The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1883-03-15


Times, But the Spring
Outlook Good.
fFrom Our Regular Correspondent
NEW YORK, March 2, 1883.
The shipping of cattle to Europe
from this country is a growing inter |
est in which Texas takes big inter-
est and plays conspicuous part. IN
supplying liberal share OF the DO
VINE freight for Atlantic passage.
During the last week the English
steamer, Katie, built expressly Tor
freight and passenger trade combined,
has been lying at her pier on North
river receiving her freight to be trans
ferred from the new to the old world.
: Few people are aware OF the extent
, of the cattle trade between this coun-
try and Europe, or of the fittings OF
a large steamer for the carrying of
live stock across the tempestuous At
lantic. The Katie is one of the lar
. Qest steamers in her line of trade, and
having just left this port with 400
head of cattle, nearly half of which
were broad-horned natives of Texas,
your correspondent has decided to
make her subject matter for a part of
this letter. The Katie is 1000 tons
gross register and has an extra long
poop deck and atop-gallant forecastle.
She is built of iron. with iron decks
and double bottom for water ballast,
has but two maSts and is very high
between decks. In addition to her
live freight capacity, she takes
1000 tons of general cargo,
10000 bushels of corn in bulk, and
200 passengers. In her capacious
space between decks, and clean fore
and aft, stalls for stock have been
built, and each stall will contain from
four TO six head of cattle. The iron
decks are covered with flooring, and
to this elects are nailed to prevent
the animals from slipping when the
sea is rough. The cattle all stand,
when slowed, athwartships, and gang
ways are left between the pens for
5 the passage of their tenders, there be-
ing one tender to thirty head of cat
tie. They are fed with hay and corn
in the husk. Each animal requires
about fifteen pounds of fodder and
eight gallons of water a day. The
steamer has a condensing apparatus
that will condense, if needed, 5000
gallons of water day. The Katie
cost S225,0OO. She is an American
model, and in rough weather her mo-
tions are easier than the prevailing
style of British model. The load
ing of steamer with cattle is
novel proceeding. Large barges,
built expressly for this purpose, are
used, and these are supplied with
broad gangways, the ends of which
can be lowered or raised like draw
De for the ingress or egress of the
mais. OVER the large hatchway Of
the steamer a pen is suspended FREQ
the cargo derrick, InGo WHICH the
"wild-eyed" bovines are driven, and,
when received, are lowered in a
twinkling down the hatchway, and
thence driven to their stalls. Just
now the shipping of cattle to Europe
is brisk, and the demand on this coun-
try is increasing every year. Refrig-
Grating steamers, loaded with thous-
ands of carcaSses, also pillow the At
lantic, hence it may safely be inferred
that there is profit in the eXporta-
ton of meat ON hoof or on ice. This
will not set Texas back any, for she
has the meat to sell.
THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC.
The liquor traffic in this city is on
the increase to an alarming extent,
: and the better classes of people, even
chose who lay no claim to temperance,
recognize the apparent necessity of
,srseciY limitation to the evil. All
Tover tne-city the prominent corner
houses are iSa rule secured for gin
shops, the liquor men being able to
pay higher rents than any one else.
The Church Temperance society is
now leading in an effort to bring
. about a reform in this matter, and the
Papsrs are condeming the great evil.
In one place in the city there are 176
lager beer saloons and seventy-six
rum shops in district of less than a
mile square, and in another place
there are ninety-nine rum shops and
forty-nine beer saloons. :. The men
behind the bars are al
most without exception foreigners.
Statistics show that of the total num-
Der of arrests in this city for crime in
1882, sixty-six per cent of the entire
humber were the result of liquor
drinking. This. of course. is great
burden to that class of citizens who
respect society and obey the laws.
Perhaps the next great issue to be
solved in this country will be the
liquor question, and. when the final
battle comes, the whisky party, being
in the wrong. must go down.
DULL TIMES.
For the past four months there has
been universal complaint about bust
ness in this city, and ut times the de-
/ preston in trade and decline in stocks
have been so great as to threaten a
panic. And even now as spring APP
proaches there is no Improvement
In business, except in the build
ing line. Real estate seems
to go up when stocks go down. Cap
italists must have employment for
their cash, and when they are afraid
TO dabble in stocks they incline to buy
real estate and to erect houses. New
York never experienced so great and
so general a building boom as it had
last year. and the indications now are
that that boom Is to continue during
the present year. All over the city
good three and four story buildings
ing torn down to make room
>Ees of immense proportions
= in height from six to
additions are to be made
venue hotel and the
and some three or
TO be added to the
eve. But notwith-
ents are increased
story, high stoop
land from $500 to
flats of seven rooms
month. OF course
hts commanding these
N the modern convent
impression prevails now
Ding in New York cannot be
and that the outlook for
srnnlg trade Is good, the depression in
business during the winter having
been caused mainly by the discussion
OF the tariff question and the uncer-
tainty rs to what congress would do
about it. A prominent Wall street
: man was interviewed ON Saturday
last regarding the situation, and he
gave his opinion as follows: