The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1882-11-25
EFFECT OF INTERIOR CONGRESSES

The numerous cotton compresses
springing up all over the Southern
country has attracted tho attention of
the Philadelphia :Record which is not
far wrong in its belief that this new
feature of the cotton trade threatens to
revolutionize the old system of busi-
ness at such Southern cities as New
Orleans, Galveston, Houston aud other
cotton ports. Hitherto these great
cities have had monopoly of the
work of COMPRISING and handling
the staple; but under the new system
cotton is shipped direct from the in-
terror to vessels at tho wharves, thus
converting these ports into mere ship
ping stations. The merchants derive
little or no benefit from that which
was formerly their most lucrative
speciality. Spinners' agents find 1t
much cheaper to buy from the planters
instead of from the factors, and they
can pay better prices for 1t than the
latter. They also find 1t more advan-
tageous to compress the cotton in the
interior. The result is q complete re-
versal In trade. Thus, Henderson,
Texas, Hast year shipped $4,000 bales,
Of which 10000 went to Galveston.
This year it will ship between 20, 200
and sc, 900 bales, SO per cent. of which
will go direct to the mills. The spin
ners' agents who have bought this cot
ton have paid bigger prices for it than
Galveston and Houston can Offer.
These towns seem to fully realize the
effect Of the new situation. The Gal
weston News sees in this movement
ssa revolution that will prove very in
furious to the cotton ports unless cor
rerted," and utiliZes the occasion as q
text for II common sense lecture to the
merchants of that city, warning them
that their old way of doing business is
over, and that more enterprise, econo-
my, ETC., are needed If success and a
continuance of trade are desired.
"Galveston," it says "must improve
upon her methods of business or suffer
the consequences. This applies direct
ly and Immediately to tho cotton
trade. 1t will require Il united effort
to turn into this channel u trade that
is escaping It," With tho probabili-
ty, however, TINT New Orleans will
become the great shipping port of all
the product of tho West and North
west, unless there shall be some radl-
cal change in the canal system Of tho
country, 1t docs not appear that any
ground exists for lugubrious forebod-
ings as her future commercial prosper
ity, Notwithstanding that she, perhaps
more than any others Southern port,
may feel the effects Of the "new me-
thod," as the Yimes-Democrat terms
it, "of doing business, particularly in
the cotton trade" AS soon as the Er-
langer system of railroads is completed
to Brunswick, Georgia, where thcro is
a secure harbor for the heaviest tonago
ships in the world, n largo proportion
of the cotton now shipped by way of
New Orleans from Memphis and
spl, ,1>,,,Sp B,n SO,f tn T.
way of Brunswick. Tho roads will so
compete with steamboats, that freight
desiring rapid transit will all go by tho
roads and much of the cotton will thus
be compressed in the interior and hur-
ricd on to the mills or for export to
take advantage of actual or anticipated
advances in tho markets. Tho shortest
routes will have greatly tho advan-
tage, and hence New Orleans will lose
in both handling and shipping a large
amount of cotton hitherto belonging
by advantageous location to her lcgiti-
mate trade. The loss, however, from
Vicksburg, Memphis, Meridian and
other interior cities by the Brunswick
route will bo to a large extent IL not
wholly made good from the interior OF
Texas by new railroad shipments here
toforc going by the way of Galveston
and Houston. While New Orleans
has nothing to fear as TO her future
empire among Southern
export cities, there is no reason why
Nicksburg should not compress tho
half million bales naturally tributary
to this point as the nearest and best
market. There is no reason except the
want of enterprise and capital Vichs-
b,ny Commercial.
VIM. II. Cunningham, workman at
the Birmingham, (Ala.) Rolling Mills,
left his work, walked over to tho
Alice furnace, assembled to the mouth
of the stack and awaited the moment
for changing, when the bell was raised
he threw Off his hat and leaped head
foremost into the furnace. Deceased
leaves wife and three children; he had
been low spirited for several days, but
had not been drinking.
Sullivan, tho slugger, knocked u
| Washington street-car driver down
eleven times in succession. Ile should
have tackled conductor. Some OF
them are pretty good at knocking
| down.