the past year were $4,000 bales. II we
except about 10000 bales shipped North by
rail from Houston, almost the entire receipts
ton. Our receipts from Galveston, via Nor
gan Line, etc., were 60, 9OS bales, SO that aetu-
ally, taking last years figures as basis, a
railroad to Houston would have opportunity
to draw upon upward Of 460eee bales over and
above our handling, or about four-Hfths Of
Galveston's entire receipts.
CHICAGO MOVEMENT.
Besides the above railroad to Houston
would make direct communications with a
section OF country that shipped last year
North via Denison ian all rail route) through
Chicago and thence to points In ew England
1885, 32 bales.
An idea Of the success OF the various parties
controlling the railroads north OF Denison
and their patrons will be shown by the state
ment that In 1878 they handled only 22965
bales, an increase In only one year OF SO, 1877
bales tits singular to see 1906 900 bales OF cotton
passing out OF Tex rs, just at our doors, as 1t
were, through Denison, the Indian Territory,
Hannibal, Mo-, Chicago, and from thence dis
tributed to the Eastern mills or Eastern sea-
ports, certainly our factors will capture this
movement. %cz@M@m
ST. LOUIS MOVEMENT.
The importance Of the movement via st.
Louis is not SO great by reason OF its mag
nitude, but it Ia significant because of its rapid
increase. Five years ago, In 1874 5, St.
Louis handled 12s,805 bales; last year she
handled 1876 1873 bales. Wethink We can safely
assert that not more than so per cent Of this
movement sought st. Louis as market, the
other SO per cent having consisted OF through
shipments from interior points to Eastern
ports and steamers. zm$
It may here be said that OF the st. Louis re-
ceipts, $4,000 bales are produced In Texas.
This would make, say over 100000 bales, for
which we can compete. For the immediate
future the Houston Railroad can easily COM