The leader. [volume], April 25, 1900, THE LEADER COMMERCIAL AND MANUFACTURING SUPPLEMENT, Page 8, Image 12

About The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905

Image provided by: Mississippi Department of Archives and History

                
_COTTOR FACTORS ARD COMMISSIOR MRU CHARTS,
HSRBT »fl, ' BKRTRARD RTKB. ET>Q AB H. 1RIOHT. ~
H. * B. BEER,
Cotton Meroliants,
RKW ORLBAMS. LAj
Mm bars Raw Oriaana Cot* am Ei-banja, Naw Tort Cattaa Ki-htlfs
Aaaoalata Mambara Urarpoal Coll on Enrhanja.
ORPERS EXECUTED IK RKW ORT.EAN9. NEW TORE ART) tTTERPOOU
C. P. EI.LIS, J, P. HERICAN,
llauibar X. O. and R. Y Cattaa Eiebanpaa. Maiabar It. O Cotton Uxcbanga.
Aaaoclata Member LAvarpoot Cotton Bmkarn’ Aaa'n.
C. P. ELLIS * CO.,
■occaaaorntn J. D. PFHJT A CO., Entabltsbad 1!»
Cotton Commission Merchantst
Cotton Exchange Building,
NEW ORLEANS. _
M. LEVY * SONS,
Cotton Factors
.-AND
Commission Merchants,
NEW ORLEANS, EA._
THOS DAY N. T. HARRIS. NORMAN EUSTIS.
HARRIS, DAY & CO.,
Cotton Factors
.-AND
General Commission Merchants,
No. 833 Cravier Street,
NEW ORLEANS, LA._
JNO. M. PARKER. JOS, A. AIREY.
JNO. M. PARKER * CO.,
COTTON FACTORS
817 and 819 Perdido St.,
NEW ORLEANS, LA._
C. M. MINGK A CO.. C. H. JtlNOE A < 0., INGK11SOLL BROS. & CO..
Now Or Learns. Lo, fihrerepert, L&. Loguiisport, Lft.
C. H. MINQE & CO.,
Cotton Commission Merchants,
NBW ORLEAXS, T/A. __
W. W. PIKCKARD. C. J. UEYKR.
PINCKARD . MEYER,
COTTON COMMISSION MERCHANTS,
Cotton Exchange Building,
NEW ORLEANS, LA.
L'rmbor* IInr OrlHDi Cotta. Ereb.nro. AssuoUt. Member. I.1»er»oal Otto.
EjrBRn*e
ORDERS EXECUTED: NHW ORLEANS, NEW TORE AND I.rVERPOOU
STEWART BROTHERS & C0„
Commission Merchants and Cotton Factors,
TJo. 836 UNION STREET,
NEW ORLEANS, LA.
stewart, a-vmnrm * co.. sns and eas front rr., Memphis, tens.
W. B. THOMPSON. P. U McCAT.
W. B. THOMPSON & CO.,
COTTON FACTORS
-AND
Commission Merchants,
No. 808 Perdido Street,
_NEW ORLEANS, LA._
H. DB L VTNCKNT. FRANK B. HA YXHL
VINCENT * HAYNE,
....Cotton Merchants....
NEW ORLEANS, LA.
TICKBEURQ. MISS., AND ADJACENT DISTRICTS.
CHAFFE, WEST & CO., Ltd.,
Cotton Factors
-AND
Commission Merchants,
No. 914 CRAVIER STREET,.
NBW ORLEANS, LA.
JOHN T. HARDIE’S SONS * CO„
COTTON FACTORS,
No. 843 Union Street,
NEW ORLEANS, LA.
S. P. WALHSLEY,
SUCCESSOR TO R. M. WALMSLHT * CO,
Cotton Factor and Commission Merchant,
No. 812 Perdido Street,
JSKW ORLEANS, LA.
CONSIGNMENTS SOLICITED.
