Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-05-29
KING OFTHE PLANTERS.
A Sample of the Men who are
Creating a New South.

Jackson Missy letter in Chicago Tribune.
"P'raps you don't know that I've
built myself gravestone. Wal, it's a
fact. I've put 1000 into it, l think
it's prudent for a man to be his own
administrator. lis business. And I'm
going to be my own administrator.
That's the reason I've built my grave
stone for ST., 900 cash before l died"
The speaker was Edward Richardson,
Of Jackson, Mississippi, the most active
and influential business man in MisSis-
sippi, if not in the South. Mr.. Rich
arlsOn lives in Jackson, but he has
property interests all over the State.
lie owns nineteen plantations IN the
marvellOuS,y rich river country above
Nicksburg including parts OF Washing
ton and lsSaquena counties and the
YazOo districts. He has $4,000 acres
under 900 OF them IN
cotton. He raises above 10000 bales
or IS, OOO, 600 pounds of cotton annually.
He has 5000 acres in corn and oats, Tor
the support of his stock and his people.
And vet he has not land enough.
Whenever a planter is hard-up, and
wants to sell his place for cash, he APP
plies first 10 old Ned Richardson, know
ING that from him he will get cash Oh
fer. though a low one. l heard Mr..
Richardson offer the owner of a planta-
tion -. 900 cash for land which the latter
valued mt $1,000; and though the offer
was al first refused, | was under the
impression that it would ultimately be
acrepted. He controls the cotton
market 10 a higher degree than any 9th
pr living man. When he takes snuff all
the other brothers sneeze. As member
Of the first firm in point OF volume Oh
business. he receives and dispOses OF
more than 100000 bales OF cotton annu-
ally. He Is the heaviest exporter. Last
week he let a lot 90 for IL and L cents.
He has still l 100 bales back, on which
ne expects 10 realize over Is cents, as
cotton is advancing. IL hadn walt
ed. said Mr.. Richardson, Il would
have quit loser on the year. But IL
make a little something on last year
crop, and il the indications Tor this year
don't fail, or this exodus don't break
thingh. l ought TO clear $4,000 to $780,
600 on this year" Mr. Richardson vas
NOT buastiug. These statements were
pried out of him by questions on other
points. His shrewdneSs as cotton
dealer is evidenced, moreover, by the
1rt that. while ne is selling at the high
est price, he bought at the lowest. As
chief owner OF the cotton and wooden
mills at Wesson, Miss, in which he now
runs 10000 spindles and Is putting IN
5000 more, he has 70 buy 4,3OO TO l.
100 bales of cotton annually near the
mills. when he does not plant himself.
All thislwas put in at S cents and trac-
ton per pound. If it could be sold now
tine profit on it would be about 1000.
This would make it worth while to close
the mills, but for the throwing the oper-
ativcs out of employment. Mr.. Klch-
ardson has not attempted to reduce
wages during all the hard times. He
saws. indeed, that these cotton mills are
profitable. and there is consequently no
reason why wages should be reduced.
The mills return about twelve and a
half per cent, regularly on the capital
invested The cotton they use Is all
bought at the door, and costs usually
two and a fraction cents less per pound
than that used i'm Massachusetts. At
the ordinary price Of cotton last year
this would be a difference OF twenty
five per cent in favor OF the South:
III there were rs many cotton mills IN
Mississippi in proportion to population
rs there are i'm Massachusetts,, the labor
problem would ue solved. There would
be- place 10 use labor which cannot
now be employed in the field. Poor
whites and members oithe negro family
who are now burdens on the cOmmunl-
IL would bee bread-winners. Mr.. Rich
arIs0n cited a number of instances OF
absolute pauperS, white and colored,
who mad become self sustaining in his
mills and asserted that 435 out OF 800
empIoved therein would have done
nothing for their own livelihood tthcy
had not been offered these situations.
Ia,ked why the mills were put at a
distance from the river, apparently an
out-Oi-the way place. The answer was
| that they were then in the midst OF a
rich wo0l-growing section. The mills
use 800 tol 800 bales Of wool, or Co.,
| ODO to 700 900 pounds; and all the wool,
as well rs an the cOttons and brown
goods are the principal products oil the
mills. o.,
MIR. Richardson owns cotton seed oil
mill on the Mississippi and has many
other small irons in the fire; but these
only DO. As Colonel Sellers says, FOR
side investments, 20 keep his money
empIoved. He is reputed to be worth
from 5000 900 10 SECONDHAND though
hp and his partner al New Orleans have
81 400. 900 already advanced on the
growipr crop. they have still LETT more
money than they know how to employ.
They are frightened away from Govern
mcnt bOnds-by the prospect OF only
four per cent; but they are after invest
mcnts that will yield ten to twelve per
| cent.
The opinion OF such man on the emf
/ grafton question seemed to me better
/ worth having than that OF twenty ordl-
nary planters. asked him what he
/ Thought the cause ofthe movement was.
! RE said he could not tell, and nobody
| could tell. The negroes, he belieyed,dld
/ not know themselves. In some COun-
| ties. where they were badly bulldOzed,
/ they were quiet. High rents might
/ have something 10 do with 1t in one
place. and political troubles in another,
/ but i'm many ne believed the main cause
was simple blind credulity and ignorant
foUow-mv-leader principles. The ne
/ rrOes are lust like a flock OF sheep he
/ added. of one jumps overa fence, they
all 90; and the last two or three, for fear
they will be left behind, are more eager
10 get over than any of the Others"
A Card.
/ IT. al ,,,bO are suffering from the