The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1881-10-29
VOL IA.
The Overland Cotton Movement
N. o. Democrat !

HN hU'NtiNA VI bul NNttbl
trade-whether any Of il is being
drawn away from this city by the
railroads and carried North over.
land or not, is so important a ques-
tion as to demand the most care
full consideration and investiga-
tiOn. A glance at the cotton re-
ceipts of New Orleans will Ger
tainly show that, as far as mere re-
ceipts are concerned, we have lost
none of our trade so far this year.
We are now the third port in the
country in point of ofreceipts, where.
as last year at this time we We're
sixth in the list. Our net cotton
receipts are already 4,0l5 bales
ahead of last year, while at all
the ports of the country they are
I 61,403 bales behind. In other
words, at this time, in 1880, we had
received but 10 per cent of the
cotton, whereas, this year, we have
secured % per cent.-a very heal
thy and promising increase. If we
consider the Gulf ports alone, the
same favorable showing is main
tanned. We have done well as
compared with Galveston and Mo.
bile, our receipts, both net and
gross, being much larger than
theirs.
These figures, however, are not
conclusive proof that we have
lost none of our trade. Our in.
creased receipts may be due to the
fact that the cotton along the Miss,
issippi and in other sections tlibu.
tary to New Orleans, has been
picked and marketed earlier than
in other portions of the country.
A glance at the overland move.
ment of cotton, win show us
whether we have really lost any
trade or not.
There is some increase in the
receipts of this staple at st. Louis
but nothing to seriously alarm us.
The receipts at st. Louis last year
were small, and the greater por-
tion Of the cotton received by that
city comes from Arkansas and
Northern Texas over the Iron
Mountain road, and will be beyond
the reach of New Orleans until the
! New Orleans Pacific road is built,
There is nothing to cause any
alarm in the overland movement to
other points, the movement North
amounting to only 21,778 bales,
against 81 ,SO7 bales last year, while
the direct shipments to the mills
have sprung from l2,039 to 2J,32S
bales.
The movement from Memphis
east to Norfork and Savannah is
less pleasant to contemplate. 1t
is true that these ports show no in.
crease of receipts over last year.
But yet the fact that New Orleans
which received $4,000 bales from
the Tennessee town in the season
of 1SS0-S1, has received none from
it this year, though Memphis has
shipped $4,000 bales already, is un-
promising; and it is greatly to be
feared that the special rates that
the railroads have made ON cotton
will rob us of some of the trade
we have hitherto enjoyed. 1t
should be noted, by the way, that
last year, New Orleans and Nor.
folk fought for supremacy in the
Memphis market, and that the for.
mer came out victorious. Thus in
1879, we received 100000 bales
from Memphis; in 1880, $4,000; in
$4,000; in 1879, Norfolk received
$4,000 bales, aud last year, 50, 500.
There is no reason why, with prop.
er management we cannot secure
the majority of the Memphis cot
ton this as we as did last season.
With the exception of a slight
increase in cotton shipped North
by rail from Mobile, and some un
certainty about Memphis, it is too
early to predict that all the cotton
shipped from that point is going to
follow that already sent East. New
Orleans still possesses all its legit
innate trade and will probably Sc
cure additional business. We are
promised heavier receipts from
Arkansas this year, and will prob
badly secure additional business
We are promised heavier receipts
from Arkansas this year, and from
portions of Texas. As for the cot
ton on the river, OH the Chicago
st. Louis and New Orleans Rail
road, that will, as usual, come here
The reports of the Cotton Ex
changes show that the region trib
utary to New Orleans will make
as favorable a crop as that tTi0