The age-herald., 1900-03-13
FORTUNES IN COTTON
St. Louisians Have Cleaned Up S2,OO0,oO0
 in the Last Sixty Days

From the St. Louis Globe Democrat.
 Residents of St. Louis have made $2,oOO.oO in cotton in the past 60 days. Members of the St. Louis Cotton Exchange are today the happiest and best-natured men in the city. The sudden rise in the price of cot ton. with the resultant profits to those who "bulled the market, is the cause. One firm, close corporation, controlled by but two men, ds credited with having made an even $500, 600 alone, and individual factors and commission men have made sums vary ing from SIG, 900 to s20O,0
 These are speculative profbrs, but the St. Louisians to whom reference has been made above as taking out $2,00O,000 from cotton have made their profits in a aegiti- mate way and in consequence of the regu- lar rise in prices. Yesterday the price of cotton was 9.5s. Thirty days ago it was 7.SS A year ago Futures were at 5.10, so that the rise in May futures in New York city i'm year has been AS, or nearly doubling of the price.
 One man, who started as country mer- chant in a small Arkansas town with but S1 900 two years ago, was in St. Louis last week, and announced that he had cleared up s5OO00. One of the biggest firms in the list given is said to have cleared up s500,- 900 in the past 60 days. The concern had 95 900 or 900 bales of cotton on hand when the rise first began, and on this alone the firm has made a profit of s250,00O, while 1t has large stocks of cotton in the south. Many St. Louis cotton men had from TOGO to l2O00 bales on hand, and the profits were in proportion to the amount held, while some have not yet sold, and are wa1ing in the expectation that the price will go still higher.
 1t was asserted yesterday that there was not a dealer in St. Louis, with perhaps one or two exceptions, who had not made money, and big money in the past two months. Men with only 100 bales on hand or controlled by them, made big money. One firm has disposed of its stock In St. Louis at profit which could not have been made in the ordinary course of busl- ness in five years, and now has 10000 bales of cotton on hand stored in Arkansas. A Canadian named Long has been a be- Hever in octton as an investment for number of years, and always does his buy ing and selling through St. Louis firm. He has profhted by every fluctuA.ion in the price of cotton in the past twenty years, and during the past 60 days is cred tied with having cleaned up $75O0O. He did this time what he had frequently done before Two years ago he bought in 5000 l bales of cotton at the low figure prevail | ing at that time, stored it away in St. | Louis warehouse, paid the insurance and commission on it, and in this particular 1 instance, in the hurry and hustle of other great business enterprises, forgot the cot | ton. Last week he was notified by his St Louis agent, and this week he win pull a goodly fortune out of his warehouse stock. | Business men have a natural reticence in discussing their profits, nor do they
 think it good policy ito make such things l known to the general public. In conse- quence of this nothing like am accurate statement of the profits of individuals CT | firms can be secured for publication. It | is known, however, that there are at least baM dozen firms and individuals whose | profits have been between $50,000 and $500, l 0G0. In St. Louis there are between 150 900 and 100000 bales of cotton sold every year.
 Yesterday there were in the city S2,000 1 bales which, at the advance of only the
 last 30 days, has increased in price to the
 extent of s600 900, or about s7.50 per bale.