[Galveston Tribune Supplement for The Ennis Meteor] (Galveston, Tex.) Friday, October 29, 1897 Page: 4 of 8
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: Ellis County Area Newspaper Collection and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Rosenberg Library.
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TIDE OF FOREIGN
IMMIGRATION
Has Again Turned Toward the
Port of Galveston.
RECORDS FOR FIFTY YEARS.
More Foreign Immigrants Will Be
Landed Here in 1897 Than Dur-
ing Any Year in the Last 35.
The statistics of the bureau of immigra-
tion showing the entry of foreign immi-
grants at the port of Galveston tell a
peculiar story of the ebb and flow of the
•tide of foreign immigration through this
port and into the state of Texas. The
records go back to the year 1846 and are
complete from that date with the excep-
tion of the years 1861-65, when the port was
in the hands of the Confederate govern-
ment and no record was kept by the
United States government.
• In 1846, there were landed at Galveston
854 immigrants, direct from foreign coun-
tries. The following year furnished the
record which has never yet been equaled.
During that year 3873 immigrants were
landed here. Immigrants in those days
came in sailing vessels and hundreds of
them sought this port. Texas was a new
state and proved particularly attractive
to the foreigner, as shown by the follow-
ing table, indicating the number of im-
migrants who sought homes in the state
through the port of Galveston:
Year. No.
1'846____________ 354
1847____________3,873
1848____________ 622
1849____________ 439
1850____________1,306
1851____________1,20$
1852____________2,600
1853____________2,081
Total ____________
Year.
1854..
1855..
1856..
1857..
1858..
1859..
1860..
No.
.3,058
.2,048
.1,562
. 591
. 497
. 689
.1,265
.22,193
—
At this time large numbers of foreigners
were seeking Texas through other ports
and over land and only a small propor-
tion came through Galveston.
The opening of the civil war put a stop
to immigration and there was no more
of it, until 1866. From that year it grew
until 1878, when it fell away to nothing to
commence again in 1881, when it gradually
grew until 1888, when it died away entirely
until the present movement started a lit-
The following table
plain figures:
Y ear.
1878____
1879____
1880____
18811____
1882____
1883____
1884____
1'885.;...
1886____
1887____
1888____
tie over a year ago.
will tell the story in
Year.
1866_____
H867_____
1868_____
1869_____
1870_____
1871_____
1872_____
1873_____
0874......
1875_____
1876_____
1877_____
Total
No.
662
2,059
996
1,080
514
991
723
1,215
320
136
183
53
No.
2
IS
7
.... 1,278
.... 1,351
.... 1,535
.... 1,958
.... 964
.... 560
.... 4'62
79
port of Galveston. The influence of the
east and west trunk lines was so strong
that the great trans-Atlantic steamship
companies, which controlled the immi-
grant business, found it to their interest
to ignore the Texas port, landing their
immigrants at Baltimore and New York
and dividing with the rail lines the -haul
■westward. For some time Messrs. Fowler
& McVitie labored with the Hamburg-
American line people to try the experi-
ment of carrying immigrants on their
ships, which were then calling at Galves-
ton en route to New Orleans. Messrs.
Focke, Wilkens & Lange, the passenger
agents of the Hamburg company, also
took the matter up very vigorously. The
result was that the Hamburg-American
steamer Scptia arrived here Sept. 24, 1896,
with 50 immigrants on board. Since then
the North German Lloyd line has gone
into the business and the following immi-
grant ships have landed their passengers
here: Halle, 112; Hispania, 20; Polaria, 33;
Crefeld, 140; Halle, 159; Alemannia, 48;
Galicia, 1; Cheruskia, 40; Roland, 325; His-
pania, 76; Hercynia, 01; Crefeld, : 62, and
the Elizabeth Rickmers of the Nor4..''. Ger-
man Lloyd was the last arrival, bringing
375.
In addition to the immigrants landed by
the regular Hamburg-American and North
German Lloyd vessels, the West India and
Pacific line and several tramps have
broug-ht passengers, swelling the total to
1660 for the first year these two lines have
been in the business.
The Diedrichsen line sailing from Ant-
werp and Hamburg for Galveston, it is
understood, will also go into the immi-
grant business and the outlook now is
that the banner record of the port as an
entrepot for immigrants will be broken
this year.
The rates to Galveston are most favor-
able, enabling the immigrant to reach his
destination through Galveston at much
less expense than he could through an
Atlantic seaboard gateway. As these are
a class of people with whom even pennies
count, it is thought that Galveston stands
a fine chance to catch a big share of the
immigration which has again commenced
to seek homes in Texas.
