The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1892-09-29
AUSTIN COTTON MARKET.


appreciates the seriousness of the
situation involved in Austin's failing
cotton market and urges her mer.
chants to take action and check fur.
Their decline.
Three years ago was bold enough
to predict that the present condition
of things would surely come to pass,
and behold, am true prophet. But
as prophet is not without honor,
save in his own country, my predic.
tions were not regarded by those most
interested-the merchants of Austin
and it seems they did not reach OF
Ihave not been regarded by the mer-
chants of Dallas.
Writing on the cotton trade of Dali
las the Texas Farm and Ranch says:
"The business men of Dallas are strug-
Cling to regain the cotton trade which
the city lost by selfish policy OF
bleeding the former as long
as he would submit, They
kept the vein open little too long,
and the farmers hauled their cotton to
the small towns, where the business
men were so GLAD to see them and
their cotton that they did not charge
them anything for coming, but paid
the highest market price for their
cotton.
The farmers will submit to being
soaped all over, but object to having
it rubbed inn
The case of Austin and Dallas is
alike In that they both allowed the
cotton trade to leave them for other
small towns, but there the similarity
ends, for it cannot be charged that
the business men of Austin bled or
gouged the farmers either in price
paid for cotton or charged for goods;
as our merchants have not for many
years handled cotton, leaving it en-
tirely in the hands of professional
buyers, whose only interest is to make
the largest percentage per bale.
These gentlemen are not to be
blamed in this matter. 1t Is their
business to make profit out of cotton,
as much as it is that of merchants to
get profit out of dry goods, groceries
or buggies. They fight for their
own hand and are under
no legal or moral obligation to consid-
efNthe effect of their dealings OIL the
prosperity of others. If the little cot
ton marketed in Austin satisfies the
sellers and buyers, other people have
no right to complain. If any mer-
chant thinks an increased delivery of
cotton will help him, he must help
himself by doing something to en-
courage farmers to bring their cotton
to this town. Unlike the merchants
OF Austin, those of Dallas recognize
their position and are "struggling to
regain" what they have lost. There
is no lack of complaint about the lost
trade in Austin. Every merchant feels
it, but there is no action taken to re-
pair the mischief. The case is sug-
gestive of the leaky roof which gave
no trouble in dry weather and could
not be mended when it rained.
There will be more bales raised in
Travis county in this than in any past
year, and it does not need a ghost to
tell that Austin will handle less than
any year in the last decade.
1t rains too hard-the season is too
far gone-to repair the damage, this
season, but if the business men do not
combine and devise plans for recalling
their lost friends, the leaks will soon
be beyond repair and the whole roof
will be gone.
Something should be done at once,
while the pinch is being felt, or things
NIay be allowed to drift along till an
other season is here and the difficulty
greatly increased.
STOCK FEEDING.
At the recent Farmers institute,
held at Georgetown, many live SUBJ
jects came up for discussion, but none
of much more Importance than the
best way to convert feed into cash,
through the medium of live stock.
Mr.. ID. III. Snyder, the well known
breeder of Percheron and French
coach horses and Jersey cattle, who
has had lifelong expert
ence IN feeding stock of
every kind, read a most interesting
and instructive paper on this subject.
The II owing extract will bear peru
sal, ad it is hoped may lead to the
adoption of better methods than
usually prevail. He said:
might affirm without fear of con-
tradiction that our Texas farmers as
class are miserable feeders, and do
not 30 much mean the finishing
period as 1 do the early and inter-
mediate stages of the animals
growth. During much of this time,
especially through our hot summers,
the young animals are allowed to de-
cline in flesh, while running on short
grass, short and bad water, but
abundance of ticks. There seems to
be the opinion that if an ear of corn or
q pound of hay can be kept from an
animal, it is just 80 much saved, and
farmers are often heard boasting
about how cheaply they have
Kept their stock through the,
season, no matter how they came out
of it, or what outlay may have to be
made to acquire what is lost.
y 1t is an indisputable fact, proved
time and again by practical feeders
and demonstrated at our experiment
stations, that to obtain the best results
in feeding corn, as well as everything
else, is to deal generously with young
and growing animals, while the di
gestive system is most active and tn
,,,LoIo oYarnu Of tho 1raatura ia hen