Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-05-18


serted his manhood and obtained position as
clerk in Dry goods store at Dany1ue, Va. Ihls
yesr- He Was born June Is, 1878 After serving
some years N this position and acquiring knowl-
edge OF mercantile business, young Richardson
emigTated 10 Mississippi, aud obtained employ
ment in some subordinate capacity IN Jackson,
then a small village. He could not long be kept
in this subordinate position, but soon gave sucn
proofs ofsbusineSs capacity as secured rapid pro
motion, until he became chief manager, or part
ner of a large general merchandise house in
jackson, which also had branches at Brandon and
elsewhere in Mississp pi Of his pos ton then and
his career since we have been Win lne
able felloW-ciuZen, and an old 1tiend and eonten-
porary of Col Richardson, which We give in his
own clear and forcible language.
MEN.
became acquainted with Edmund Richardson
in 1910, at jackson, Miss. He was then a young
mau in a store consisting of general merchandise.
In its management he gave unmistakable evidence
OF business ability. Those years were altogether
unprecedented for the vast amounts OF irredeem-
able paper circulating as shinPlssters the Brandon
Bank Offering the most conspicuous illustration of
the paper machinery then in operation. From
1884 to iS4S men carried with them the notes and
drafts OF their neighbors and friends with sigma
lures Affixed but amounts left blank to be filed
up at the discretion of the holders. There was
little discrimination as to the intrinsic value OF
paper if 1t had the familiar forms of obligation
to pay. Mr.. Richardson seemed 10 appreciate the
financial situation and to govern himself accord
Diligence, economy, forecast, and knowledge
of men and their affairs seem to have been fixed
| long remain employee, but very soon became a
| partner in the extensive house OF Eearn d Rich
ardson, and that of Richardson q Robertson, both
of which were large houses and very successfully
| managed. About this time Mr. Richardson mar
ried, and has been resident of Jackson until his
recent removal to New Orleans His acquisitions oil
plantations and establishments of other mercan-
| tile houses and manufactures. and his partictpa
ton in other great and spirited enterprises
| are as well known TO hundreds of others as to me
and can be better presented by them. For long
| time Mr. Richardson confined himself to mercan
| tramSaPtiOnG With
| planters he had familiarized himself with the
value and proper management of cotton
| in value upon his hands. With his wonderful &C
| which would have swamped others in his handl
became profitable. He could at a glance compre
| bend the situation, revenues needs and deficien
| eies OF every plantation he ever visited and sur
veyed. He made personal visits to ali the planta
tiOns for which he did business, or which were in
danger of being foreclosed or sold His commission
business, which finally transferred to New Or
leans in 1852 brought him in to familiar knowledg
of The condition OF all the plantations in this anc
| the adjoining States. He had partners here who
| attended to the office aud factorsge and commits
sion business. His first partner was Mr.. JohI
| Thornhil, and after the war he took the place o
| Mr.. John A. Stevenson in the firm OF May & Ste
| venson, which heneeforward became the presen
| great firm OF Richardson & May, the largest cot
| ton commission house in the world. When thu
war closed both these gentlemen, A. II. May anS
| I'd Richardson, had been seriously crippled
They had almost to begin the world anew Thei
| embarrassment left them scant capital to ente
| they possessed in their high names and Iepute TO
fidelity, punctuality, indomitable energy, expert
| ence and judgment, a basis of credit which imme
| distely attracted to them an enormous capital
| enabling them quickly to repair all the disaster
claimants, and To establish on a solid foundation
the largest cotton actorage business in the city
in the whole country. Mr. May, q thorough anC
| strict merchant has had charge of this business
aud is justly regarded in this section as the mode
| New Orleans commission merchant But for tn
marvellous activity and enterprise Of Mr. Richard
| the faptoraPp business nnOmph Count
| ing-Toom laboTs did not suffice to occupy his ex
traordinary energies and inexhsustible menta
tations and the culture and production of over l5
600 bales of cotton did not fill up the demands o
industry, enterprise and capital. Stores a
various Important points adjacent TO hi
were next called into requisition an'
| established on a complete and productiy
basis, and set in oIerti9n; Then the mannise
ton; a1d the little sleepy village OF Wesson, o.
the Jackson railroad, was suddenly awakened on
day by the announcement OF the presence OF Co
| Ed Richardson, accompanied by corps OF eng
neers and mechanics, and his purchase OF a smal
| cotton factory which had struggled along for som
| time with limited capital, but which had al
tested the practicsbility and prohlableness of col
ton cloth man ufscture with the purpose of en-
| ploying large amount of his capital in its en-
| largement. This enterprise proved a brilliant sue
| cess Large and solid brick Structures were ereci
ed, the most approved machinery set up and pu
| in operation, the population of the village wa
doubled, ana the amin sted rattle of thousands G
|
pine fore SITS which euvironed Wesson. Troops Q
well-dressed and happy women and childre
vending their way toward the vast mills, which
sagacity of Col Richardson, hay
little old groups Of shabby Isy' woode
shops bar-rooms and groceries which once conIti
| more splendid achievement of well-directed enter
prise and iudicious investment than the Wesso
Mills nave proved. Nearly 1000 laborers find EN-
| DlOymeQt at good rates in these mills mo of
very large class which would otherwise suffe
from extreme destitution. The goods manufaC
| tured at these mills are of such quality and Il
such request throughout the West that the order
for them are always largely ahead of the capacit
The next venture of Mr.. Richardson's far-seein
sasecity and large enterprise, was the purchase 0
rescue of that important line from ruin and di
version OF The trade which it was originally de
signed 70 foster By this purchase he not onl
ehected an object of great interest TO New Orlean
and the southwest but added largely to his vast e.
tate by the sale and transfer of this property To
leans and the whole population OF the Southwest
and especially for the creditors Of road who wer
thereby saved from fearful loss and the road place
| on a toctsng TO give assurance of its speedy-an
| brilliant success
There are many other incidents in the charac
| ter of this remarkable man which deserve men
| ton IL more elaborate sketch than this purport
to be. They all contribute TO illustrate what ma
| forecast fndemitabIe energy, punctuaiity and SO
briefly. With no advantage OF education, previou
|
ton or availing himself Of the misfortu1es ant
| decisions OF others, by legitimate trade, invest
ment and judiei0us care, Col. Richard, en- has &C
| cumulated the largest aud most productive estat
| and business OF any citizen of the South and West
1t WAS in view OF his high qualities and command
ing position in this sec1on that he was named a
| the commissioner of the cotton zone at the grea
Centennial Exposition held in Philadelphia ii
1876, and vice president OF the exposition held O.
| Atlanta two years ago.
| The demand of the people that he should pre-
| side over the approaching great Exposition is S,
universal aud urgent that, with all his reluclanc,
to occupy any conspicuous public position, he ha
| been induced TO accept this ana has already com
| menced TO infuse his vigorous aud earnest spiri
| into the preparatory measures to insure bIillian
| results therefrom-
| No doubt Col. Richardson is largely indebted fo
his wonderful successes to his extraordinary ply
| sical endoWments. giant in hight, strength anC
| weight he has always proved equal to labors
| which the combined powers of a hundred ordinar,
| men would be unable TO accomplish.
LEXINGTON, MISS.