~ FERDINAND QUHBEL & CO.,
Cotton Factors
--AND
Commission Merchants,
812 PERDIDO STREET,
NEW ORLEANS, LA.
conscientious reports on matters of com
■ mere la 1 Interest. We point with pride
to the fart that no unreliable or pur
chased Indorsement has ever appeared In
the pages of thia Journal during the eight
een vears It has been established. What
has t>een true lu the past will l>e equally
applicable to the future, as without favor
the worthy will be indorsed and the un
worthy ('Ondemned. The Mississippi
Mills Is a concern well known for Integ
rity and fair dealing, as well as for the
excellence of ihelr product. We advise
all interested to communicate with them.
They will give you honest values and will
treat you right.
We might also mention that the Missis
sippi Mills manufacture a complete Hue
of men’s wear woolens and Is the only
considerable mill In the south successfully
manufacturing such a line, and cassl
meres, cheviots and trouserings.
NATCHEZ COTTON MILES.
The third cotton mill In Mississippi now
in operation. In point of date *ff charter
and construction. Is the Natchex Cotton
Mill, which was chartered In 1877. and i
finished In 1878, and has been In con
tinroua operation twenty-two years. 'I he
main building Ij a three story brict build
lng. r*o by 328 feet, which contains 12.000
spindl»*s and 336 looms, and Is operated
by a 450 horse power engine and bol’cTs.
The capital Is $225,000. The product of
thv* mill Is gray goods, brown sheeting,
shirting and drills, which finds a ready
market, and recently was so d in a very
large shipment direct to China.
Ibis mill some years ago suffered a
> cry severe loss bv boiler exp.oslon,
which amounted to $11 ).«**>. Mr. H F.
Learned, president of one of tne irge
Natchez banks, is president t»f tne mill,
too. and W. H. M. Woods Is cuperln
tendenL
The fourth mill In Mississippi is the
Rosalie. of Natchez, which nas erected
al>*>ut 1870 or 1880.
It was at first 1 utended to manufacture
only yarns and an equipment of **<*>0 spln
d'es ''as pin In for that purpose, out
the Natchex domestic, turned out by the
older mill, soon gained such an enviable
reputation In the market that Rosalie In
creased ir» spindle equipment to suou. put
in 24o looms and began the manufacture
<*f similar goo*Is. It was at lirst a very
sin sTil « nterprlse. but along with a
few other souiuein mills it got tangled up
in ill*- panic of 18P3-H6. and has now beeu
Idle for sever it years. It will, however.
>i»on be humming again, as the plant was
i:i the fall of 18!»U purchased ut public
su’e by the owners of the Natchex Cotton
Mill, who will operate it iu connection
with that mill
111.* mum nmming tu me • **»
by 170 feet. three stories, with detached
engine and picker-rooms. The motive
{lower is derived from a 5<m horsepower
engine which is supplied v\ith steam by
three tubular boilers. The capital «>f
the Rosalie was $135,ooo, but misfortune
an 1 the purchase of too much cotton on
a falling market some years since and
old machinery caused it to cost its
original stockholders a considerable sum
over and above Its capital stock, and a
debt of nearly $86,000 in mortagages and
bonds was incurred, and af:*r standing
idle several years it was sold, under a
foreclosure. on I>ee. 2. 1SJK). to the
Natchez Mill Company f«»r $40. mm.
I ho Natchez Mill Company owned the
bonds and benight it for half of the debt.
This mill will not be known as Rosalie
any more, but become ini. No. 2. of the
Natchez Cotton Mill Company, which wi.l
expend $r>o.0n0 in installing new ma
chinery an-l in other Improvements, and
it will then contain 10,578 spindles nuu
300 looms. . _
These two plants are close to each
other, and will be under one manage
in* nt and Jointly have 22,450 splud.es aud
630 looms.
THE COLUMBUS COTTON MILLS.
The fifth cotton mill in Mississippi
now in operation is the Tomblgbee Cotton
Mills, of Columbus. The date of organi
zation is not known to this writer, but
It h.i* been running a long time and lias
S1 .o.imm capital and is making shirting,
sheeting, drilling'. Osnnburgs and rope,
and makes id aud 20 yarns.
