The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1896-09-16
Why Cotton Leaves Sumter

The lare- amount Of cotton that Is going
from thi: conory 10 Camden instead OF oetng
brought TO this market !or sale is Sill 're
subject of considerable discussion among
cotton bu,srs, sellers, mer chan's and n'hers
interested III the prosperity OF ibis market
The attempt is now made to attribute the loss
of cotton bv this market to the opposition
amoup the .aruers 20 the pTblic weighing
ofco,;on, bot tins plea is too ,!l-founc-d 10
merit serious consideration. The stubborn
fact that cotton has been goicg 10 Gamde" IN
increasing quantities each year for tnrte or
four years pas, cannot tie concealed, a"d II Is
vain at,enp, 10 try to saddle al. rne blame
on the public weiaher The reason that co.
ton pots 10 Catnasn from Snm,er's territory
is more deep seated and powerful: than mere
opposition TO pablic weighing. The fact that
Camden merchants Go not buy from the
Wagons in con- petition with the regular cot
ton buyers. az in Sumter. that the Camden
huyers buy according 10 grade and pay The
man who has fine cotton the highest market
:.r;res and The Que having interior cotton eX-
act what it ia worth, that Camde" chtAns
! niue, !ewer freight rates Iy reasos OF com
,4.it.s liues and can therefore pay more for
al grades ct cot,ou than Sumter bayers; are
the iuhuences that attract cotton tc that
market.
Competing lines Snlnter has not, AID at
piesen, we are powsrlsss to obtain lower
ft.ipht rates on cotton, therefore this factor
, that is 80 much in Camden's favor cannot be
discounted. The other influences that
give Camden the advantage can be counter
acted. if Tie merchants will adop1 the same
methods pursued 6s the Camden merchants
The present 81 stem ia rjnring Sumter rs 4
cotton m.rket, and the irjury becomes great
er each year
TIE following letter received last week
gives certain facts hat are we'll worth con-
sideration.
ST. CHAM.us, s c, Sept, :, So
! MI. II " OStteu. LIuitO7 L.'it i'S", ~'"A'
ter, S. c.
Iam iast from Cauden. Made very parnc-
ular inquiries in regard to prices paid for
cotton, Sc On Friday, Sep. 9Th, Sc. was
! paid in Camden, for several bales by three
difTereot buyers, 7.,5@7.95 being the Tuliog
bids. got the same information trom sell
ers as well as buyers. On the same day !yon
euote Sumter market : 7-l6 More than 4c
lower than Camden's lower price. The rea-
| sobs are: lst. By combination OF rail-
i roads and ships, Cam zen cotton is Landed in
Liverpool for soc. per hundred pounds
There are connecting lines in and in reach of
Camden AID rs las, resort there is the Wa
teree River She s, therefore, not "Bo,-
tied Other reasons why Sumter cotton is
going TO Camden are, the cotton buyers hey
the cotton from the farmers direct and ere ex-
pert cotton graoars, aod Go grade cotton
very carefully. There are four special, lead
ing cotton buyers. Messrs. Shannon, of
Springs Heath, andIShannon, Blake Stead
man, H. G. King and Capt. Clyburn. each
have an Office, platform, scales and even
stalls. &C., for accommodation. And there
ID 20 combine or collusion between merchant
and cotton buyer
Now, plant no cotton.. myself and have no
direct interest in it's sale OF price, and would
be glad to see my own :towu ahIe to induce