The age-herald., 1897-09-05
Season of No. of bales B'ham Cotton
1O.25O GOO estimated

10,2500 GOO estimated 4
 A glance at the above figures shows how steady has been the growth of our cotton trade. In 1S91-2 out of crop of 100000 bales, the three cotton firms in business brought but paltry 5000 bales to Birmingham. The next year, al- though the crop was short, the receipts reached 12,00O bales. Of the heavy crop of 1S94-5, we received 60,030 bales, and the following season the receipts remained at the same figure, although the crop was some 2,5OO,OO0 bales short.
 Figures given out by Secretary Hes ter of the New Orleans cotton exchange place the crop of the season of 1S96-97 at S,757,964 bales an increase of 22 per cent. over the previous year. but our cot ton receipts jumped to over S0,000 bales, a gain of 33 1-3 per cent. A very satis- factory showing. Neill's estimate of the coming seasons crop places it at from 9,750, 900 to 10,250,O0O bales, and our local buyers say that under the same favora ble conditions as prevailed last fall, Bir- mingham receipts will pass the 100000 mark.
 The older cotton towns have all reached their limit, after which the re- ceipts vary but slightly from year to year. Montgomery receives 125, 900 bales, and Selma 9O.COO. Mobile stands first in Alabama but being a seaport town its actual receipts are difficult to ascertain accurately, as a great many bales are shipped through for export and are cred ited in these receipts, although really be- longing to other places.
 A city that receives 100000 bales of cotton annually is not to be despised. even as a cotton town. But what does this represent? At the low price of 2 cents per pound. or $35 per bale, Bir- mingham buys $3,5OO,OOO worth of cot ton.
 Birmingham has built up a foreign trade in iron of some 200, 900 tons. valued at something under S150O,000. and much has been made of it by our local papers. and by periodicals all over the country. But small matter of some three to four millions of dollars worth of cotton shipped from here, has been passed over unnoticed.
 The new half minlon-dollar co. t m mil wherl completed, together with the Sma hheld mill, will tetween tn m 1nanu- fracture some 10000 bales of cotton an nually. thereby treblbng it's value. The .l l.
 factured product, $1,05O,0O0. IA large pro- portion of this increase in values will be paid out as wages to Birmingham wage earners. 10 be spen. by them in Birming- ham stores, and thereby largely bene- fitting our merchants.
 The wagon receipts in Birmingham amount to some 5000 or 10000 bales. and this is cotton which formerly went to the small surrounding towns, but owing :o the better prices prevailing has been attracted here.
 In 1893-94 all the colten on the Kansas City, Memphis and Birmingham railroad went to Memphis, but now th.s cotton comes to Birmingham. 7o ALaSs season co.ton came here from northern and western Alabama and tho borders of Mississippi and Tennessee.- From the first Birmingham territory has been increasing; but the present scar son, owing to ',he friendly al titude of ths railroad companies, in puttng Brmlngl ham on .ihc same footing ws.h Anliston and Tallad2ga, along tho B.iminghafar a nd Atlantic railroad, and outh iowa. drs Selma and Mon gomery, all of which is new territory, and should add considera0 ply to our trade. Birmingham tsrr.oyy5 on iihe Louisville and Nashville railroad extends from Decatur to ,Mon'tgomaryss on the Alabama Great Southern, from. Fort Payneto York, on the Southern,s from AnniSton and Talladega to Colum- bus, Miss; on the Central of Georgia, from here to Alexander City, and on the Kansas City, Memphis and Birmins ham, to Tupelo, Miss. Y
 Birmingham cotton is shipped through New Orleans, Mobile, Pensa cola. Bruns- wick, Savannah, Charleston and NoIfolx to England. France, Germany, Spain and Russia, and also to -he mills of the north and Canada. No mean advertise ment for Birmingham.
 In 1S87-S compress was in opsrat.on on the corner of is1orras avenue and street, Dat as most of Birmingham's cotton was al that lime compressed in Chattanooga, it did a