No. 20 2-ply yarns are quoted at 19
to 20 cents# per pound; thus Y-cent cotton,
when made Into yarn, is worth nearly
$d for $1 of raw cotton, without being
woven into doth, which increases It slid
more.
This mill. In 1892. bad 5334 spindles
and 16s looms, but in 1899 It operated
8064 spindles and 252 looms, showing that
It is steadily growing in Importance to
its owners and to the community as u
wealth-producer.
The mill sells its product direct to its
customers, due officers of this company
are Colonel H. Johnson, president; J. R.
Bell, treasurer aud superintendent.
MERIDIAN COTTON MILLS.
Idie junior plant of Mississippi, Is the
Meridian Cotton Mills, which nis organ
ized October. 1*95, with $110,040 capital,
with Levi Rothenberg, president; T. B.
Bonner, vice president; C. IV. Robinson,
treasurer; W. A. Brown, secretary, aud
Li uls Cohn, general manager.
The president, Mr. Rothenberg was In
strumental in the organization of the
company, and the manager. Mr. Cohn,
planned and designed the plant and se
lecr»*d and purchased the material and
machinery. The mill buildings were a
three-story brick. 84 by 164 feet, and a
one-story finishing room, 50 by 60. and
engine-house and boiler-room. 50 by 70
feet, and warehouses, and were completed
the 1st of September, 1896, and the ma
chinery installed and put Into operation
Jan. 1, 1*97. making fifteen months’ time
from organization to operation of the
plant. It Is now three years old in actual
worn. There were subsequently added
to these original buildings a two story
brick building. 130 by 208, used as a
new weave room, and a two-story brick,
50 liv 75. used for dyeing, bleaching and
spooling departments.
At the end of the first year’s run Jan.
1, 1898, tlie capital was increased out
of flie earnings to $122,000, aud leaving
$4157 25 Surplus, which is a splendid
first year’s work on $110,000 capital.
The plant started with 6340 spindles and
204 looms. After two years' run to Jan
uarv, 1899. the plant stood in cost $148.
32)51 aud the capital stock was In
creased to $132,000 out of the earnings,
and 10 per cent dividends sent the stock
holders, making the year’s earnings for
the second year $14,154 85. which, on ac
count of tne depressed condition that
vear, is a gratifying second year’s work.
The mill this vear carried a debt of $41.
848 48, which was neurly half its capi
tal.
On July 1. 1809, the capital was In
creased by the stockholders paying a 10
per cent premium on the new stock,
which gave ti capitalization of $200,000.
With this additional capital, all debts
were wiped out and the plant practically
doubled and new building erected and
1410 spindles and 2(H) looms, two addi
tional boilers, doubling power capacity;
and dvehouse. electric light plant, weave
shed. *130 by 208 feet, with basement aud
a two-storv brick bleaching building
added, and thus the plant stands at the
end of throe vears, $225.ooo, with other
assets, amounting to $0o.300, represent
ing S per cent anuual dividend, a splendid
surplus and a tirst-elass plant.
These recent additions cost about $75.
00O. and are to make finer yarns and
uigher-priced fabrics, which will yield a
better profit.
The yarns of the old mill are 14 and
15 1-2, ‘while that of the new mill is to
lie 30 and 40 yarns. The 40 is good enough
to make lace curtains, a ml when the
Mississippi people can weave their own
lace curtains the mill will be on the road
to feel a great pride in their industries.
This mill ran 305 days in 1899. and used
1725 bales of cotton, weaving and finish
ing 2.507.591 yards of cloth, and making
40.000 pounds of yarn for the markets.
I have been exhibiting a sample of this
mill's product against a similar piece of
goods made in New Hampshire, and it Is
with pleasure that all the merchants ex
amining them say that the Meridian
cheviots are a little the heaviest and
best and cost 1-2-eent a yard less. This
is the real way to test our home work,
and the people of Mississippi need have
no fear to test our home mills by the
foreign or New England mills.
t’his mill is engaged In making colored
specialties, such as cheviots, outing
cloth, covert cloths, flannels, madras fine
shirtings, etc., each grade of which is
used by the people of Mississippi.
