The Osceola times., 1879-05-31
THE SOUTHERN CREsUs.
"Old Ned Bieharason." The Has Who
Gr0ws 10000 Bales Of Cotton.

GrOws 10000 Bales OF Cotton.
Mississippi Cor. Chicago Tribune.
Mr.. Richardson lives In Jackson; but
he has property interests all over the
state. He owns nineteen plantations in
the marvelously rich country above
vicksburg. including parts Of Washing.
ton and Issaquena counties in the Yazoo
districts. He has 5000 acres under
oultivation-15, 900 OF them In cotton.
He raises 10000 bales, or $4,000, 900
pounds OF cotton annually. He has
5000 acres In corn and oats for the sup
port OF his stock and his people. and
yet he has not land enough. Whenever
a planter Is hardAup, and wants to sell
his place for cash, he applies 6rst TO old
Ned Richardson, knowing that from him
he will get . cash offer, though q low
one. l heard Mr.. Richardson o6er the
owner Of q plantation $1,000 cash for
land which the latter valued at $15, 600;
and, though the Offer was at first refused,
| was under the impression that 1t would
ultimately be accepted. Nor IL Mr..
Richardson's distinction derived only or
solely from his plantations. He controls
the cotton market to a higher degree
than any other living man. He Is the
"Old Hutch "of New Orleans. When he
takes snuffall the brokers sneeze As mem.
Der Of the first firm in point Of volume Of
business, he receives and disposes OF
more than 100, 900 bales OF cotton annus
ally. He Is the heaviest exporter. He
has constantly the largest supplies on
hand. For instance, when cotton sold
soon after the crop was marketed for
eight cents and fraction, he kept back
the bulk Of his crop. He has sold most
Of it since February. Last week be let
lot go for II and ~ cents. He has still
1000 bales back, on which be expects to
realize over 13 cents, as cotton Is ad-
vsncing. If / hadn't waited, said Mr..
Richardson, would have quit loser on
the year. But I'll make little some
thing on last years crop, and, If the In
jications for this year don't fail, or this
exodus don't break things, l ought to
clear $4,000 to 100000 on this year,
Mr.. Richardson was not boas.ing. These
statements were pried out of him by
questions on other points. His shrewd.
ness as a cotton dealer Is evidenced,
moreover, by the fact that, while he is
selling at the highest price he bought at
the lowest. As chief owner Of the cotton
and woolen mills at Wesson, Mississippi,
in which he now runs 10000 epindlss,
and, is putting in 5000 more, he has to
buy 4,SO0 or AGO bales OF cotton
annually near the mills, when he
dos not plant himself All this
was put in at eight cents and a fraction
per pound. II it could be sold now the
profit on it would be about $4,000.
This would make it worth while b, close
the mills but for the throwing Of the op-
eratives out Of employment. 1t Is not q
simple thing here, where new hands
would be hard to obtain, to shut down
work and let the operatives 60 and on
this account Mr.. Richardson has not At
tempted to reduce wages during all the
hard times. He says, indeed, that these
cotton mills are profitable. And there is
consequently no reason why wages should
be reduced. The mills return about 12A
per cent. regularly on the capital invest-
ed. The cotton they use Is all bought
at the door, and costs usually two and a
fraction cents less per pound than that
used in Massachusetts,. At the ordinary
price Of cotton last year this would be =
difference Of twenty-five per cent. in
favor OF the south. The labor here Il
also cheaper; and wherever the capital
can be obtained at reasonable rates, such
enterprises, In the opinion of Mr.. Rich.
ardson, are always bound tn succeed.
Their success would mean more, be be.
lieves also, than the profit Of few for
tunate individuals. II there were a.
many cotton mills In Mississippi in pro-
portion to population, ss there are In
Massachusetts,, the labor problem would
be solved. There would be a place 10
use labor which can not now be en-
ployed In the field. Poor whites
and members of the negro family who
are now burdens on the community,
would be bread>winners. Mr.. Richard
son cited Dumber of instances of sbso.
lutte paupers, white and colored, who had
become selfsustaining Ia his mills, and
asserted that 435 out Of the $50 employ.
ed therein would have done nothing for
their own livelihoodit they had not been
offered these situations. l asked why
the mills we're put at distance from the
river, apparently at an eut-ot-the-way
place. The answer was that they were
in the midst of rich wool growing &c C.
tion. The mills use 300 To l,4O0 bales
Of wool, or 800. 900 to 700. 900 pounds
and all the wool, as we'll as the cotton,
/. brought to the door on wagons from
the neighboriug country. Jeans, striped
cottons AID brown goods are the princi,
pal products Of the mills Mr.. Rich.
srdson owns q cotton.seed oil mill or
the Mississippi, and has many Other
small irons in the fire; but these only