The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1881-03-24

Here are a few taken from to-days eH
changes. Henry w. Grady writes from
New York to the Atlanta Constitution,
aIout one of our Southern Yankees as
That is Richardson of Mississippi.
the largest cotton planter IN the world
IA The world?'
Yes. sir. The ex Khedive of Egypt,
il is said. had a larger cotton crop than
RichariSon-but he has since then
gathered the largest crop OF cotton ever
planted by one man.
What does this crop amount to?
1T reached one year over l2'oVJ
bales. He operates a large number OF
plantations and has a small army ut la
borers under Is control. He works
State conyicts largely, and finds their
Ia Dor, of course, highly profitable.
His cotton crop alone brings nearly a
million a wear. He i. not only the larS
est PLANTER, but is The largest manusac-
turer in the South. He owns a cotton
factory that is the largest in the South,
except the Eagle and Phoenix. lie
told me that the gross business of this
factory alone wa, Si,600,O 900 IN one
year, and was very profitable. If an
not mistaken be said that he once clear
ed 81 per cent. per annum onthe money
invested in his cotton factory. Besides
this. he has three or four cotton seed
oil mills that do an Immense ami profit
able business. He sold a short time
ago 1000 barrels OF cotton seed oil
through the Thurbers of this city 10
Antwerp. [ suppose it will come back
to us as olive oil.
Besides being the largest planter
and manufacturer, he Is the largest
merchant in the South. He Il the head
of the house of Richardson 4 NAV,
which | understand has handled more
cotton in one year than any house IN the
world. In one year l6l coo bales OF
cotton passed through its hands | do
not think this business has ever been
surpassed. La addition TO this house,
Mr.. Richardson owns and runs IA great
many country stores. He makes the
purchases for these stores IN person ~
New York. and will spend a day going
among the wholesale houses selecting
notions, dry goods, ETC., for his country
stocks.
Beyond all these things he takes a
lively interest in general investment and
In railroads especially. He is controll-
ing owner OF the road from Shreveport
co Vicksburg and has several other in
terests present and prospective IN rail
roads"
| believe the Georgian, control the
bonds of the road, while Mr.. Richardson
controls the stock. Gen Henry K.
Jackson Is the attorney Of the road, and
1t is now being negotiated for by Jay
Gould and the Texas Pacific. 1t is a
very valuable piece of property, and
will become a part of the great line If it
l. sold t o Gould and his crowd.
Mr.. Richardson, | am tod, began life
as II bar keeper in Mississippi, and
promptly bought out the mar by whom
he was employed. He did not remain
ioGg in this business, quitting it for a
line in which his remarkable talent
would find wider range. He is now
about 81 years of age, and is a hale
hearty old gentleman, good for many
years yet. he gives his personal atten-
ton 10 his vast business, and is Syste
matte 20 the last degree. One Of his
peculiar habits is that o1 rising every
night at . c, clock, waking his secretary
and dispatching all of his business by I
o'clock, when breakfast is served. He
then has the whole day for outside bus
mess, and retires early at night. He
has little education, but is a vigorous
thinker, a practical man and consequent
ly a most interesting talker. He is a
firm believer in the future of the South,
and its possibilities as a planting, min
ing and manufacturing section
The establishment at Newbern for the
manufacture of wooden plates must be
doing a very large business. On last
Saturday 100000 wooden dishes were
shipped North from that factory.
Capt. Gray, the proprietor manufac
lures four sizes of these wooden dishes.
Mr.. A. r. Honesty, of Shelby, has
recently purchased the mill property of
Mr.. Levi Yoder, on Jacob Fork, in
the Southern part of Catawba, and
will, at an early day, erect a large cotton
factory and u it in connection with
with the saw and grist mills.
Capt. Jas. y. Williamson has pur-
chased the water power owned by Geo.
kernodle, about eleven miles northwest
of Graham, where he will soon begin
the erection of a cotton factory.
North Carolinlans would do well to
remember that during 1879 the profits
of cotton factories in South Carolina
ranged from Is to 254 per cent. Fact,
every word. This is upon the authorit
of the Charleston Netrs md Courier.
He is a very g~rasping mar who asks for
larger returns upon money invested
Star.
Asheville Neacs. The bank of Ashe-
vile has SO far this season, paid out
s4O,0 600 for tobacco sold at the WI
warehouses in this place, and about
so 600 on sales at Marshall, besides
buying about the same amount of
checks for tobacco sold at DaLville and
Lynchburg.
The building of the road from John
son city, Tenn, to Cranberry, In Mitch
ell county, n. c., will make it an easy
matter for tourists and visitor, t reach
the top ofthe Roane, viii n is destined
to be a greater place of resort than the
White mountains OF New Hampshire
1t has this advantage, that there are
thousands Of acres on the Roam that are
unequaled for grazing purposes. Major
Iappan kept a large herd of cattle,
sheep and goats there last summer and
found that they did well. The hotel
and grounds together with a portion of
the stock are offered for sale.
The Citizen adds Cars are running
to Eilzabethton. nine miles FROM John
ston City, and the track will this week
be LAID down SIX miles further. There
Will stlll be some seventeen miles to be