The official rostrum of the mill has
never undergone but one change, which
was when Vice President Bonner left
that locality, Mr. C5eo. M. Hodges was
elected to till the vacancy.
The mill company owns only fifteen
acres, and therefore has no tenement
houses, but this is because ground room
about the mill is considered too costly.
Mr. Cohn thinks it best to have tenement
houses for the operatives.
Mr. Levi Uothenberg. the organizer and
* president of this mill, is a member of the
wholesale dry goods house of Marks.
Itothenberg & Co., of Meridian, possibly
thft largest mercantile house in Missis
sippi. He is not a mill man in the sense
that he knows anything specially about
the work, or gives it any personal atten
tion, further tnan to Tieside at the meet
ings of the board of directors and the
stockholders. He was practically the main
power which secured the money to estab
lish the plant, but this is due to his
business sagacity in seeing the future of
manufacturing industries, and especially
cotton factories in Mississippi.
He, as a wholesale dealer, handling an
nually many thousands of dollars worth
of cotton goods, made In distant sections,
dtoeeraed that It hnoovetlsbed the district
in which be sold hi* goods, and left bia
traveling men that much less opportunity
to sell to prosperous pc-.pic. and that
If he. as a business man. were to throw
tala financial intfueu e at the head of aucb
a movement that splendid results would
be secured. M hlle the eastern mills were
In the past thirty-six months over loaded
and depressed bJs mill mode good* and
hie wholsaie house, through its Jruunn**r>.,
found purchasers for Its share of output.
'Hie mills, of course. find sale for tnelr
goods In all parts of the Foiled States—
also South America, < uba. l’orio Klco,
uiid even In the Hawaiian Island, and
thus Mr. Hotbenberg's business wisdom
and enterprise brings to that community
much new money.
Every wholesale desler In dry goods In
the south should place himself at the
head of one or more cotton mills and help
to see that the goods are properly and
economically distributed for the world s
use.
Mr. Louis Cohu. auperln tended nnd
general wrutager, received his education
In the public schools and the college at
< Cleveland. Ohio, and Iwgnu his rail!
career Just as he fluished ohege, when
17 years of age. He was conuev: *d "1th
the Tuscal<»»sa mill, of 'Tuscaloosa, Ala.,
for over sixteen years, and then he as
sisted. In 18P5, In organising the Meri
dian Cotton Mills, drawing all the plans
for the building and machinery and pur
chased the machinery and equipped the
mills.
The directors consider the main success
of the mill is due to Mr. Colin's fine
management and skill lu the opera lion of
the plant, with which none of them are
fucilmr, but leave every detail to him,
and he bring* them the results which
makes them Justly proud of him.
Mr. L. Cohn was born In Hungary. In
l>wi3, parents moving to Cleveland. Ohio,
wkeu he was 2 or 3 years old, he remain
ing in Cleveland until 17, and then going
with the proprietors of the fns.a,io>a
Manufacturing Mills, remaining there
over sixteen years, until he moved to
Meridian lu February. . He spent
much of his time during tb»* sixteen years
in studying the textile busiue>s. l*oth
practically and theoretically, with the
view of making It his profession.
This Is all the large mil’s in Missis
sippi spinning <»r weaving, though there
are several mills engaged In Knitting,
which obtain their yarn from a nearby
cotton spinning mill.
There Is such a plant at Meridian, but
I could not learn much of Its success uud
cannot report on It.
lucre is eucn a plant at iMirerpnsp,
which was established a few years sin-e
aud is doing well. It Is reported 10 have
$10,000 capital, aud is engaged in making
seamless hosiery aud half-nose and sus
penders. When it began twenty five
dozen per day was its product, but u<nv
it is turn dozen per day. It has twenty or
more knitting machines and sells direct.
