San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-04-26
NEW ORLEANS LETTER.
New ORLEANS, April "a, lSt

New ORLEANS, April "a, 1888.
Editor Light:
Messrs. Bronson and Weldon, of Vic
toria, and MIR. MoFadden, Of Cuero, sp.
pointed by the cattlemen of Southwest
Texas a committee to visit this city In
the interest Of the csttlemen and en-
deavor to procure q reduction of the
railroad charges upon car loads of cattle
and of the charges Of the live stock COM
mission merchants, were here during
several days of last week, and left on
Saturday evening for their homes. They
we're only partially successful in their
mission, as 1t is understood that the rail .
road refused to secede from its existing
rates. With the live stock commission
merchants they were partially success
full, since they secured a public weigher,
who is to be under a thousand dollar
bond and is to take an oath to perform
But as over half of the cattle are
sold at 50 much per head and are
never weighed, this concession really ia
of small value to the shippers. BY fool
ishly fixing the fee of the weigher at 5
cents per head, the committee adopted
the most certain means Of insuring that
| the weigher would be some incOmpe-
tent person. A small salary is penny
wise and pound foolish" policy. Then
the cattlemen's committee left the nine
live stock commission houses to select
the public weigher-which was great
oversight and serious blunder, mas
much as 1t Ia almost certain that they
will either select one of their creatures
for this responsible position, or else let
the butchers of the city name him. The
oh AL all - -
cents q head for weighing-required
except milch COWS and sprinRers
and have exacted the right Of nominal
ing the weigher, subject to the confir-
nation by the live stock commission
merchants. The reduction of the charges
on the part OF the commission merchants
is hardly worth a row of pins to the cat
tlemen. AS what they wanted, was
some regulation In reference to labor,
feeding and pasturing.
1t would pay the cattlemen to unite
together and pay q salary to an agent to
reside in this city and look after their
Interests in the handling and sale Of
their live stock, and to cOnsign them to
him to be given to the commission mer-
chants who were not overloaded with
beef cattle; but unfortunately for them
5cltce, llc CdIlIcIDSH are
where they should be liberal and are
not likely to cooperate heartily in any
scheme. Texas shippers have lost money
on the beef cattle shipped to this market,
and done so because they have
glutted the market. Why not arrange
to ship so many per week and let each
cattleman take his turn al shipping?
This would avoid Cutting the market.
1t would also pay them to purchase
large pasture near the stock pens, and
feed and pasture their own cattle under
the direction and superintendence of
their agent at this place. As 1t is now,
the commission merchant makes as
much or more, by feeding and pssturing
the beef cattle consigned to him, as he
does from his commissions for selling,
and consequently gains rather than loses
by not effeoting quick sales. The ship
pers want quick sales.
The boilers affected intense patriotism
prior > the election and the young
mems democratic association would not
suffer its members to be candi-
dates, but since the election tn. y
are showing wonderful greed for office.
The president of the association
has been elected by the council TO luc-
rative office and all the subordinate off,
ces are 10 be bestowed on the patriots.
The reform about which they gushed
and boa.ted was the bsldest clap trap.
One of the men whom they nominated
and elected married the keeper OF
bawdy house and two designation
houses and she still continues her disre-
putable business. Another Is bank
rupt merchant without any character.
1t was the repetition of the old fable of
the sick fox and the swarm of flies-the
flies that were gorged, were driven
away and hungry swarm were let in.
New Orleans embraces within its cor
pOrate limits the entire parish Of Or
leans and contains lS7 square miles and
1876 acres The greater portion of
New Orleans lie covered by cypress for
ests, marsh and sea swamp. Chef Men
teur and the Rigolets, although thirty
miles distant from any house, are part
and parcel of the city. The best hunt
ing and fishing resorts in the south are
within the city limits.
The Indebtedness of the city of New
Orleans is $l6,S62, 0S4-nesrly seventeen
millions. The city tax vote is $2.02 per
hundred of valuation. The taxable
properly was assessed in 1887 at
$l27 ,CJ0,000. One hundred and seventy
thousand dollars is applied TO the pub
lilo schools. 1t costs a million and half
OF dollars, annually, to run the city gov
eminent and much of this &c 30 to bum
mers and ward workers.
The river is still rising about On inch
day.
The magnolia trees are crowned with
white blossoms and the air is redolent
with their fragrance; roses, hony suckles
are In full bic ON and the scane is an-