The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-10-31
CEORGIA'S COTTON CROP.
Some South Carolina Ideas With Re-
gard to it Exploded.

the samoa GCOO CONTRADICTION or
the Statement That it is so Per Cent.
Short of An Ideal Georgia Crop.
Georgia Farmers Have Made Their
Crops, as Rule, to Better Advan-
tage Than in Any Year Since 1855.
The Effect Will Be Good One On
Trade and Industries Generally.
Some days ago a Charlestouian, w. E.
Mikell, who is said to have been purchas-
ing cotton at Thomson, Ga, returned to
his native city and gave out a statement
which, according to the News and Courier
gave "a rather gloomy report of things
commercial and otherwise in Georgia. " 1t
goes on to say that Mr. Mikell makes
these statements because he thinks
Charleston business men should know
how matters stand in this state, which
twill not prove encouraging to trade"
He goes on to state that the cotton crop.
the main staple of commerce, is at least
80 per cent. short of a good crop, and fully
20 per cent. short of last years crop, and
then endeavors to give an explanation Of
why cotton is moving so rap
IDLY into Georgia ports After dwell
ing upon this point to some extent. he
goes off into the subject of white cans
which he says are obstructing the crops
In certain sections of the state, and NAV
prevent obligations being met in Decem-
Der and January when they are due.
From all this he draws the moral that the
farmer has been completely demoralized,
and that bad politics are the result.
THE OTHER PICTURE IN THE CASE.
While such reports and talk cannot do
Georgia any good, they cannot, on the
other hand, even though they show a
wantOn disregard for facts. do much harm.
Still 1t is not we'll to allow such reports,
where they deviate so far from what is
the truth in the case, to 20 uncorrected
The interview referred to was shown
to well-knOwn cotton factor here yester-
day, and one who is such a close observer
OF the cotton situation that his informa-
ton is always accepted as correct without
question
why" he said, when he had read it.
such talk is absurd on the face of it,
Mr.. Mikeu, whoever he is, has evidently
not looked into the situation. Thomson
Is situated somewhere upon the Georgia
railroad, and the crops there are it is
true poorer than anywhere else in the
state, but even there, as is the case in
other sections of the state the crop is one
OF the most irregular | have ever seen.
On some farms in that section you will
nnd only half crop, as is the case on my
own farm in one of the ighboring coun-
ties, but right around it are farmers who
nave made more cotton than last year,
and who are in a better condition fnan-
claIIY, so far as that product is concerned,
than they have been in years before
II lind that the section parallel with
the savannah river has made the poorest
crops in the state, but they are confined
to narrow strip and are no criterion by
which the Georgia crop can be
judged. Southwest Georgia. in
the region of Columbus, Albany,
Americus ana other places in that sec
ton, has made far better crop this year
than last, and in fact the whole of the
South Georgia crop has turned out far
better than was expected, even in the
early part of September
THE DAMAGE IS LOCAL.
"Wherever there is any shortage of the
crop 1t has been only as a result of an at
tack from the elements. Along the sea-
board, where the cyclones and heavy
rains prevailed, the crop has been cut
somewhat short of what it was last year,
but the loss to these planters will be in
quantity and not in price
MY 1irst estimate of the crop in Geor-
gla made in the early part of The season
was that it would be about 10 per cent.
short of what it was last year, but since
sept. 10th, we have had such good
weather for harvesting, and every
thing else has besn so favor
able, that it is my candid opinion
based on reports which have received
from almost every section in the state
that the crop this year will not fall short
at all OF what il was last
year. In most every section of the
state the farmers have made this
crop as cheaply as any since 1865. They
have made it with less borrowed money,
and they viii have more to spend when
their crops are marketed than heretofore.
That means that all other industries will
be benefited in proportion AS a usual
thing, the planters are little dilatOry,
but this year they owe less money and
they are more prompt in their payments.
GOOD WEATHER THE CAUSE.
THE fact that we have had such good
harvest weather since Sept. 10, accounts
Tor the fact that the crop is moving in so
rapidly, and as a matter Of fact much of
II IS two weeks in advance of what it was
last year. There are many other reasons,
700, which have led me to the conclusion
mat this crop will be fully as large as
mat OF last year.
As far as the statement with regard
good crop is concerned, you might just as
Well say that a religious community was
5O per cent. short of the millennium, as we
Know just about as well what the millen-
mum is. We can unalyze the statement
made that the crop is 20 per cent. short
OF what it was last year. and show that
II is not true, bat to say that this years
Gro? IS 30 per cent. short OF an ideal
crop is nonsense.
AS TO the question of white caps it has
only been day or two since it was
brought prominently to the attention of
ie public. am certain that the people
Of Georgia will not tolerate anything of
me kind, and am satisfied that they will
p1l down any such demonstrations at
once. l am inclined to think that these
statements pro .eed from some wild talk
Oh the part Of some of Tom Watson's
crowd, and don't believe that the gentle
man quoted got any such talk as that
1'om any genuine business people,
COLOR LINE AMONG cYCLEPs.
II Protest. Against the Use of the
Track by Colored Wheelmen.
The color line has heen drawn among