I have found the hosiery of this mil! in
Louisiana and tiie merchants speak well
of it. I have a sample before me secured
from the mill, and it seem# to me that
there ran be no occasion for our pe«>p!e
to send out of the south for su *li g K
Mr. Win. Buckley, who operates it. had
but little experience in such work wh» n
he engage 1 iu this undertaking. He lias
an expert superintendent. There is \
cotton mill at Water Valley, worth ?sn.
inhi capital, making warp and yarn, twine
and o »rd, and has 3<Mr > spindles. 1 here
are three dead plants in the state, one
of which was built in Carrollton ninny
years since and was never operated. Tufie
is a dead mill at Port Gibson; the cause
of failure is unknown, but old machinery
or Indifferent management is understood
to be the cause.
The East Mississippi Mills, of Meridian,
was a email plant established many
years since by Colonel J S. Solomon,
but only had 2">00 spindles and fifty looms,
ami has been standing idle for some
years.
Thus we find five successful mills in
Mississippi—Wesson. St me wall, Nateoez,
Columbus and Water Valley, with one.
the Rosalie, which should not have failed
except f«»r some local reason. 'The Car
rollton mill was built years before th< re
was any railroad to that section, and I
think that to bo one of the causes of
failure, and then Insufficient capital to
equip it was another cause of its dis
tress.
Colonel Solomon’s plant was evidently
too small to pay a skilled superintendent
and make money for the stockholders.
The cause of the Port Gibson Mill fail
ure is not known to me. But these fail
ures are not essentially detrimental to
the onward movement, ns during those
years many merchants and banks have
gone by the wayside. Pioneer work may
have fruited into old or obsolete ma
chinery, and thus brought disaster where
otherwise good results might have been
attained.
The thing for Mississippi to do Is not
to look back, but rather cast a longifig
eye at the future that the children and
grandchildren of her present generation
can be the peers in wealth of the people
of New England.
The work must be studied, mastered
and mail aged with a singleness of pur
pose which will admit x>f no failures and
brook no difficulties.
Let us turn our eyes so as to see the
first dawn of the coming prosperity.
NEW MILL ORGANIZATIONS.
There are about twenty five new mills
organized or in course of organization iu
Mississippi, which, when successfully
ope rat chi, will revolutionize her financial
and business condition aud make money
plentiful in each locality which may have
such a plant.
The West Point Mill Is of $100,000
capital, and is organized on the <o opera
tlve plan, and let contract last fall to
burn 1,000.000 brick for the building. The
plans and specifications were secured
early In the summer, and seventy-two
acres near the town were purchased and
$68,000 worth of machinery contracted for
in the late summer months.
There are eleven directors, with J. A.
McArthur as president aud J. A. Craw
ford secretary.
The Kosciusko Mill, with $125,000 capi
tal. was organized during the fall of
1809, and secured a large piece of ground
on which to erect their plant and the
operatises’ tenement houses.
The contract to bum the brick for the
building was made some months since,
and the orders for plans, specifications
and machinery were made some time
since, and the enterprise la being pushed
as rapidly as Is possible.
The McComh City Mill, with Banker
J. ,7. White at its head, has $125,000
capital, and has purchased grounds for
the plant and secured plans aud specifica
tions and closed contract for u full
equipment of a spinning and weaving
plant. , _ . ,
The Laurel Mill was organized 'luring
189!) anil 'n the late months of that
war perfected the organization, with
George S. Gardner as president, \V. B.
Rogers, secretary and treasurer; H. F.
Cotton, of New Orleans, vice president.
The capital is $200,000. and the plint
will start with 10,000 spindles.
This is one of the tinest Investments
whleh has been made In the south, as
sixty acres of ground were given by the
lumber mill firm of Eastman, Gardner A
Co and free water and fuel for twenty
rears was likewise given by the same
firm, and thus from a little, insignificant
DOlnt of a few years since Laurel will
soon be one of the leading business cen
ters of Mississippi. The plans and speci
fications and contracts for machinery
have long since been made and every
thing Is to be pushed.
