Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1915-07-27
COTTON ~BLocKApES
Historic Incidents Connected With the
"Prince of Commerce" and the Con.
federacy.

"Prinee of Commences" and the Con.
federaey.
When slaves dropped out Of the
ledgers Of Liverpool merchants cotton
came in. Perhaps somewhat ~leisurely
at first, for the town had petitioned
parliament that the abolition Of the
slave trade would ruin" it, and there
was naturally required a little time to
recover from the shock Of its W pre-
diction not coming true.
However, cotton has remained a
prince Of commerce ever since, but to-
day Is rather puzzling the experts as
to whether it is really contraband of
war or not. Cotton has a good deal
to answer for in Liverpool which Is
just awakening to the fact that its
great commodity Is the principal in
gredient Of explosive shells! Yet our
brokers keep smiling and will find the
government all they want and more
besides. Just now cotton enjoys the
luxury Of a German submarine block
ade at home but once upon a time it
used to have that Of the Federal gum
boats abroad.
Liverpool is pretty we'll built of cot
ton and cotton goes on extending it
yet.
At the time of the American Civil
war, we were nearly all pro-Confed-
crates and anti-Federals. We had let
the Alabama slip out Of the river, and,
privately, were very proud Of the fact.
The Alabama always stuck loyalty to
Liverpool. We had built her here, and
some Of those who knocked riverts into
her still remain. The gentleman who
made the leather buckets for the
powder she carried only died a few
months back, one Of his treasured
trophies being the original order, sign
ed personally by Mr.. Laird and the old
stevedore who helped to put munitions
on board Of her-at sea near the nor
west slipeyet survives. When the
Kearsage sank her the crew were saw
ed by the yacht D%eerhound Of the Royal
Mersey club, and her commander, Cap
tain Semmes, retired to an a%vocation on
shore at st. Helena, accompanied by
the boat In which he was rowed away.
Her sailing master became a Liver
pool cotton broker, retired with his
gains while quite young, and died at
Llandudno. But his partner Is still
alive-looking annually a little young
er that the year beforehand 1t Is he
who gave the writer a sketch Of those
days when cotton had its other block
ade.
AS before remarked. when the strife
began We were optimistically Confed-
crate. Magnates from the southern
states constantly arrived here and, as
some of them grew tobacco as well as
cotton, spittoons were placed in the
exchange newsrooms for their convent
ence. Who remembers this fact? Ire
mendous operations-never equaled
since-centered round the exchange.
One day a broker coolly posted up q
notice inside that he had settled f100,-
900 on his wife, having previously dis
charged all the debts he was aware
Of, but II anybody could prove that he
owed them eve a single copper he
would settle on the spot.
But they were not all as wise as he.
Another long since deceased, offered a
large sum of money for an estate and
mansion al Wavertree, then a charm
ing country dominion. His solicitor
advised him to copy the example al
ready quoted, and settle so much on
his wife. He was indignant. do you
think I cannot take car Of my own
money? I intend to double It," But
the crash came before the house was
ready for occupation, which it never
got.
Cotton was responsible for the most
successful charity bazaar ever held. 1t
was for the relief of Confederate suf-
ferers informed in Federal prisons. 1t
began at st. Georges hall, Liverpool,
on October IS, 1864, and was open for
2,640 minutes, during which time the
young ladies at the stalls squeezed "a
per minute from those attending, while
over f8 O minute was got from all
sources combined. This Is a worlds
record, as we'll as a Liverpool cotton
one.-London Journal Of Commerce.