The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-06-08
Correspondenee Of the Herald

GALVESTON, June 4, 1880
Much has been sid and written against
Galveston by the people and press of the in
terror. This has been done without reAec-
ton or due consideration. All thoughtful
people will admit that the interests of Gal
weston and the State are identical; that she
is an integral portion that the advancement
of one is the building up of the other.
Therefore no enmity should exist; instead, it
should be the pride Of every patriotic Texan,
native-born or adopted, to take deep inter-
est in the advancement and growth of the
chief comm ercial city of the S.ate. He
should strike hands and act in harmony with
the live men of this city take deep inter
est in her growth, and prove their loyalty to
her by directing the trade of the State into
her market. and not throw it into foreign
channels, and thus aid in building up power
full cities to the detriment of their own, whose
interests are not identical, but inimical
10 the State and Galveston. This city pos
sesses advantages enjoyed by few. Situated
in the very apex of the gulf, she is destined
to become the great CONNER ial metropolis
of the southwest The great State of Texas,
with her teeming millions, inexhaustible and
variedproduction are the potent factOrswhich
by united and harmonious action, will make
Galveston one of the greatest cities on the
American continent. A rapid retrospection
of the growth and progress of this city in the
past fifteen years, will show that this is no
idle speculation. Facts are more cogent than
theory, and the following statistics relative to
the growth and commerce of the city for the
period above mentioned can be verified AT
the close of the war Galveston lay like dis
mantled ship, wrecked and ruined.
1867 in 1860, it was reduced by tho contin-
gencies of the war to $500 in 1855. With
their beautifully embewered homes, dilapi-
dated and in ruins, broken in fortune, their
trade gone. her citizens did not lose faith.
With strong hearts and willing hands, they
went earnestly to work to restore and re-
gain what they had lost. Peace was nc
sooner declared, when thousands nocked
into the South. The influx was perceptible
here. Texas had felt the ravages OF the wal
less than any other Southern State, hence
her recuperation was more rapid. Calves.
ton in five years regained her lost population
with an increase OF 6,6l1, the United
States census fixing her population at 10, S1S
Her taxable wealth aggregated $l4,0l4, 000
q gain in five years: of $4596,972. From
1870 to 1876 were her most prosperous
years. Her growth was marvellous, q, 1872
souls were added to the census, making a
total population in 1876 of $4,000.
Her taxable wealth increased in like ratio.
The total valuation of real and personal
property in 1874 was $22s22, 400. demon.
strating an actual increase of $SS0S, 400 in
four years-an annual increase in popula-
ton of over 4,236, and in taxable wealth Of
S2,202, lO5. The city's com nercial and
maritime. progress was no less remarkable.
The port was opened to commerce by the
proclamation of President johnson, the first
week in July, 1866, and DR.. PEBBLES was ap.
pointed collector. The amount of foreign
importations in 1865, as shown by the books
Of the custom-house, was six times as much
as before the war. The total exports for
that year, ending September LIST, amounted
TO $22, 905 sol, and foreign imports to $685..
400, and duties to S3l8,692, while the total
duties of 1860 were $l00,3l4. Business,
however, was not re-esiablished at the Gus.
tom'house until May LIST, 1866. From this
date reliable information is obtained. The
expectations, foreign and domestic, from May
lst, 1866 to the close of the fiscal year, 1875
were $2045716l3; Of this amount
500, 4Sl, $50 was cotton and SO, 40, 154 mis-
cellaneous products. Foreign importations
for the same period were SIS, 100, OPS, and the
amount of duties collected S3,613,592. Since
1871 to the close of the fiscal year, 1879, there
has been imported from Brazil and Mexico
$6,l35,3SS of coffee, and from England, Spain
and Portugal S424 ,5l8 20 Of salt.
The number of vessels entered, foreign and
coastwise, of all nationalities. for the past
fourteen years, from December 3lst, 1866, to
December 31st, 1879, were l0,923, and cleared
from this point, for the same period, 10,939,
or total of vessels entered and cleared Of
2l,S62. The tonnage of all vessels en-
tered and cleared, of all nationalities for ten
years, from 1870 to the close of 1879, was
7,56367l.
Prior to the war Galveston made no
pretensions as cotton market, but the rap
Idly with which she came into prominence
after 1865 attracted attention abroad and cot
ton buyers were dispatched 10 the rising me-
tropolis, and since 1867, this city has become
the third cotton as well as the fourth coffee
market in the United States. As an evidence
OF her wonderful progress, she has received
an CO the close Of the commercial year, 1866.
~ TO December 8lst, 1879, 4,348,S 1893 bsles OF