The age-herald., 1899-11-05
BIRMINGHAM AS
 4 COTTON MARKET
Only in Last Few Years Atten- ton Given the Trade.
Now Ranks Fourth or Fifth Among the Inland Cotton Towns-Lack of Cot ton Warehouse Facilities-Pos-
 abilities of the Future.

Blrminghams growth as a cotton market has been rapid. It now ranks with the first four or five inland cotton towns of the country.
 It has only been in the last few years that any effort was made to divert the cot ton trade of the territory contingent to Bir- mingham from other markets which had long handled it, and as was to be expected. some time required to convince the growers and dealers that it would be to their interest to come to Birmingham. This accomplished, the balance was easy, and the cotton receipts began to increase at rapid rate.
 One of the principal troubles necessary to overcome was the lack of an extensive jobbing trade and as this increased the cotton receipts increased. Following close ly upon this came several cotton factories and the building of two congresses These conditions assured Birminghams future as cotton market, but such rapid growth was not even then expected by those fa- miliar with the business.
 Increase for Seven Years.
 The number of bales handled in Birmng- ham each season, beginning with 1S92-2 has been as follows:
 Bales lS92-3 .................. ................ 1O,0O0 lSsS-f...... .......... .......... 2O,00O iesi-o ............. ...... ............ 40,00J 1S9b-6. ........... zee. .......... .... 65 900 ls96-d. ........... ....... .............. S5,000 le9l-S'........... ...... coco. ...,.... ll5,0OO le93-9. ......... .......... I15,000 The shortage in the cotton crop of 1S9S-9 prevented any increase over the previous season. This year the cotton crop, it is estimated. will fall considerably below last Vpar'S for 0o increase in Birminghams receipts can be expected.
 Of the 1150OO bales handled in Birming- ham each of the last two seasons about 20.000 bales came in by wagon from the surrounding country, mostly from Jeffer son, Bount and Shelby counties. The bal anee came by rail from points within a radius of 100 miles.
 The building of two cotton factories and the establishment of several mattress fac tories and other cotton consuming indus tries in the city, enabled the local factors to pay better prices for at least a portion of the stable handled by them than they could have otherwise afforded. These va rious plants consume annually something over 1000 bales, or about one-third of the wagon receipts. The fact that the cotton sold to the local mills and other consumers did not have to be compressed, represented a further decrease in the cost of hand- ling and to that extent enhanced its value to the grower.
 The Possibilities.
 Notwithst landing its growth as a cotton center Birmingham has hardly touched the possibilities of this trade. A year or two ago the secretary of the Commercial club undertook to ascertain the size of the cotton crop in the territory adjacent to Birmingham, and which, in the natural order of trade should come here The re- suit of this investigation was, indeed, sur prising, in view of the amount of that sta pie annually shipped here. It showed that within radius of less than 125 miles, all sections of which territory was traversed by railroads leading directly to Birming ham. were grown each year more than 750.000 bales, or nearly seven times as much as came to Birmingham.
 This inquiry showed further that Bir mingham could control this crop under proper conditions. At that time markets to which the cotton had formerly gone were making strong fight for a retention of the trade prevailing conditions favored them to a great extent and placed Bir- mingham factors more or less at a disad- vantage. These conditions have, to some extent, been overcome within the last year or two.
 The great f1uctuation in prices the pre- sent season. and reports of "a largely de- creased production has caused large per cent of the crop to be stored in ware houses at various places to await better prices. Here Birmingham has lost splen- did opportunity by reason of not having sufficient accommodations for this class of the trade. It is estimated that at least % 5000 or 300Oo bales that have gone else where would have come to Birmingham to be stored had the necessary warehouse fla oilites been here. This means the loss of many thousands of dollars to the city and to a great extent lowers her prestige and importance as a cotton market. But, as in everything undertaken by Birmingham. these obstacles will soon be removeds and accommodations provided for all of the cotton in the Birmingham territory.
 No new line of development undertaken bv Birmingham has ever failed, and she will not fail in this, but will continue to grow in the cotton trade as she has in all other lines.
 THE BOER PARLIAMENT.