The tables here given only refer to im-
migrants landed direct from foreign ports
and do not take into account those who
have passed through immigrant clearing
houses at eastern ports and reached Gal-
veston via coasting steamers.
Last year the inportance of Galveston
as an entrepot for foreign immigrants
was recognized by the bureau of immi-
gration who stationed an inspector here
permanently. Mr. W. T. Levy, who had
been appointed commissioner at Quebec
was assigned to this duty and arrived in
November, 1896.
---------♦---------
WEST TEXAS FRUITS.
.17,176
* * *
Erom 1881 to Sept. 24, 1'896, there was prac-
tically no direct immigration through the
Brownwood Banner.
The fruit farm of W. P. McKinney is
an attractive feature of the Blanket
country. The orchard is healthy and bears
a delicious variety of the finest fruits.
Mr. McKinney has. shipped to the Dallas
fair a choice variety of Missouri pippins
and Ben Davis apples with Keiffer pears.
G. C. Levessey has sent to the fair a
mammoth specimen of fruit.
I
GALVESTON AS A
JOBBING POINT.
Some Pertinent Points About Its
Growing Trade.
'4®
NEED OF MORE BIG HOUSES.
Those Here Doing a Fine Business,
and There Is a Fine Field
for Olliers.ram®
W
W
w
-'o^
Blooms a Week After the
Last Frost.
Ripens Ten Days Ahead of
the Earliest on Record.A
A
A
'4*’P. J. WILLIS & BRO.
The Oldest Wholesale Grocers
and Cotton Factors.
OFFER OF LANDS VERY CHEAP.
Prairie or Woodland, Improved or
Unimproved, at Reasona ble Prices
to llcmessekers.
MANUFACTURE
OF BAGGING.
Remarkable Success of a
Pros-
perous Galveston Institution.
TEN MILLSON YARDS A YEAR.
—The old established house of P. J. Willis
& Bro. grows old in age and experience
&s time wings its way across ocean and
fend, but it does not contain anything in
Sts make up that remotely means “moss-
backism” or antiquated ideas. In due
fjtourse of business it has, within the past
quarter of a century, acquired lands in
pearly 50 counties of our great state. Six
C^dnths ago it concluded that idle proper-
ties were too, much like lazy people, and
proceeded to hay© a thorough inspection
made of its holdings and the same placed
on the market, naming most conservative
and reasonable prices, with the determina-
tion that, the homeless should have a
chance to supply themselves with habita-
tions of the best character, and at prices
that will soon pass into history—as such
things (as relate to prices) will, in all
probability, never reoccur. Terms will be
made to conform to any reasonable re-
quirements. Those interested in this most
important matter should act promptly,
otherwise the cream of the landed hold-
ings of this house will go to the one who
knows a good thing and acts promptly in
its acquirement. Writs them what your
wants are, stating how many acres you
desire, the character of land—whether
prairie, woodland, improved or unim-
proved-^ahd whether your preferences are
for south Texas, east, central or the west-
ern portion of the state, and you may rest
assured that if your ideas are reasonable
your wants will be met in a manner that
will please you in every detail.
We must not neglect to mention the
steady progress this reliable old house is
making each year in point of increasing
its large grocery and cotton factorage
business. Their customers arc their best
advertisement. Bear in mind that all
herein mentioned refers to “The Oldest
Wholesale Grocers and Cotton Factors,”
P. J. Willis & Bro., located at Galveston,
Tex.
That Is the Output of the Local Mills,
and to Make It 20,QUO.OOO
Pounds of Jute Are Used.
The Galveston bagging and cordage
company commenced operations in 1888,
backed by plenty of capital and energy,
but lacking the practical knowledge nec-
essary to successfully manufacture any-
thing. All the operatives were at first
obtained from the eastern states and the
first year’s production was small. But
every year since the company has added
new machinery and new warehouses un-
til today its buildings ©over entirely one
and one-half city squares of ground. Its
production this year will exceed 10,000,000
yards of bagging which is enough to
cover over 1,500,000 bales of cotton.
Even in Galveston, very few realize the
magnitude of this enterprise. In addi-
tion to the bagging it manufactures, it
supplies cotton ties and the transporta-
tion of these two commodities require the
use of over 1500 railway cars. All
of this has to be shipped during four
months of the year which will give some
idea of the activity around the ware-
houses of the company during the height
of the shipping season. The bagging mill,
in fact is one of the busiest places in the
city from January 1 to December 31,
and there are no dull times around that
establishment.
To manufacture 10,000,000 yards of bag-
ging requires 20,000,000 pounds of jute,
over 1000 tons of coal is consumed and
1000 barrels of oil is required in the prep-
aration of the jute. The total movement
in and out of the mill exceeds in round
numbers 3000 cars per annum..
