The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-09-01
COTTON IN SELMA
RECEIPTS FOR THE COMMERCIAL
 YEAR WE'RE 06,634.
Heavy Decrease Is Due To Holding By Farmers--Business Men Satis- fied With Outlook For
 Trade.

cotton receipts for the business year which ended tonight show a decided shrinkage from the receipts of the two previous years.
 But the shrinkage in the receipts of the city Is on account of the small crop which was raised in this section dur ing the past year and also because a great many bales of the cotton which was raised last season is still held by some of the wealthy farmers of this section on their plantations.
 The cottonTreceipts for Selma during the year which closed tonight were 96,S34 bales. During the year 1s05-06 the receipts were 110.144 bales and for the year 1906-07. 110.195 bales.
 The cotton men of the city think that the receipts of the year are fav- orable when the short crop and other unfavorable conditions are taken into consideration. The receipts of the year were swelled materially during the past few days by the rapid move ment of the staple from the country received in Selma over 500 bales of new cotton.
 The cotton men of the city today be- gan figuring upon the probable re- ceipts of the city for the year which will begin tomorrow. They variously estimate that Selma's cotton receipts next year will not come under 125,O0o bales. These guesses are based upon the present condition of the crop in this section and also upon the terri tory of the city which has been stead fly increasing for the past few years.
 The territory from which cotton will be received in Selma during the com ing year will be much greater than 1t has during the past year. The re- ceipts will also be helped by a better schedule of the steamboats on the Alabama river. The cotton crop in Central Alabama this season is also larger and is in better condition than has been the crops for several years past.
 The business year which closed to- day has not been considered prosper ous one in Selfa. Following the panic of last October and during the year there has been a number of business disasters. among which were two of the largest in the history of the city and the combined liabilities of these two firms alone were nearly a half million dollars.
 But the business. interests of the city and the people went through the panic and the hard summer better than they expected and are now recovering from the financial depression of the past months. With the opening of the cot ton crop and its marketing, business is resuming its normal condition and all of the merchants anticipate good fall and winter trade.
 Notwithstanding the money depres- sion of the past winter and summer Selma has grown most materially dur ing the past year. Several industries have been located here and all during the year there has been a steady build ing boom. As a result of this building boom there has been erected a large three story building in the business section and another two story build- ing Is in course of erection as we'll as plants for two fertilizer concerns.
 A contract for a six story office building has been let and work will begin within the next few days.
 Numerous residences and cottages have also been built during the past year in all parts of the city.
 Not a small item in the advance ment of the city is the awarding of contracts for the paving of two of the principal streets All of the arrange ments for the paving of these streets have been made and the actual work will begin within the next few days. Another city improvement which will be most beneficial fs the putting in of big trunk sewer across the northern part of Selma.
 Possibly the only business of the city which Is not rapidly recovering from the financial depression of the past few months Is the Southern Railway. Dur ing the early summer the majority of the employees at the shops were sus- pended and since then just a few men have been working there. A great many freight trains as well as several passengers trains were also pullhd off the Mobile division.
 The men at the shops nor any of the freight trains have been nut hack to work yet and it is the Impression now that 1t will be several weeks be- fore the force at the shops will he increased or before any more freight or passenger trains will be put in com mission on the Mobile division of that system.
 The indications are that the coming year will prove most prosperous one for Selma. The business men confi- dently expect that during the next few months the work of building n railroad from the Birmingham dtstrict to Selma will be started This naw road 1t is believed will be built hv the Atlantic, Brunswick and Atlanta system which Is just about to ceIebrate it's coming into Birmingham. If is also expected that many industries viii also be secured for Selma during fha next year and that the city will grow rapidly.