The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1882-06-07


munity, and commercial firm. No inland city in
he world perhaps is more fayorably situated
than Dallas, for the rapid development Of a
trade centre; as any practical man may see for
himself oy looking over the beautiful fertile
prairies which surround this locality All that
nature could not do, man has done for us-fOr
not only have We nov numerous railways
out every year adds 10 their
number and the importance of their far.reach-
ing connections. In the course Of the next
twelve months, Dallas will be furnished with
every railway facility necessary u large and
rapidly increasing business In every line of
trade. tbs not my intention, nor would il be
within the scope of an article such as this must
be, 10 discuss more than one branch OF our trade
and this shall be Cotton. Every Dallas bust.
ness man knows co,ion is, and must always be,
our chief staple OF agriculture, and this fact be
ing given to start with, | would PROFOUND the
simple question, what muStwe, the business men
OF Dallas, do to build up our cotton trade That
something must ,be done, and quickly, is
scli-eYident 10 any one who has watched the
falling OIL in receipts in the past three years.
some one may say that the crop this season was
almost Il failure in Northern Texas, but
this would not change figures for other
gears Even If the crop had exceeded
SIX million bales this season tlSSl-S2l l am con.
WINGED our market would not have handled as
much cotton rs she Is justly entitled TO, from her
geographical position. Let us examine some OF
the reasons why this is true, In order that any
city should do n good trade in cotton, there
must be, first of all, responsible business men
with capital and energy who will use that capt
tai backed by judicious energy, TO bring to ouI
market every bale Of the tleeCy staple that can
be induced. l have no hesitancy in saying that
we have had no such influence NJ work for oui
market In the past. We have very active mer
chants here, with rs great capacity for work Il,
any city needs to build up her trade. but unfor
tunately for the cotton interests Of Dallas. they
do not work in that direction. Look but for i
moment AZ the large trade being built up here
by our leading firms in groceries, agricultural
implements and dry goods, and
ask yourself the questOn-why can,
not cotton trade be built NJ
to the same proportions and see If you can give
single satisfactory reason, You cannot do SO.
There is an old proyerb, You can lead II horse
70 water, but you cannot make him drink, u
Men sometimes resemble animals Il do not
mean asses but horses, and viii only do that
which pleases them No matter how much we
think and know that cotton iactorage-businesS
III Dallas, will pay a large percentage 10 good
business men, who may engage therein, we can
not drive men into ii, but must use other argu.
ments more persuasive, though equally
cogent, We must talk the business up; We
must bring every influence we can 10 bear upon
the question both rs individuals and through
our cotton exchange; that we may interest out
Slders and induce men from other cities who UNI
derstand The business, to bring their experience
aud capital here and induce cotton to come TO Dali
las. have used the above term, cOton-iaClOr,
TO describe one who buys and sells cotton on
commission, for account of farmers
and merchants. 1t does not describe
one who buys or sells for his own account, but
for another The manner of handling cotton,
such rs was In vogue during the infancy of this
market must be relegated to the past Would
any good merchant attempt to carry on a whole;
sale business on exactly the same principles and
economies that he would retail business? Is
there any man in this market at all conversant
with the cotton trade, who will not say that Dial.
las should receive at least one-tenth the entire
crop of the state? We should handle here moi
less than one hundred thousand bales-in good
crop years. Now is there any sane man amongst
us who Will say that number Of bales can be
sold onou streets. as nearly all of our cotton here
tofore has been sold2 ltcould not be handled
FOR now, with half the receipts, our principal
streets are blocked by wagons during the winter
who. take their stands wherever they
please, and wait for the streetbuyers
or stem. winders as they are faceuJusiy called
to paddle about in the rain and mud
and higgle and trade, and waste as much yalua.
BILE time over one bale of cotton often, as would,
under better system enable buyer TO trade
fora hundred bales. Not only does our present
system waste much time for the city merchants
but II encourages the farmer, (whO. perhaps has
only bale or Two to selD, 10 sit or lie all day
upon his wagon, when, otherwise, he could seil
his cotton more quickly and probably through a
cotton factor, and be gone 10 his farm, and work.
II we do not make provision for large cotton
trade, we cannothandle It, even should ii come
10 our market; but do not let us deude ourselves
II is not coming undei our present system OF
handling cotton-it will be simply reductO nd
absurdum for us to believe II, II should now be
below the dignity of our cotton men, TO handle
Their cotton as do such small towns as Alyarado,
Mehihney, exc, Every man connected with the
cotton trade knows that our warehouse capacity
Is too small, and that II should be largely In.
creased The past season, IL often occurred that
there was not room in and immediately around
lhe warehouses TO- ''ttitn down cotton forcxami-
nation, classification and marking, and this very
want OF space Is one reason why so many com.
plants have been made about our market for
buyers often have not been able TO get at their
cotton, TO make aClOse examination, These are
facts well known TO the trade. We mus
commence 10 elevate the tone our market get
ont of our old sloyenly way of doing business
and Try and interest our banks, and monied mo-
as well.as.Outsde capita, in hclpingus 10 hnllJ ~,
our cotton trade. Is there any reason WIN Wn,,l
ton, las close as that.cty is TO Gul, es,on shoui,
receive eight times as much cotton ne pnIp,s
During me next season We will have create
to Europe than ilous,on Why has Houston ~, :,
large cotton trade to-day? Il is simply be
cause the broccrs and dry goods merchant
nave worked the business up, sending on
! sOhclung agents To control. the COttOi
by their money, and reciprocal trade IcAuy a
| uS the youngest cotton man among us can 70
member when 81 Louis as cotton market WA
scarcely heard of, so Insignificant were her nc
ceipts; now she takes rauk amongst the mos
| important The geographical position of ~
| Louis Is such, that II Is remarkable that CottO
should 90. there atall for sale Why does Il 4
there II Is because she has the finest ware
! house system In the United States, has put on
her money freely to attract cotton, and wOrke
| upon railways so successfully that they have ~
| cured cheap freight rates. Some of our banker
are liberal not only In mind, bu, with the
money, and doubtless will assist To the utmo,
my firm which may embark In the col
ton. fNctornge business, Cotton, neither n.buyin
| or selling, Will stand n greater rate than cigf
per cent for money, In this market mn
there Is no good reason why IL car
not he obtained ut That rate fl
| any legitimate cotton business, Galveston
Houston and other markets In this state hay
cheap money ON cotton, and SO should Dallas
| Any banker or other monicd man In Dalln
knows that every bale Of our great southcr
staple which he helps 10 bring to our marke
helps to make him rich. One serious obStru,
ton TO our-havng cheap money here Is the in,
that one or two Of our banks have beCom
almost exclusively cattle banks, and niue
other of our available city capital IN being pt
into cattle, on long loans, nj about fifteen II,
cent per annum aud even rs high as two pt
cont month when such high rates of intcl
italists consider the investment as dangerous {
that there Is not sufficient money in Dallas ,
handle her trade. The latter condition IL mo,
| likely 10 he the true one. Therefore, let lis we
come each new banking institution, and ever
| capitalist who comes Ia make Dallas his res
dencc, Us bringing us one step nearer emanc
patton from the cxorbitant charges of the pas
Tor money to DO used IN legitimate trades of a
kinds beg pardon for occupying 40 much ,
- NJ al -.