Birmingham state herald., 1897-01-09
.A DIRTY STORY EXPLODED Reports that New Orleans Cere-
 aIs We're Heated AND UNFIT FOR MARKET Sent Out by Interruptions New York and
 Chicago Grain Dealers IN ORDER TO lNIURE THAT CITY
 e 7T - T si3 The Entire Business Interests of the City Aroused at the Methods Adopted to Turn the Tide of Improve
 ment in Foreign Trade.
 
IN ORDER TO lNIURE THAT CITY

New Orleans, Jan. S.--There was great commotion on the board of trade and in grain circles when it became known that reports had been extensively circulated in New York and Chicago to the effect that all the corn shipped to this city has become heated and rendered unfit for export. These reports first came out through the publication of piece in a. Chicago paper of Jan. 5, which said that the corn had become "hot" in the cars and elevators and is worthless. When the fact is taken into consideration that there are no less. than 4,000 cars in this city on the side tracks, loaded with corn, the injury can be seen at glance.
 It is presumed that the New York peo- pie who are. antagonisticg to this port sought to have credence placed in the rumors. It is alleged that the gold and stock tickers, which are controlled by one company, sent out the reports persistent ly to all parts of the country, but thus far it has been impossible to verify tn1s statement. Grain dealers are of the opln- ion that the reports were circulated Tor no other purpose than to check the large flow of corn and other grain now coming into New Orleans.
 The rumors were at once contradicted by President McCloskey, of the board of trade, who sent denials of the reports all over the country. The various corn ship sentatives of the several elevators warm ed up in addition to the members of the board of trade and sent telegram after telegram to the grain country.
 A large number of exporters, grain dealers and members of the board of trade who would be we'll versed in the matter, were it a fact that there is any hot corn in port, were seen, and all de- clared that the publication in the Chica- go paper and the reports sent out by some
 It is said that the stock of grain in New Orleans is not less than 100000 bushels, and not one of these is heated.
 Any person that pays much attention to the trend of shipments from the great northwest to the south, will have noticed a continual system of belittlement that has been evoked on the part of Chicago and New York against gulf ports as dis tributing points for European grain ex- port and for much other merchandise that heretofore has flowed through Atlantic seaboard ports via Chicago. It used to he contended that New orleans and other southern ports had not the facilities to properly handle this great business and to a certain extent this was correct.
 Of late years the volume of business that came through New Orleans was handled in such an expeditions manner that no ground for complaint remained. The business continued to increase and the accommodation kept pace with the increase Chicago and New York got hot around the collar at first and an attack was made on the Crescent City through the railroad association, who sought to make handicap -differential rates in mat ters of shipments through New Orleans, but in this effort the plans miscarried, for the Central stood up for the city in splendid fashion, remaining the staunch ally of New Orleans. tS Uef
 Grain shipments continued to pour into the city. Not only did Illinois send dts produce, but the attention of Kansas was drawn, and 1t was not very long before the golden stream from 'bleeding Kan sas' came our. way. The situation grew serious beyond peradventure, and some thing drastic in the way of block was decided upon. The brilliant but un5 scrupulous energies of the chagrined grain manipulators of New York and Chiy cago was invoked and g shrewd scheme was set on foot.
 The plan is this European ports of receipt were flooded with cablegrams and letters warning them to beware Of Indian corn shipments this season that. came through gulf coast ports, as 1t was known that the cereal was in bad shape, being in a heated condition. Very naturally this information caused 8; great hulla- ballo in the old country, and grain ex- port houses in the south. and particular ly in this city, are yet inundated with let ters from European ports begging for the straight of the story that has trickled across the ocean via Chicago and New York-principally Chicago, so it would appear. Of course the grain men Of this city are highly indignant over the fab rication, and some of them, when inter viewed this morning, were highly exer- cised. The whole story Is exploded.
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