The National tribune., 1885-03-19
NER GRLEANS.

1t is discovered that there is greater
prepondcrance of women in New Orleans
than in any other city in the country.
There are there five white women to four
men and four negro women to every three
colored men, and much speculation is in
dulged III as to the reason. This should not
be difficult to understand. 1t is due to the
same reason that always produces prepon-
derance OF women; that is, better business
opportunities some place else. Men are
prone to leave places where they are not
doing well, to go where they can do better.
The women, on the other hand, cannot emil
CRATE with the saIae facility as men, and so
they preponderatc at centers Of business
stagnation while men preponderate at CEN
tiers of business activity. For half-century
New Orleans has been losing ground-rela-
tiycly-as a commercial center. In early
days size was the emporium Of tie great
Mississippi Valley. Everything produced
between the Allegany and the Rocky Noun
tains had to go to New Orleans to be sold.
But the merchants there got the idea that
all they need do was to stand at the mouth
of the Mississippi River and take tOll-and
heavy toll, too-of everything that was in
ported or exported. Consequently, when
Chicago, Cincinnati, st. Louis, Louisville,
Memphis, etc, began building railroads and
pushing out for trade, New Orleans looked
on with calm disdain, ard never built
mile of railroad, nor altered the business
methods which had been SO successful when
everything 1oatcd to the Crescent City by
sheer force Of gravity. When at last the
enteTpTising cities to the northward made
such serious inr0ads upon her trade that she
could not but feel it, she began to fight
them-not with competing railroads and
improved business methods but by
infaming the sectional feeling of the
South against them. When Cincinnatians
offered to handle bale of cotton for 81
when New Orleans merchants charged SO,
the latter tried to beat them by denouncing
them as "Abolitionists" and "Nigger-Lov-
ers.' New Orleans was eager for the war,
because she hoped it would result in line
Of custom houses along the Ohio which
would shut out her Troublesome competi-
tors. So her people have persisted in think
ing that they could recover and hold their
trade by tanning the fame of political
hatrcds. They have not built railroads nor
encouraged tie building of the same. Man
ulactoTies and other forms Of business
enterprise have been equally neglected, and
consequently the city drops further to the
rear every year.
The native business men seem incapable
of changing their methods OF ideas, and
there is no hope of anything better from
them. The business Of the city is rapidly
falling into the hands OF the Jews, many of
whom are men Of splendid abilities. and who
are attracted to the city by the grand oppor-
tunities which The natives do not know how
to use.
There is q brilliant business future for
New Orleans but it viii have to wait until
the present generation has passed away.
The time is coming when she will be the
grand eatTcp0t for the vast volume of trade
We shall build up with South American
countries This will make her the third in
importance of or seaboard cities, New York
and San Francisco being the first and
second.