Year: 1859

The following communication comes from sec
ton of country which has, from time immemorial
been proyerbial for fair dealing and integrity,
and, in accordance with our usual custom, we
give it place in our columns. In the ancient
settled parishes of Natchtoches and Rapides,
we recognize many of our Oldest and worthiest
planters. Our correspondent is under the i'm.
preston that we have Unfortunately charged
planters with having knowingly plated cotton
We have stated facts; but in the recordof charges
and the many complaints of simulated packing
we do not recolect of any being made against
the old parishes alluded to. If correspond
ent, when he visits our city, (Which he will, nc
doubt, this spring) will call on u.s. we will show
him stone or rock weighing one hundred and
bale of cotton in Stockport, England, and returned
to this city. We will also show him gin waste
seed and trash returned from Northern factories,
found in bales with outside covering of good
cotton. At the same time, we can show him dusty
and sandy cotton in abundance. Our correspond
ent will please consider that, as a public jour
nalist, we cannot overlook the manifold complaints
Of our best customers in the cotton trade. We
make no war against the cotton interest; in fact
if there is any journal that has saved the cotton
planting interest millions of dollars, particularly il
the year 1857, it has been the Daily Crescent. We
give our correspondent full hearing, and, at the
same time, we solicit from all quarters and sec
tions of country explanations why the many com
plants of sand and dust should concentrate direc
on the last seasons production.


As regards the mail Irregularities, we have, We
think, used up about as much paper and ink in ou1
complaints as we can well afford. We have beer
complaining for five years.


Our correspondent alludes to the handling of cot
ton in the of shipment. We admit that it i;
at times rather roughly handled, but that is ques
ton to be settled and accounted for by the freghteI
or boat officer, as well as the consignee and the
warehouse cotton press proprietor. But many
of the complaints which have from time to time
been the basis of our remarks, have emanated from
the consumers themselvers. We however, hope
the communication below will in some measure
relieve consumers and dealers in the staple, ant
convince them that there is one section of country
where some explanation can be given of sand ant
dust:


CAMPTE La, Nov. I6, 1859.


Ed. Crescent Il have two complaints to make
of vour Weekly Crescent: the first is, | do not ge
it with any regularity. / yesterday received you
numbers of October Oath and November 7th, ant
Frequently receive two numbers at the same time
| do not blame you with this but think you SHOULD
stir up the mail contractors generally, and the Rec
river mail contractors in particular and give thu
cotton planters a little rest, if not justice. NJ
second is, against the war you are making witt
cotton planters in every number Of your valuable
paper. There are loud complaints against planter
generally about false packing, plating, mXn,
with sand, dust, etc. as if it was done Intentionally
have been planting cotton on Red river the las
sxteeny ears, and have never known planter o
overseer that was ever suspicioned of such ras
calty. You also appear to suppose dry picking
season more favorable for saving cotton clear o
sand and dust than wet one. On the contrary,
wet season is the most favorable, the dust is la
all the time, and does not raise up and fall TIL
cotton in every squall of wind, as in dry season
You should know this by your city streets in we
weather there is no dust, but in dry weather TIL
carriages drays ETC., raise it in clouds. 1t is tn
same in a field of cotton; there may be one plante
out of a hundred that is mean enough to adulterat
his cotton, but to blame the whole, / think ver
seers that pick bolls and ALL to save large crops
but all would be glad to get clear of the dust as
is very bad on the gin and press hands. The onl
way you can save cotton clear of sand and dust
to pick the top and leave the cotton bolls as ther
is at least one tenth of the bos on loaded stoc
which touch on the ground. And even then yo
would not get it entirely clear of it, as hauling
the cotton, riding through the fields, and the leas
squall of wind of a dry season, raises the dust i
clouds, which of course falls on the top bolls q
cotton, and no gin will take it out, as it is so lg
the brush blows it through with the lint.


pick my crop carefully; do not push for yer
large weights; the floor of my lint room is lei
open, so the dust can fall through the cracks, as
is in the second story. l have two windows in tn
back end of the lint room which serve as ventila
tors. Still cannot gin and press at the same time
for the dust, as the press-hands cannot stand il


The cotton crop in this parish (Natchitoches
will, l think, be about the same as last year
There will be more made on the bottoms, but no
as much on the hills, which will make the GRO
about the same as last season. The corn crop
very light.


We had killing frost and some ice on the morn
ing of the 30th of October. The weather for tn
last few days has been very cold and freezing
with very high winds, and it is so dry that til
pine woods are on fire badly in many places, and
have heard of four cotton gins, with large quaint
ties of cotton being burned in the last week.


In conclusion of my long and badly written lei
er, let me beg you to lay more of your blame t.
the handlers Of cotton, in putting it on and takin
it off of boats, ships etc. and while it is laying o
the levee and at the presses in your city and othe
places, before it reaches the consumer, and no
charge it all to the planters and overseers.
doing this you will only be doing justice to arg
number of planters, and also much oblige,


Yours, respectfully, A SUBSCRIBER.


The CAMPBELL MINsTRELs.-Last night Armor
Hall was the very temple of Momus. What
cataract of cachination demonstration of droery
burct its buttonc nH rot los,