Evening star., 1901-01-05
VALUE OF TlRNPIKES.
improved Conditions in the south
Have Helped Cotton Planters.

| Improved Conditions in the south
Have Helped Cotton Planters.
| From the Memphis Scimitar.
| The building of turnpikes. which has
been active only of late years over the
| entire southern portion of the United
States. and which has brought about much
| improved roads for public conveyance in
| all sections, and notably in the territory
| contiguous to Memphis. has resulted in the
| planters and country merchants sending in
a much larger percentage of their cotton on
| their wagons instead of turning 1t over 10
/ the railroads for transportation.
There is nothing that is so beneficial 10
! the planters at the south as good roads
! for the easy marketing of their produce.
| and the farmers within Il radius of thirty
! to forty miles of Memphis have learned
! that these roads represent a great deal pr
saving To them on their cotton crop IN
| that they make ii possible for them -
nesd their cotton into the city without TOO
much strain on their teams and without
too much wear and tear on their wagons
| At the same time ii is reasonable propo-
I sition that since the roads have been inn
| proved as they have the planters and the
merchants in the small towns who wish
| TO market their cotton at this point can
| have much larger loads than they could
| before the turnpikes We're extended and
! multiplied as they have been within he
| last decade.
| In the early history of the cotton trade
| of this city almost the entire crop of this
| district was marketed on wagons the rail-
road facilities at that time amounting 10
almost nothing. The wagons offered the
| only solution of the question of getting
| their cotton to this city. and although
| there were no turnpikes. the cotton
| brought here and large loads of groceries
and provisions and other necessares Of
plantation life were carried back.
! With the growth of the extensive net
work of railroads entering Memphis quite
! change took place. These he
| luton of the problem of marketing cotton.
and the wagons were largely relegated To
the rear The prices of cotton were high
and the amount paid in freight for trans
portation intintesimally small compared
with the value received for the staple when
! sold The farmers, the planters, the mer-
| chants all jumped at the conclusion that
| the railroads Were best, that the wagon
| method was too slow and that it repre-
sented too much expenditure in the way
| of time and the wear and tear of the run
| ming gear of their wagons, and only Il
| small portion came this way
But the reduction in the price of cotton
within the last few years and the fact
! that transportation rates were not reduced
in proportion to the value of the staple
| made those owning cotton in this district
| within certain radius of the city cast
! around for new solution of the difficulty
| with which they were face to face Ard
the building of the turnpike proved the
solution for which they We're looking. These
| roads made it possible for larger loads to
/ De Iauieu, Tor less wear ana tear on he
! wagons, for less strain on the teams aud
| for quicker time. and the farmers felt that
| they had the railroads beaten.
! Turnpikes have been gradually increasing
| in the neighborhood of Memphis for the
last fifteen years. and with these the peo-
/ pie living along these roads have gradually
! increased the amount of cotton coming 10
! this city by wagons The turnpike lately
extended to Coiiervlle, Tenn, has caused
| the merchants and owners of cotton in
| that town and between here and there TO
| bring almost their entire holdings to this
| market on wagons while before that time
| the bulk of the crop found its way to mar
| ket the railroads passing those paints.
| The same is true of Holly Springs and
| the Hernando district. and other instances
! could also be given, but these Will suffice.
The turnpikes have made it possible for
! the holders of cotton to fight the railroads
| on their rates by acting entirely inde pend
| ent of them in bringing their cotton in on
their wagons. The latter is much the
slower way, but there is generally some
sacrifice necessary to bring about reforms
| of any kind. and the farmers and planters
along the turnpike roads do not mind max
ing the fight whenever they find ii neCcs-
sary.
The turnpikes and the railroads have
both come to stay, and since the latter are
being gradually extended and are coniin-
daily tapping new territory, the percentage
of cotton brought in over the turnpikes, as
compared with that transported by the
railroads, is steadily increasing. The higher
prices of cotton promised the farmers this
year may make them willing to pay the
freights but with the low prices. judging
from the experience of the last two years,
there will be a marked increase in the
amount of cotton finding its way to this
market on wagons.
Bathtubs Shrinking.
From the Chicago TrttmDs.
While bathtubs in their evolution are
strongly tending toward great perfection
tb,av
are most assuredly degenerating in size.
AS real estate becomes more valuable and
space more precious the bathtub is suffer
ing its full quota of curtaiment. This is
particularly evidenced in the new apart
ments'' that used to be flats and once
''tenements." The newer the apartma ant
the smaller the t-b.
In the older apartments you find The
abomination-a Zinc-lned tub with every
part and appurtenance carefully boxed in
50 that ventilation and cleanliness is mn i
impossible, and the tub itself long aid
wide and deep enough to drown bather
who loosens his hold.
Then, when the building is less ancient,
tLeIe Is copper-lined tub, little smaller
than it's predecessor, with some of the con-
Meeting pipes uncovered so you can see The
reads the reaches and croton bugs take to
their secure hiding places. After this
comes the yet smaller all metal tub, with
mere or less uncertain lining of paiat
something more pretentiOus set that
there air and daylight around it. but
with pipes running in wooden tunnels us ID
as runaways by small vermin
Next comes the inviting porcelain-lned
tub with all the plumbing open, yet small
than it's predecessor, and continually
growing smaller from month to month. un-
til bathing that started on the horizontal
has gone through varying lines of angu-
larity until 1t has approached forty-fve
degrees and promises to reach the perpen-
dicular.
Bathtubs in English houses are notable
for their ample size. In this respect they
are comfortable and luxurious.
The older the houses the bigger the bath
tub is the rule.