Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-06

'Pe''"i correspondence or The Star and the Chicago
Record Herald.
GALVESTON, Tex. June 81 1891
Galveston is one of the oldest and has
always been the richest city in Texas I
have heard it frequently asserted that T.
was the third richest city in the United
States per capita of population. and the
gosslps used to assert that there was n
mllilonalre to every thousand inha bitdnts
EVldences of the wealth, luxury and re-
hheu taste of the people may be found
on every residence street. There are ten
banks, Two national one state and seven
private, and one of the latter has for wears
peen regarded as the strongest financial in
stltutlon IN Texas. In two or three hours
IN September 1900 the wealth of the city
was reduced by $20O00,0o0, but the people
are still rich and are regaining their losses
rapidly. The money of Galveston was
made in cotton jobbing, railway building
speculation in country real estate and rail-
way town sites, and of recent years several
OF the Galveston people have been success
full in oil and timber operations
Inc Gulf, Colorado & Sante Fe road
"iich was intended to connect Galveston
with the Paclhc coast and the Rocky noun
tain region, was built by Galveston capital
between 1873 and 1878; but they only got as
far as San Angelo. They built northward
10 Fort Worth, where they connected with
the Sante Fe system and in 1887 that COM
pany bought them out and took over the
entire property
. Inc citizens of Galveston have been pub
Hc-splrited and generous also. You can
see evidences of their benefactons in every
direction. Henry Rosenberg was the great
est philanthropist Galveston has ever
known He was Swiss emigrant who
came here in early days and, beginning in
small way, became the leading merchant
OF the city. He was banker also and was
interested in all public enterprises and
when he died, left fortune of between
TWO and three million dollars, which was all
devoted to public welfare. He built a
school house, a public library a stately
building for the Y. NJ. G. A. an old Wom-
ems home and Grace Episcopal Church. and
endowed several of these institutions very
Hoerally. lie erected a splendid monument
IN memory of the pioneers of the republic
OF Iexas, and placed sixteen drinking
fountains In different parts of the city
John Sealy and other citizens have also
contributed from their great wealth TO the
happiness and welfare of their fellow citi-
zens.
Several of the most important industries
that ADDED TO the prosperity of Galveston
before the flood have been abandoned chiefly
because of the lack of labor-a rope fac
tory, bagging factory and a cotton mill
ana Inc only new industry which has come
III since the disaster Is a rice mill.
Wages High, Labor Scarce.
Wages are high and labor Is scarce. The
shipping absorbs all of the laboring class
AT least 5000 men are employed on the
docks, and they are paid 80 and 40 cents an
hour, with double wages for night and Sum
day work. Many of them make 500 a
month. Ordinarily, unsklled labor can
make s7o and $50 per month without diff
Guilty Hundreds of men with nothing to
recommend them but their muscle are max
ing 30 and So day loading and unloading
vessels. The Southern Pacific Company
pays more than $l2, GOO week to it's roust-
abouts. The larger part of the labor is
white, and the two races are never mixed
The different shipping companies employ
either all white or all colored labor There
has never been any trouble, and the race
question seems to have passed Calves
ton by.
For nearly two years the commercial or
CARNATIONS have been trying to secure i'm
migrants from Italy and other parts of
Europe. The North German Lloyd Steam
ship Company sends steamers direct to
Galveston from European ports every three
weeks, and 200 or 300 immigrants arrive by
each steamer but few of them settle in
the city. They scatter over the state. The
immigration bureau at Washington, the
Italian government and the steamship COM
panies are ali interested in diverting the
tide of immigration from New York to
Galveston, New Orleans and other south
ern ports, but, so far, their efforts have not
been very effective. Mr.. Mayer des Plan
ches, the Italian ambassador, came down
here last spring to investigate the condition
of the Italians in Texas and found them
prosperous and contented. 1t Is underst God
that he has made favorable report to his
government and strong argument to show
the advantages of the south over the north
ern cities.
Galveston's Exports.
Galveston stands third in the list of ex-
porting cities, being surpassed only by New
York and New Orleans, while her coast
trade is also very large. Forty lines Of
steamers furnish regular transportation to
almost every important port in the world.
The United States government has spent
a large sum of money in deepening the
harbor, and there is now a channel with
twenty-seven feet of water at low tide, pro-
tected by six miles of rock jetties, which
cost a million and a quarter of dollars
bay, covered with sheds, which can ac-
comInodate seventy-five of the largest
steamers afioat, and fifty miles of terminal
tracks for the cars that bring and take
away the cargoes of the boats.
Galveston has exported more cotton than
any other port since 1898. when she shipped
2 300, 600 bales and ran ahead of New Or
leans, which shipped only 100000 during
that year. Last year 24O6.031 bales went
over these docks. and up to June Is of this
year 2,578S16 bales have been reported.
There are fifteen days more before the
close Of the fiscal year. Several OF the
docks are covered with cotton, which Is
now being loaded into steamers and 1t is
expected that the total will be brought up
to 100000 bales before the end OF this
season.
It is interesting to note the growth and
variation OF cotton shipments from the
southern ports. The following table gives
a comparison OF the number Of bales e:e-
ported from the cities named during the
last fiscal year and ten and twenty years
ago: .oo. =.