The main building will be 75 by 500
feet two stories high, and Is being lo
cated with a view to erecting additional
buildings at an early date. The building
to be erected at present will be of suffi
cient size to give room for 10.000 spin
dles and 500 looms, but, owiug to tbo
difficulty In securing experienced bands
to operate In sufficient number the com
pany has decided to put In only 300 looms
and 5000 spindles to begin, and will put
In the remainder of the machines when
the local hands have had sufficient ex
perience to become experienced opera
tives.
The capital subscribed, paid In and to
be invested In the enterprise, Is $250,000,
but it may be increased by an affirmative
vote of the stockholders, front time to
time, to an amount not to exceed $1,000,
000. The site for the mills Is a beautiful
one. on the bill west of the Eastman,
Gardiner & Co. mills, overlooking the
city.
By the next cotton picking season the
Laurel Cotton Mills will be In operation,
ready to spin and weave Into cloth of
various grades the cotton crops of Jones
and adtoining counties.
The Tupelo Mill, with *100,000 capital,
was organized late in lS|t9, and the
grounds secured and plans and specifica
tions and machinery contracted for some
time since.
The Canton mill was organized last
summer, with nearly $100,000 capital and
plans and specifications prepared and ac
cepted.
These six mills will unquestionably be
ready for next fall's cotton and will
Jointly represent about 45,000 spindles
and $750,000 capital actually put Into use
to make Mississippi grow in wealth. If
they make only No. 8 yarn, which is the
cheapest product, they will make each
bale worth to the community $70 Instead
of *35.
ORGANIZING MILL COMPANIES.
There are other place* which bare
practically aecnred their capital and are
Jnat about organlaed by taking charter*
and electing o®oers. These >»*CW *rC^
.. f{ I SS
OkulOM .
HiittlobnrR . £*5' ,
A-.pr.lppn .•
Van.rt) City . ISJMSvt
<*rrnada .. 100.000
T(>n,T .. .••••••••••••• OO.isiu
Water Vailoy . I?1****?
Morehead . 150,000
Holly Springs . 100,000
Total .fl.aOG.oS
There are embryoatlc movements with
a splendid chance of aac**eaa If energy Is
put into the effort at Enterprise. Colum
bus. Crystal Springs, Vicksburg, Gloster,
Jackson, Roonevide and Heidelberg,
making a grand total of twenty-live new
mills which have perfected and which
may perfect org.inlzatlon in the near fu
ture. and nil together representing n pos
sible capital of approximating $,1,000,000,
which is. indeed, a grand snowing, and
the Picayune, as the promoter of the
movement, is Indeed gratified at the
flattering reception of Its campaign.
There are numerous other places where
such a movement could be Inaugurated
to advantage, but that could be said of
every town in Mississippi.
With the textile school a certainty. It
Js only a short time when each pouud of
Mississippi cotton manufactured ou her
own •-oii will be worth $.‘i for $1 of to day.
With a heart full of love for the people
of M.-sissippi these feeble lines are dedi
cated to those among whom 1 was born,
reared and educated.
H H. HARGROVE.
COLONEL JAMES MADISON WESSON.
Auy historical presentation of the cot
ton manufacturing industry in Misda
sippi would be totally incomplete with
out as much of the life auu character
of Colonel Wesson as it is possible to
at t ure.
His death on the 24th of April, 181*0.
at the advanced age of M years ami
lb days, wjts a source of sincere regret
in the hearts of in auy Mis-Usippiau*.
IDs Masonic lodge at Wesson, which
was named after him, passed a series
of resolutions commemorative of his
memory and life.
After Jie lost control of the mi 11a,
in 1871, he moved to Jackson, where
he remained until 1877 and dually re
turned to Wesson in 1884, where he re
mained until he died, in 18tfl>.
lie was interred in Jackson. His life
and career were historically written out
i:i lo8d by his daughter and published
in the Jackson Clarion. They will be in
teresting reading now to the many peo
ple of Mississippi who knew him.
The article was as follows:
Colonel James Madison Wesson, the
founder of the town of Wesson, and the
first man to turn a spindie in the state
of Mississippi, was born in Rockingham
county. North Carolina, April 14, 1818.
