New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-09-06
OLD KING COTTON.
HE Is STILL A GREAT BENEFACTOR OF
TRADE
A CROP WHICH OPENS NEW AVENUES OF EN-
PLOYMENr FOR A VAST HORDE OF MEN

only one Interested in the annual yield. put ne H.
after ALL small part OF the great army OF men
dependent upon the cotton crop Tor H'ihs
There are thousands of New Workers VINO surfer
prosper according the fuctuation OF the great
Southern product BY September the cotton
grower begin TO calculate upon his prospective
profits The picking season begins earlier than TINS
in the warmer States OF the South but the danger
from boil worms and incement weather IL not over
for of the crop until later. and the grower
must be little cautious in counting his chickens
before they are Matched" During the early days
OF the harvesting season however. great army OF
buyers spread themselves throughout the who'e
cotton belt and every little hamlet and village Is
visited by one or more OF the trade. Every nrm
engaged In the cotton business has its agents IN
the field soliciting business. and the growers are
often pestered by the representations OF the puy-
ers, anxious to secure their commissions Inc
agents are kept in constant communication with
the firm who instructs them by telegram as TO the
rates to offer for the cotton. and IL they can make
bargains lower than the ruling rates they receive
so much more for their labor. The majority OF the
cotton grow send their products TO one hrm'
whose past dealings have justified them In con-
tnuing to trust them; but 1t is the duty OF every
agent to induce many farmers as possible 10
abandon old customers and take up with the new
COMPETITION AMONG BUYERS.
Hence there is close competition among the
buyers. ana rlcn cotton ulStTlClS Will NC "'''N
agents or rival cotton firms A good agent will
make a fair salary I'm buying cotton. but the ma
iorty will barely cover living expenses In order
10 be OF value to a cotton firm he must De up III
the trade and understand thoroughly the various
grades OF cotton and value when ready Tor
shipment. When the cotton comes forth ready
for market the buyer examines part of II, ana
II lie understands his work he can tell instantly
IT'S value to him. So well yersed Is the agent sup
posed to he that he can tell whether the cotton
has been raised black land or light soil
Whom n farmer finds himself surrounded by four
or five anxious agents, all bidding Tor MS lie"
holes Of cotton he realizes 10 the full extent the
Importance Of the farmer to the country, ana he
takes not little quiet enjoyment out or the
situation But he realizes that the agents are
there not in his interest but In the interests OF
,heir firms and he does not intend 10 let his farm
product go until the highest hgures nave peeii
named II may be remarked incidentally that tne
average cotton grower Is not the ignorant anu
| horigh,ea fellow that some would have people be-
leve and while he may not know exactly the con-
dition of prices he has approximate knowledge
Of the value Of his cotton. and 1t would be hard 70
deceive him in driving a bargain.
There are several thousand buyers In the hed
all through the fall months. collecting ana gather-
Ing the products OF the small farms ana sehuhs
them TO their firms in some neighborng city Inc
nav these buyers receive Is generally % cents per
1 halo or II on salary from So TO several hundred
dollars a month according 10 their ability ana the
firms standing Most Of the buyers on the He'll
are employed by comparatively smaIi nrihs III ''ie
/ centre Of the cotton region ana they snip ''e'
goods either to NewYork or TO Liverpool FIRMS
! in Galveston Savannah. Charleston, New-orleans
and other cities make 1t their business to supply
! New York firms with their seasons purchases
/ vhil. others deal directly with Liverpool buyers
They represent the collectors OF the crop sa'he'-
ing in the isolated bales from farms situated taf
| apart and then send them TO the great dis'r'ou'-
/ ,us ponts Thei. rosiiicn IS very responsible Tor
! obey buy and sell the cotton solely OF thair ow"
| free wiz. nd net through orders from he u.s.
trbuting points
WORK OF TRAMP STEAMERS
A. soon as the cotton picking is well under way
a fee, Of tramp steamers head for the Gun ana
| co,,h Atlantic ports and as these steamers carry
/ , hulL of the. supply the firms collecting the COT
! ton from the farmers frequently avail themselves
OF the opportunity ship 1t direct to Europe os the
! steamers The tramp steamers nave peeh GROWING
! bigger every year. and many OF them are "o"
large enough 10 carry 12,vS bales oil cot'on at
one. Their captains are not engaged In cotton
buving but they take load Of cotton across the
| ~ h.oner than the regular liners. When
,ha firms in the South Atlantic ports nave Ioaded
Thorn down with the precious product OF the heius
,ho sail straight for Liverpool where most OF the
! consignmcnts are made. and then return again 'o'
| another load II is during this season 'hdt inc
! ,ramps and their crews have steady eihp'os ''e"'
| and fun cargocs. The fleet OF tramp steamers
o,,,yel in carving cotton TO Europe In the ran
~ ~ year is large and In the present depression
| ~ husiness rapidly increasing. lhey are MINUS
! Raw inroads into the business OF the regular
i mrrs s thcv cut prices and reduce the cost OF
Decentralization 10 the lowest possible hgure; Sa-
yannah ,,x arr n of these
,ramps al this season OF the year ana 'nrlr com
Ing and going give an appearance vi e' "
| ,ivitv IN ne harbOr.
In addition to the army of original puroha ,hers
are the captains and crews or the tramp straihei
leaders and carters along ,ns so",rsd 70 KEEN
rack of the stun. who are all benefited by me me
great crop. Before the cotton has reached 'n,s
stage OF It's journey three times as many men as
,he farmers who have raised 1t get wages. salaries
commission from the crop mem I'm All almost S entirely
stainnd bv the cotton crop for at least six months
OF the year Wharves warehouses ana STOCK , ef
a YEAR suddenly become scenes OF great activity
New-York city is. after all me groa e ct nwar3
his civ from all parts Of the South as steadiiy
as filings are attta,ren 10 ,sa,ncrs ENGAGED
IN ocean cotton carrying nearly all OF the annual
crop would come to New-York as IN former y raIs
s steamers and is then shipped immed-
atcy Liverpool New England or proc, b,t
merely acts as the great distributing centre toT ,ne
country and Enrope Tn co aod s as SO Soon as
the harvesting season opens a great army OF men
is at work on thcH " """u'' '''0 '
product of the South.
LOADING THE VESSELS.
In the Southern cities negroes load the vessels
win the bales OF cotton to the tune of old southern
melodies but in NewYork white longshoremen
take their places and 1t Is rarely that negro Is
! found among them The cotton lonsshoremeh
| hang around in groups at the diHerent street cor
ners and when "A vessel Is READY TOT uhioad'hs
- hr,l whistle calls them to their duty. Every
/ man Is a strong strapping fellow, for the bales
~ cotton weigh 500 pounds and more The long
| shorcmcn are salary. nor are they regularly
engaged by the day or season. but most Of them
and steady work from certain firms the year round.
They receive from % to . cents an hour. and they
generally make more In week In the cotton sea-
! son than most freight handlers.