Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-02-07
THE GRAIN TRADE.
Past, Present and to Come, as an Active,
Intelligent Merchant Sees 1.-THE
Completion OF the
Kansas City Railroad Confidently Expect
ed TO Reyoluiionize and Greatly
Increase Business.

A representative OF the APPEAL went on
an interviewing expedition yesterday with
view of gaining some Information 10 regard |
to The grain trade OF Memphis, previous and |
prospective. 1t was difficult job-one of |
The most arduous in all newspaper life, to get |
a trsdesmen to tell what he knows about bis /
business. His knowledge of his line oftrade |
is the greater part OF his capital, and he |
would as soon loan you million TO cover |
"dealn against himself as TO tell you his ex- |
perience, which, perhaps, has cost him gray
haired nights of akefulness and gloomy |
mornings OF b.sssisstless existence. We
we're detailed 10 talk, and there being no law |
against the proceeding We talked. Meeting |
a prominent dealer we opened the game, but |
at frat he refused 20 make put" We
humored him by admopishiog him OF his
near approach TO that last great event of our
lives, aud what he might say now would re-
dound TO his Immortality in coming genera
lions, his clam was opened and ne spun out
grain talk by the million bushels, sacked and
weighed ready for delivery. We asked him
how long be had been engaged 10 the grain
trade in Memphis.
That's not pertinent to the question, and
none of your business. l expect / bought
corn here when your daddy was boy"
"You haven't been in the business long,
lhen"
chats very good for you. Well, what do
you want to knewp
'The APPEAL wants to know what you all
expect Of Memphis as grain market"
aWell, Pill tell you. At present our grain
trade never looked more favorable, especially
as compared with that OF the last season.
You know we have this season one more
railway running inio Memphis. than we had
last sesson-runniDg, l mean, through q
grain country"
"What railway do you meaDW
"The Chesapeake, Ohio and Southwestern,
OF course"
"Oh, yes-thal drains the grsnaries of
West Tennessee"
"Yes; and the crops in that region this
season have been better than for many years
past, corn having averaged fifty bushels to
The acre"
Shave we not always got whatever was
raised in that section"
swell, as far as this season is concerned,
we have; but hitherto we have not"
"How did they manage 10 get rid OF 1t,
having no other avenue Of shipmsnt?"
"WelI, you see, up to few months ago
there has been a system of low rates OF
| freight from Hickman to New Orleans,
| against which Memphis could not compete,
having no facilities of her own with which
| 10 contend for it. The rates to New Orleans
II WeIc Uut IlnO u1OiC AAto POiIs,
| and not at all in comparison to the differ
| ence In value. The consequence was that
| the shipper to New Orleans could realize a
| greater profit from his corn and pay the adj
| ditionsl freight than il he had shipped TO
/. Memphis at the very little less rates."
"You say this was the situation up to a
1 few months ago-what advantage have you
| now ON what you had them"
swell, you know We have been building
some railroads in this psrt OF the country.
one OF which drains this region of country
that was formerly solely dependent on the
river outlet. And then we have splendid
elevator built with the especial view of hand
| ling grain-a thing we never had before in
l these parte. 1t enables rs to handle grain
| in bulk or sack, besides facilities for receiv-
| ing, storing and shipping equal to any es-
I tabishment any where else"
| 81 understand, then, that our merchants
are now prepared to compete with the world
| in the handling of freight"
ooh, no; not yet. We have yet great
drawback. We cannot get an outlet south
ON account OF the high rates Of freight i'm
| posed by our railroads. They have never
| vet seen proper TO give US rates that would
| enable us to compete with Cairo, Evansville,
| Hickman, and other Western points. These
| points have always been favored with lower
| rates than we have been allowed, netwlth-
stapdipg theirs is longer "haui." Until
| this is rectifed we cannot expect to do any
! business with such markets as Atlantis, Sa-
| vsunah, Macon, etc."
"How do you propose 10 rectify this
trouble?n
81 see no immediate remedy. A lower
rate of freight must be communicated, and
the rule has been that this cannot be done
without system OF competition that cannot
be broken down. This We are promised IN
the completion OF the Memphis and Kansas
City railway, which, you know, comes to us
| riyht through the heart OF the graiu-pro'
ducing region OF the Northwest-more direct
by way of Memphis than any other route Ia
| existence or that can be built. When this
road is completed / see nothing to prevent
Memphis from distributing large amount
| of grain, provisions and produces to all points
SOUTH"
"You, then, have big expectations from
the Memphis and Kansas City railroad?"
"Indeed, have. honestly believe that
where we handle one bushel OF corn now we
| will handle ten when that road is compleled.
In other words, our grain business will in
crease fully teufold."
"Do you make this estimate as applicable
| TO your own business
mo, sir. 1t will apply 10 every man now
in the business, Decides the addition OF many
other individuals who will come here 10 dc
business, and the number Of existing firms
| who will embody the grain trade where
hitherto they have never dealt in it."
"What are the superior advantages offered
BY this Kansas City rout:%
"Why, the general impression is that wher
| the road is in operat on we can lay grain here
for less money than We can by steamboat OF
barges from st. Louis or points on the Mis-
sissippi or Ohio rivers, as the difference IL
| price between st. Louis and Kansas City
will more than pay the freights here. Oul
trade so far has only been local one, as ou
surrounding country raised considerable
grain last season, more Than it has To-
many years. We think it has been mostly
used up, or will be in few weeks. We will
| then have a more active market"
| The gentleman excused himself from any
further discussion of the subject, an
shoudering his bank book left Us to inten
sify our acquaintance with the book-keeper