The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-10-12

A.etter from Gol. Aieck Gampbell, o
brooke COunty-Trlp from Steuben
willie to Louisiana birmingham, Ala
bama, as a Manufacturing CentFe-CrOI
Prospects in the South.
NEw ORLEANS, October s, 1881.
EdltOn lntCllIgenccF'
Thinking that u few notes touching thu
trade and crops Of this country might bt
Of interest to some Of your readers, | take
II few spare moments this hot day t.
scratch down my observations since leav
ing West Virginia. l left steubenville or
Wednesday night, at 0;lO, September 9sth
and reached New Orleans ut 1890 Friday
night-just 40 hours and 20 minutes from
SteubenvilIe to the foot Of Canal street
This without the loss OF u moment or q JOS
tie on the cars. We came win the Short
Line from Cincinnati 10 Louisville, thence
on the l.. 4 n. road to Nashville, thence
via Decatur, Montgomery and Mobile
The road was in splendid condition all the
route through. The cars were crowded with
passengers returning from their summer
solourn ut the northern watering phces,
All along the route people seemed to be
moving us II they meant business, espe-
cially at Birmingham, Alabama, remem-
Der some years since that w. II. Wood.
ward stated to me that in fifteen years
! would see population in the valley near
Birmingham OF one hundred and fifty
thousand. Had it not been for the deprcs.
sion in iron after 1873, his prediction would
have been more than verified. In iaCt |
think it will almost reach his figures by the
time the fifteen years roll around There
seems to be more confidence In the future
OF Birmingham than any place have seen
in the South.
The crops OF cotton all along the route
through Tennessee and Alabama seem to
have improved greatly since passed over
the same ground about the middle oil Au-
gust. SO tar this fall the weather has been
all that could be desired for gathering the
crop, and up to this date doubt II there
has been single bale Of inferior cotton
sent to market. AS u general thing 1t has
been picked clean, and is OF more than or
binary staple. II the season remains good
for another month there will be more Of
what Is known as middling cotton pro-
duCCd In the year 1881 than ever before.
There are many estimates OF the present
crop-difTering wilely-by those who
ought to be well posted. The crop OF last
year was six million five hundred and
thirty.tiye thousand some hundred bales.
This year there are bets oil thousands Of
dollars that the crop will not reach G,000,-
900 bales. The estimates are, OF course,
all guess work, for the reason that all de.
ponds OH the weather for the balance OF
the season. Cotton is crop that has more
come out in IL than any other crop known
to man. II can look better and nuke less,
and look worse and make more than any
other Crop on earth, To those who have
never seen the crop grow, this will seem
strange.
Cotton. not like other crops. ia growing
and making nil lie time. and IL IL was moi
for frost would grow into n tree md make
some cotton from wear to wear. Il COIN.
mences to bloom in June and we have
what is called the bottom, middle and top
crops. Seldom have ali three been GOOD,
The bottom natures first and isalways the
best cotton, On the same stalk YOU sec
open cotton, blooms and balls, not ma
tured. This year, on account OF the con.
tinued drouth, cotton stopped growing
early in August, and all Inc bottom balls
and middle balls matured and opened, and
as n consequence more new cotton reached
market than ever before 80 carly in the sea.
son. Some three weeks since there came
showers OF min and the cotton commenced
TO grow again and added n foot 10 ia height
with millions Of bloom and new balls
formed on the top. These balls are now
the size Of a partridge epp, andif the weather
continues good another month will add one
or two hundred thousand bales to the crop
of the United States rode over n CROP Of
some hundreds Of acres, last Tuesday. and
one would have thought Il wGs A flower
garden 30 numerous were the blooms II
6as been A rule here TO say tint every
bloom seen on Scntnmber 20ih wonld mn.
ture and make cotton. remember one
wear away back in the lfties that there was
not A frost TO kill the most tender yepeta-
tion. even A soup beam or sweet potato
vine, I'M tlle 9Th OF December, II such
should be the case this year the crop will
open out wonderfully. AT all events the
cTop will net more money even II Il should
bp shorter than Inst Velr the price Ia 10
much batter IT'H
/ spent most Of the tlay after nv arrival
among tbe iron men in the city, Trade
seems tobe even md quiet with ftir prices,
Nothing IN denote n boom in iron ike We
Ind yrar mr. Two since. Intact all dealers
NV iGev Hre satisfied with Inc present
nrices az iron and naiisand hone thew will
Continue ina same for lie season. / heard
Il remarked that some OF the Wheeling
mills had made good dividends last year
md published in papers larger dividends
than were made in almost any other mantl.
featuring interest. Some one said that one
mill had paid dividend Of l6per cent be-
sides had considerable surplus fund.
Dealers say II they made this at last years
prices there surely IL no immediate cause
Tor a stiff advance in all kinds Of iron. II
would be prudent, should think, for mill
owners 10 keep their earnings to themselves
In theitture, There seems to be a great
deal Of Improvement In this city, tiany
new buildings going up. The new cotton
oSCLonuo ViII Ia mn ornament IN TIM ritv.