The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-01-28
The Worlds Largest Planter.

Col. Edmund Richardson, a leading
cotton merchant in New Orleans, was
stricken with apoplexy at his home in
Jackson, Miss, on the night of the 18th
instant, and died before assistance could
reach him.
By the death of COL Richardson fell
the largest cotton planter in the world,
the richest man in the whole South, and
one who stood among his people con-
spicuous for masterlul achievements, his
splendid success in life. and the glory of
his record. He was as bold figure in
the history of Southern finance as
William H. Vanderbilt was in New
York. His cotton crops were a wonder
TO the world. He was the owner of
nineteen plantations in louisiana, Ar
kansas and Mississippi, covering over
fifty thousand acres, and his annual crop
was never less than nineteen thousand
bales.
He was a man of rare public spirit,
foremost in every enterprise for the veal
of his native land, and large hearted and
generous in every impulse, he made his
princely fortune great power for good.
To his efforts was the New Orleans ex.
position of last year greatly due for its
success. AS President Of the Associa-
tion he lent his energy to the enterprise,
and it was doubtless matter of rare
pride to this great Southern farmer that
he had lived to assist in such an exbibi-
tion of the South's products. Only d
few days before his death lie had sub
mitted to President Cleveland in his own
capacity as President Of the Worlds In
dustral and Cotton Centennial, full
report OF the New Orleans Exposition,
concluding his report with these words
SIN closing this report I desire to ex-
press the grateful thanks of the Southern
people to the President and the Congress
of the United States for the opportunity
so happily afforded, under the auspices
of the Government of the United States,
of demonstrating to the world their re.
markable progress, while at the same
time the States and Territories of the
Northwest were enabled to make for the
first time in their history, complete dis
play of their marvellous natural resour'
ces in friendly and harmonious competi-
ton with their predecessors in the Fed
eral compact. The lesson thus taught
will not 80 uuheeded, and its results is
already manifested in the quickening
pace Of industry ard the renewed i'm.
petus impaired to the development of the
newer States and Territories, while, at
the same time, new fields of commercial
enterprise have been opened to the nation
in the neighboring countries of Mexico
and Central America, with promise of
abundant results, and the North and
East have been presented with new out.
lets for their enormously increased man.
ufactured productions. The cause of
public education, which is now so ap-
propriately receiving the attention of
the Congress of the United States, a
cause in which the Southern States are
peculiarly interested, and which en-
braces a problem upon the solution of
which almost the entire fabric of the
future of this section depends, was great
ly assisted and stimulated by the displays
presented at the Exposition from every
country in the void, and the opportuni'
ty thus afforded for comparison and i'm
provement. In this respect alone the
Exposition is worthy of record as the
most conspicuous event of the century
in the cause of civilization and progress,
and its lesson should not be dsregarded
in the consideration of the question of
national aid to public education"
Col. Richardson was native of Rock
ingham County, N. G., and moved to
Mississippi 10 engage in planting when
young man.