IDs great-grandfather, Wesson, with two
brothers, emigrated from Wales to this
country when they were young men. One
of them settled in Rhode island, and
the large number of mercantile and other
business signs, bearing the name of
Wesson in that state, are evidences of
a large descent. Another brother came
south, but all traces of him have been
lost. The third brother (groat grand
father of Colonel Wesson) settled in
Virginia, from whence the descendants
have scattered all over the south and
west. Colonel Wesson's father. Isaac
Wesson, married in Rrunswick, Va.. and
moved to Rockingham, N. C. He was a
frugal and Industrious man. Colonel
Wesson’s mother was a Miss Seward.
Her grandfather with one or two broth
ers came over from England (about the
time the Wesson brothers came to Amer
ica) and settled in New York. Very
little is known about them, but it is
understood that W. H. Seward, of New
York, was a descendent of one of the
brot hers.
\\ heu J. M. Wesson was about 8 years
of age he attended an old field school
for a few months In each year f-»r sev
eral years, but still made a hand on
tin- farm. Ills father was a man of
rather meager education, though well
informed, subscribed for the iialeigh
llegister aud other papers of that time;
was an old line whig of the (’lay and
Webster school. I'nder his teachings his
s«»n niquired a very good Knowledge of
the primary branches of education.
This remarkable man commenced his
career before he had attained the age
of IP. At the time he left the paternal
to battle with the rugged realities
of life he had not a dollar in his pocket.
His worldly goods consisted of a horse
which his father had given him, and a
saddle and bridle which he himself had
purchased with the money he had real
ized from a small tobacco crop cultivated
at odd moments. Although he was a
minor and without money, still his fath
er's reputation for honor and honesty
enabled him to buy u quantity of to
bacco and have it manufactured on a
credit. Having shipped his tobacco to
Columbus, (»n.. be bought horses rnd a
wagon and started to Columbus to drum
for himself, and had his tobacco dis
tributed by cotton wagons. The first
yiar he realised about $1(HK), bur lost
It by the failure of a merchant to whom
he had sold his horses, wagon and rem
nant <»f tobacco. At Columbus he en
gaged In merchandising, thus realizing
the fond dreams of his boyhood. At the
end of two years there were $2200 on
the books to bis credit. He continued
to prosper from this time until the
civil war. He spent the greater portion
of his time out of business hours In
reading (medicine among other things)
and studying. These studies were car
ried on under the supervision of Drs.
Holt ami Persons. When he was 28
jiurs of age be married Mrs. Hardy, of
Summerville. Owing to the change from
country to city life, he became dyspep
tic, and in order to regain his health he
f< rmed a company (of which he was
president) In Columbus, In 1847, to mi
grate to Mississippi and build a cotton
and wool factory. Before locating he vis
lied this state, making extensive exam
inations of the advantages aud disad
vantages aud finally located In Choctaw
county at equal distances from the
navigable waters of the Tomblgbee and
Yazoo. He arrived in Choctaw county
ou the 17th of the month, aud settling
upon SieCurtin’s creek, called his home
Bankston, which very soon became a
place of note. He built a saw' mill (in
order to saw lumber for the factory
and operative house), in the meantime
sending competent men to the east to
buy machinery for the factory, which
had to be shipped by the Yazoo river
to Greenwood and be hauled from there,
a distance of sixty-five miles. Nine miles
of that being through the Yazoo swamp,
he had to build many bridges to hold
up his heavy machinery—his boiler
weighed 9600 pounds. In 1.848 he started
the first spindle and spun the first yarn
that was ever made in Mississippi oy
steam or water power. The same year.
