The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1879-08-16
Nerchant1le News.

Our merchants notwithstanding the
dullness of their business are not dis
piritrd but look hopefully forward to ~
bright future Of trade provided the
"csterpillars don't eat up the cotton
Stocks are ample for summer demand
and prices are a. low AZ customers could
desire. The receipts Of new Louisiana
cotton in New Orleans one day last week
was four bales, brought By the Thomp.
son Dean and Yazoo. One bale was raised
by Mr.. J. T. Watson in Tensas parish,
and WAS consigned tot. L. Airey l. Co.
It was clsssed Low Middlins and was
sold for lie per pound. Another was
from Stamps Landing, and was con.
signed to Payne. Kennedy & Co. The
Yazoo brought the first new cotton from
St. Landry parish. One bale Was raised
by 8. J.. e. Gordon, on the Atchafalsys
river, and shipped to Levi & Newman;
the other was shipped by c. B. Ardrus,
of Opelousas, ". W. Burbridge 4 Co.
Where is our friend Charlie Pierson from
odd Natchitocbes :" Hs generally chips
the ''tirst bale" from our parish.
The total visible supply Of cotton on
the second instant was l,274,s45 bales
against 1887 at tho same time last
year. These figures indicate q decrease
in the cotton in sight on the second in.
slant of 1886 bales o. compared with
the same date of 1873, = decrease Of 744,.
038 bales - compared with the CORES
ponding date Of 1877, and . decrease Of
S7S, $50 bales ~ compared with 1876.
We extract tho following interesting
statistics:
According to Poor's Manual, inst pub.
lished, the total miles of railro9d in the
United States on December II, 1878, was
el84l, Of which 1884 miles were opened
during the last year. The Rross earnings
III u. $50 miles OF road were $3.50, lO3, 1851
An increase Of 81, i94, 0s9 a. compared
with the previous year. It ,is the frat
increase since tho panic of 1879, and it
marks the beginning of the new era Of
productive industry upon which We have
entered. This increase was due entirely
to the gain in freight earnings, there be-
ing slight decrease in passenger earn.
ings. The average gross earnings per
mile Of all the railroads in the United
States in 1873 We're s6210, and Of net
earnings Sl276; while the dividents paid
were eqnal to ga per cent Of the total
capital, stock. No dividends were paid
on any roads in West Virginia, South
Carolina, Mississippi. Kansas, Colorado,
Arkansas, Texas, California or Oregon.
The largest amount of dividends on the
roads Of any ono State were in New York,
aggregating $685.. 436, and the smallest
in Missouri-SlO,OOO
The reduced tax on tobacco has been
in effect long enough to furnish some in
dication Gifts effect on tho revenue, and
the advocates Of the change find their
theories and predictions already confirm.
ed. The reduction Of the tax from TWEEN.
ty.fonr cents pound tn sixteen began
IN thu first Of May, and the returns for
May and June show . total revenue of
$40, l2l.75l vt the lower rate as against
Int 81, 52i,8l7 in the corresponding
months Of 1873 under the old figures.
The great bnlk Of this increase occurred
in MAY. and is attributable to tho fact
that the agitation Of tho subject has
largely interfere with sales for several
weeks before but the revenue for June,
when the bnsiness had settled back into
it's normal channels, was over fifty thou.
sand doliars more than for juno Of last
year. The advocates Of reduction insist.
I'd that the change would bosb increase
consumption and diminish tho induce.
ments to evasion of the tav, and tho
Agares promise to show that they were
right.