The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-02-03
A RACE FOR COTTON.
An Incident Of the Old Shipping Days
in New York.
e. IF. steIeion in Farper,s Naoasine.

Geo. ". Sheldon in Hdrper's Magazine.
Edward knight Collins was great naval
architect as well as shipping merchant,
whose career was on the whole more note
worthy than that Of any man engaged any
where in similar pursuits. This public-spirited
citizen, son Of Capt. Israel G. Collins, the
owner and commander of a ship that
traded between the United States and Eng
land, was born on Aug. 5, 1902. His
mother, Mary Allen, q niece OF Admiral
Sir Edward Knight Of the British navy, dy-
ing ten days after the birth Of her only
child, the infant was reared by his aunt
Mrs. Elizabeth Small of Truro, Cape Cod.
whose kindness and affection Mr. Collins re-
WONDERED with gratitu 10 to the day of his
death. In his 18th year, after course OF
study at Sandwich, Cape Cod, and Eliza
bsthtown, New Jersey, he entered as a clerk.
at No. II South street, New York, the store
of McCrea 81 Slidell, the latter gentleman a
brother of the confederate minister, John
Slidell, who was captured on board the
Trent by naval officers Of the country
be had disowned. Five years after
ward Mr.. Collins was making
trips TO the West Indies as Super
cargo for John F. Delaplaine, sharing in
the profits Of the ventures Of his new en-
ployer, and experiencing several hair
DAS0ANN' NoSoPoo II Otl pli dSes dilu TWO uls-
astrous shipwrecks on the coasts of Cuba
and Florida, so that when, in 1925, he be-
came the partner of his father 10 the firm
OF Israel O. Collins & Son, on the north
corner OF South street and Burling Slip, he
was fully equipped for a notable CONNER
ciaI performance which may be called the
foundation of his subsequent prosperity The
ship Canada, regular Liverpool trader,
had arrived in New York, after a shor.
ma ara vTvffh Nkn A.
price Of cotton in England, and number
OF spectators forthwith combined to buy
all the cotton they could find Several
merchants, also seized with similar pur-
pose, determined 30 send an agent to
Charleston, s. c., at one o'clock on the day
OF the Canada's arrival proceeded to the
office OF |. G. Collins & Son, and asked tie
Junior member Of the firm to act in that
capacity. a few minutes reflection was
enough to enable him to accept the appoint
ment, and in reply TO their question, "How
soon can you startW he said, quietly: "As
soon as | can charter pilot-boa and ship
provisions ond crew-abOut three hours.
will be ready to sail at o'clock this after
noon"
"But the regular Charleston packet leaves
at that hour. and tie spectators will 20 out
by her and get there before you"
Gentlemen" was the reply, Il will 20 in
bho way uhFe uHnou, or not at all.
Enough said. At precisely O'Clock
from the pier at Burling Slip, the packet
hauled In her hawsers and the pilot-boat,
under command OF E. K. Collins, cast loose
her moorings, the vessels proceeding down
the East river together, much to the amuse-
ment Of the spectators on board the packet.
who mercileSsly chatfed the "boy," as they
called him, for his temerity in attempting
to beat them. But Collins, being an a.
complished navigator and sailing in a boat
OF go light draught that it could keep close
to shore and take full advantage Of tides,
currents and land breezes, was soon out of
sight Of the merry-andrews and reached
Charleston long enough in advance of them
to buy all the cotton in that city and on the
Cooper and Ashley rivers, to arrange his
exchanges, make out his Invoices, and set
sail for New Y FORK in his saucy little craft
She was crossing the bar homeward bound
with her whip at the main, when the packet
and the spectators hove in sight. and as
the two vessels passed eacn other within
speaking distance, an eye witness relates
that the would-be cotton buyers on board
the bigger one laughed this time the other
side of their mouths. That was certainly
a splendid start for young business man
of % years.