The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1880-08-25


portation companies on our line con-
siderably. You must understand
these transportation companies are
about the hardest men to stir up you
ever saw. Moreover, they have had
no one, until very recently, to insist
on even fair rate of transportation
to AMI from the South. Why, bust
ness men Of Louisville, have not,
heretofore, made an effort to secure
the trade Of the Middle Southern
States, / do not understand.
That they have not that trade on
straight line of their railroads, the
merchants of Louisville, as we'll as
our people well know.
[ have said that some of the bust
ness men of Louisville are making
effort to secure our trade. But there
is not that concert of force there
ought to be. Many Of the largest
merchants and manufacturers
seem not to care TO extend their
business. They say, 1--WE have all
we can do" | called on several of
the most extensive manufacturers of
tobacco with view of making a pur-
chase, no other purchasers were pres
ent they seemed to be entirely idle
in their sales rooms. These gentle
men are very pleasant and clever,
when you can get their attention;
in fact there is not a more hospitable
people in the world than here. But
the business men do not rush on you
as you enter their store as is the case
in other cities. You must hunt
around the establishment, until you
find the proprietor OF salesman.
find that the plug tobacco, man
utactured in this city, is superior III
quality TO the tobacco we get East.
| mentioned the tact that no tobacco
of Louisville manufacture was sold in
! Florida; thai was no news to them.
They merely said they ha0 all they
coulo do to fill their order. l did
not tell them that if they sold $780,
900 worth of tobacco in Que year and
made a profit of $4,000 that, if by
increased facilities, they could sell
| 81, 100000 worth the profit would be
| 100000 or ten times as much. Now
| the same is true OF other trades with
few exceptions. The manufacturers
Of agricultural implements, seem to
have more sins about them. B. r.
Avery & Sons. Brinly, Miles, Hardy
estlIers are advertising
trade ia every direction.
The business men OF Louisville are
honorable aud trustworthy. Who
ever deals with them may rely on
that with perfect confidence. But
they are quite independent about
trade, and l guess that is the reason
they do not care TO bother themselves
about "rates OF freight" to Florida,
nor care if freight rates from Louis
vile TO Florida are double that of
Cincinnati and triple the rates from
New York.
Were it not true that the mer
chants and manufacturers of Louis
vile really are making living with.
out the trade OF the Middle Southern
States, we might expect combined
effort on their part to have the rates
Of passage reduced at least to fair
rate. They know the rates are ex-
horbitant; they know Cincinnati
ships freight through to Florida at
hall rates charged from Louisville,
and New York one-third OF Louis
vile charges.
"Why don't you see the railroad
official about this freight business.
they are the parties to see if your
freight charges are exhorbitant," is
what the merchants and manutac-
turers tell us. Sure enough, perhaps
we had not thought OF that; bat we
thought of that long ago. Has not
DR.. Peters and others been all along
the line aud with what result? 1t
you see the L. & n. railroad men
they are very polite and are willing
ana anxious to make rates as low
from Louisville to Florida as rates
from New York to Florida, ii other
roads on the line will do the same.
go to Montgomery tell those chaps
we will reduce our rates ii they will
come down in proportion" We say
give us a letter. to that effect. Put
your proposition in writing and we
will go over the line. "Well, no,
we can't do that. You just tell the
Montgomery men that Is what we
say" Don't you see they will not
make positive agreement Now go
to Montgomery. We fDd the officers
OF that railroad also were clever, and
ut