In connection with the factory, he built
a flour mill, which was doubtless the
first in the state. The first year he
ground only four bushels of w'heat; the
second he ‘ground very little more, the
wheat having been killed by n very
heavy frost on the 16ih and lith of
May. but having Introduced new vari
eties, lu three years the success In
wheat growing in that section or tne
country was so great that at one time
he had 4000 bushels of wheat in the
mill and forty wagon loads In the yard,
thus proving the soil of Mississippi to
be adapted to extensive wheat growing
as well as cotton, lie also put in oper
ation a custom wool card and encour
aged the farmers to raise sheep; wrote
several articles ou the treatment of
sheep, and the best blood to raise In
that latitude. In a few years hr was
carding forty and fifty thousand pounds
of rolls a year for domestic spinning.
He also put in operation a machine shop
for making cotton machinery, built a
church established a Sunday school and
organized a Masonic lodge. He was mas
ter of the lodge for eight or nine years
and superintendent of the Sunday school
for about fifteen years.
I The manufacturing company was eml
nently sue -csstul and declared a dlvl
dend'of 3TV& per cent per annum for sev
eral t ears in succession, and held a large
reserve fund; stocks had Increased to
$"50,000, and the company was prospect
ing for a location for another lnlil when
the boon lug of cannon drove them back
to the old fort. On the night of Dec. 30,
1$G4, the mills were one mass of angry
flames, whose bright tongues leaped
higher and higher, overlapping each oth
er, thus affording grand fireworks for
the federal cavalry. The morning of
Die. 1 dawned bright and clear, and
where once stotd the milis of llanksion
all was ruin and desolation.
During the war Colonel Wesson had
a very laborious work on his bauds; for
the first years he had under his super
vision all of the hides and tan yards la
the state; had the hides tanned and made
into shoes for the soldiers: was an as
sistant of Major Miras, and held his carte
blanche, hut refused to accept compensa
tion. He never used,a cent of the gov
ernment money. He furnished his own
horses at d paid his own expenses,
bought everything he saw that he thought
the government would want and delivered
without profit.
The enthusiasm with which the men
sprang to arras at the beginning of the
war caused many to leave their families
COTTON FACTORS AND CONRISSIOS MKRCHANTS. '-^
S. W. RAWLINS & SON,-~
...COTTON FACTORS...
Commission Merchants,
No. 830 Union Street,
NEW ORLEANS, LA.
—rnwttNMH srsiR;—
COTTON FACTORS
COMMISSION MERCHANTS,
806 Perdido St., NEW ORLEANS.
A GTE NTS FOR WXNBHTF OINB AND MACHINKRT.
rTH. DIXEY^Tco;
Cotton Commission,
840 UNION STREET,
Consignments Solicited. New Orleans. La
w. A. PEALS. iTo. (TnnTmJ
W. A. PEALE * CO.,
SUCCESSOR* TO MAXWELL * PEALE.
Cotton Factors and Commission Merchants,
888 Union Street,
_NEW ORLEAN9, LA._
COTTON BI TEKS AND BXPORTRH8. —
WERNICKE & CO..
Cotton Buyers and Exporters,
226 CARONDELET STREET,
NEW ORLEANS, EA.
STRAUSS & CO.,
309 Carondelet Street, - - - New Orleans, La.
COTTON EXPORTERS.
AGENTS OF rRAT’8 STEAMSHIP LINE. FOR BARCELONA AND OTHU
8PANI8H P()KT8.
DREUIE & CO.,
...Commission Merchants...
-AND
COTTON EXPORTERS,
MEMBERS OF THE COTTON EXCHANGE,
816 Union Street,-New Orleans, La.
w. p. brown & coT
Cotton Merchants
-AND
EXPORTERS,
NBW ORLEANS, LA.
OSCAR CORNILLE,
COMMISSION MERCHANT
-AND
COTTON EXPORTER.
new oreeaxs, la.
1 Cotton an<? lon Wlercbants,
JXSZgSSg^
WJ25JS
1 Cotton, wee -»“'IcCoH8"ts'
\ Cotton
Co^^id. Street,__
l'*TiSySSJ
Cotton
\ ,isst°n r\eae6’ t"3’ j
sueet, New <>n* „r2>5ii-''-.
1 M^SS-^^^sTiiKElFL $C GO**
cssfP »r
Co^lt New Of*"*
1 884 crater Street, »