The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-01-12
CLIMBING TOWARD A MILLION.
COTTON RECEIPTS PAST THE $780,
600 BALE MARK.

The Largest Receipts at This Date
Ever Known-Tho Movement to
the Ports Keeping Up neyond All
ENpectations-CottO Exchange
superintendent Report for the
Mayor ON the Seasons stadstics.
The total receipts Of cotton at Savan-
nah since the beginning of the season.
Sept. l, 1897. passed the 100000 bale mark
yesterday, and if the receipts keep up, as
is expected, the million mark will be
reached in "A few weeks.
According to the statistics of past years,
as compared with the movement Of the
present crop it may be expected that the
receipts at this port for the season Of
1S97-sS win be a record-breaker,
While the total receipts at Savannah
have been repeatedly near a million bales.
there has been but two seasons in which
they passed that amount. These were the
seasons of 1S90-9l and 1892. II will be
remembered what a jonihcaton meeting
the members of the Cotton Exchange had
on March 10, 1891, the day savannah's re-
ceipts reached 100000 bales. A lunch was
served in the exchange rooms, and
speeches were made by Col II. h. Les
ter, Col. w. w. Gordon, Gen. Alexander,
Mr.. J. +. Minis and others,
AT the end of the season of 1S90-9l the
statistics showed the total receipts to be
1888, sos bales. 1t was the largest receipts
of any season, before or since. In that sea-
son. the 100000 bale mark was reached on
Feb. 6, 1891. on Jan. H. the receipts had
reached only $50 bales, while on the
same date this year, the receipts We're
over 100000.
The season of 1912 showed an amount
closely approxmating the receipts of 1890
o. They were 1,027,Sl6 bales on Jan. IL,
1892 the total receipts amounted to 79S l02
bales. The 10000 bale mark was passed
March s. 1892, and on June A. the million
mark was reached.
The movement of cotton to the ports Is
keeping up in a volume beyond the eXpec-
tations Of the bulls and bears, and Sayan-
nah is getting her share of the receipts. 1t
is reasonable to expect that the port viii
celebrate the receipt of 100000 bales ear
lier this season than ever before.
A report prepared by Superintendent J.
p. Merrihew of the Cotton Exchange for
publication in the Mayors annual report
gives some interesting statistics of the
movement of cotton. The total port re-
ceipts of the present crop to Jan. l. the
report states, show an increase of Gal $40
bales, or 1918 per cent. over the receipts,
10 the same date a year previously, OF
this increase, Savannah secured Al021
bales, or a gain of 1881 per cent. Sayan-
nah's receipts were 16 per cent. of the en-
tire port receipts to Jan l.
The receipts at Savannah for the year
ending Aug. 81 1897 Superintendent Merri-
hew states to have been S46.59l bales gross,
or S453jS net. a gain of 62,537 over the pre-
vious year. 1t is pointed out that 1900
bales of cotton properly belonging to this
port, We're shipped through Savannah on
through bills of lading No account was
taken of this cotton here, it being credi-
ted to other ports.
The presidents report upon this mat
ter and the action of the cotton exchange
and also the resolutions adopted by the
exchange calling upon the state railroad
commission for reduction of one-third in
freight rates on cotton are quoted,
The total crop of sea island cotton for
the year ending Aug. 81, 1897, is stated at
1856 bags the largest ever grown. Sa-
vannah's receipts were S4056 bags net, or
S1.20 per cent. of the entire crop. Geor-
gia raised G4.906 bags of this crop, ~The
rest was grown by South Carolina and
Florida.
Savannah still holds her own as the
third largest cotton port In the country
and the first Atlantic port" states Supt.
Merrihew in concluding his report.