The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-09-11
OLD KING COTTON.
HE is STILL A GREAT BENEFAC-
TOR OF TRADE.

of Employment For vast Horde
of Men-Those Who Are Affected
by 1t.
From the New York Tribune.
The harvesting Of a cotton crop sets
into motion the machinery Of compli-
Gated industry that involves the interests
of so many classes that it is difficult to
grasp off-hand its importance to the coun-
try. Many people are inclined to think
that the southern farmer is the only one
interested in the annual yield, but he is
after all, a small part of the great army
of men dependent upon the cotton crop
for a living. There are thousands of New
Workers who suffer or prosper according
to the fiuctuation of the great southern
product. BY Sept l the cotton grower
can begin to calculate upon his pros
pective profits. The picking season begins
earlier than this in the warmer states of
the south, but the danger from boll-worms
and inclement weather is not over for
most of the crop until later and the
grower must be little cautious in count
ing his chickens before they are Matched"
During the early days of the harvesting
season, however, a great army of buyers
spread themselves throughout the whole
cotton belt, and every little hamlet and
village is visited by one or more of the
trade. Every firm engaged in the cotton
business has its agents in the field solicit
ing business, and the growers are often
pestered by the. representations of the
buyers, anxious to secure their commits
sions. The agents are kept in constant
communication with the firm, who in
struct them by telegram as to the rates
TO offer for the cotton, and if they can
make bargains lower than the ruling rates
they receive 50 much more for their la
Dor. The majority of the cotton growers
send their products to one firm, whose
past dealings have justified them. in con-
tinuing to trust them; but 1t is the duty
OF every agent to induce as many farm
ers as possible to abandon old customers
and take up with the new.
Hence there is5elose competition among
the buyers and rich cotton districts will
be alive With agents or rival salary in
buying cotton, but the majority will bare
ly cover living expenses. In order to be
of value to cotton firm he must be up
in the trade and understand thoroughly
the various grades of cotton and it's value
when ready for shipment When the cot
ton comes forth ready for market the buy
er examines part of IL, and If he under
stands his work he. can tell instantly its
supposed to be that he can tell whether
the cotton has been Eaised on black
land or light soil. When a farmer finds
himself surrounded by four or five anx-
ious agents. all bidding for his few bales
of cotton, he realizes to the fun extent the
Importance of the farmer to the country,
and he takes not little quiet enjoyment
out OF the situation. But he realizes that
the agents are there not in his interest,
but ins the interests of their firms, and
he does not intend to let his farm product
go until the highest figures have been
named.
There are several thousand buyers in the
field all through the fall months, collect
ing and gathering the products of the
small farms and sending them to their
firms in some neighboring city. The pay
these buyers receive is generally rs cents
per bale, or, If on salary, from $65 to sever
al hundred dollars a month, according to
their ability and the firms standing Most
of the buyers on the field are employed
by comparatively small firms in the GEN.
ter of the cotton region, and they ship their
goods either to New York or TO Liverpool.
Firms in Galveston, Savannah. Charles
ton, New Orleans and other cities make
1t their business to supply New York firms
with their seasons purchases. while
others deal directly with Liverpool buy
ers. They represent the collectors of the
crop, gathering in the Isolated bales from
farms situated far apart, and then send
them to the great distributing points.
Their position is very responsible, for they
buy and sell the cotton solely of their own
free will, and not through orders from the
distributing points.
AS soon as the cotton picking is we'll un-
der way a fleet of tramp steamers head
for the Gulf and South Atlantic ports,
and, as these steamers carry a bulk of
the supply, the firms collecting the cotton
! from the farmers frequently avail them
selves of the opportunity to ship it di-
rect to Europe by the steamers. The
tramp steamers have been growing bigger
! every year, and many of them are. now
! large enough to carry 1900 bales of cot
ton at once. Their captains are not en-
gagged in cotton buying, but they take a
load Of cotton across the ocean cheaper
| than the regular liners. When the firms
in the South Atlantic ports have loaded
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