This is the kind of enterprises which
build cities and there is room here for
more of this sort.
NEW GALVESTON ROAD.
AN ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN.Brenham Banner.
It is not possible to correctly estimate
the possible profits or losses of an adver-
tising campaign. The only thing to do is
to trust to your goods, your mediums,
and your style of advertising. Do the
best and mcst conscientious work of which
you are capable, and then you may be
cure that your efforts have been bent in
the right direction. The results will de-
pend upon two things; whether you have
a meritorious article that is useful to
the people and whether you have con-
vinced them in your advertising that it
i. --*h the price you are asking them to
Alvin Sun.
On Saturday last C. K. Stimson, locat-
ing and division engineer, and W. G.
Thummel, levelman, Gilbert Roberts,
Walter E. Moore and Henry Seibel of the
engineer corps of the Galveston, Brazos
and Southwestern railroad, reached An-
gleton with their permanent survey. They
came in on Plum street to the Terminal
track, after which they returned to their
camp on Austin bayou. The cross-sec-
tioning will be immediately commenced,
and when completed to Angleton a con-
tract for grading will be let from Angle-
ton east to Austin. The contract for grad-
ing is now let from Galveston to Austin
bayou, and, with good weather, .the new
road will reach Angleton by Feb. 1. This
is indeed good news.
In spite of the present low prices of cot-
ton, the chief staple of the country in
which Galveston does its greatest jobbing
business, this city has a good trade to its
credit so far this season, and is rapidly
branching out into new territory. Under
the existing adjustment of freight tariffs
the trade of any Texas jobbing center is
necessarily more or less circumscribed.
But there is a tendency to make prices
so that the territory Galveston enjoys
now may be enhanced and enlarged and
the outlook may well be deemed both
bright and encouraging.
A well known manager of one of Galves-
ton’s largest jobbing houses, summed up
the situation the other day in this terse
style:
“As a wholesale point and jobbers’ mar-
ket, Galveston not only holds its own In
some branches of business, but each suc-
ceeding year does a little better. It is,
however, none the less a fact that we are
not making the progress generally that is
expected of us when our wealth, facilities,
experience and physical advantages are
taken into account. Our wholesale- gro-
cery business is a notable example of what
can be accomplished by having a proper
representation in a number of houses pos-
sessed of ample capital, large stocks and
all needed facilities for serving the users
of this class of goods to the best possible
advantage. In this particular line we
have a good representation of houses that
closely cultivate the territory that is
geographically, and by virtue of freight
rates, naturally tributary to us. Retail
dealers can always find complete stocks,
excellent facilities and prompt service
availiable to them in this particular
branch. As a consequence those person-
ally cognizant of our facilities are satis-
fied with the service and stay with us all
the time. Some of our largest houses in
this line have enjoyed a steady increase
in volume of business for several years
past and one house in particular states
that it has nearly doubled Its business
during the preceding two years.
“Our produce business is likewise assum-
ing better proportions and is now in the
hands of an excellent class of people that
seemingly have a thorough knowledge of
conditions necessary to command a per-
manent success.”
Enlarging the scope of his comment so
as to embrace all the jobbing lines, the
same eminent authority, whose opinion ,
may bo relied upon as a true epitome of
existing conditions, continued:
“Our wholesale dry goods people are
steadily enlarging and improving their
facilities and increasing' their business.
They are drawing from other points some
of the most discriminating and exacting
buyers. Everything being equal the Texas
retailer must prefier conferring their pa-
tronage upon Texas houses to going to
points out of the state, and for many
sensible reasons. Home stocks are kept
more in line with their special require-
ments and the buyer not thoroughly
posted will not be taken advantage of
and overloaded with stock that is hard to
move. Another weighty consideration
with the Texas retailer, in deciding him
to deal with his neighbors, is the fact that
both wholesalers and jobbers are more
considerate in the matter of making col-
lections and through their superior know-
ledge of the diversified conditions pre-
vailing throughout our broad expanse
of territory, can treat intelligently each
separate case in keeping with its individ-
ual merit. The outsider apparently never
knows more than to insist all the time and
under any and all circumstances that
every account and note due them must
be paid by 3 o’clock sharp on the day it
is due; • Otherwise the United States
court will have a new suit on its docket.
This is the general rule, with now and
then a notable exception.
“All I have said about the dry goods
trad® and conditions, applies with as
much force and. pertinency to our lie-
sale hardware, crockery, clothing, boots
and shoes, hat and jewelry establish-
ments.
“While it is a fact that we possess mani-
fold advantages, and a minimum, of
disadvantages, it is none the less
a further fact that we are not in posses-
sion of as many first class dry goods,
clothing, notion, millinery, saddlery and
other'wholesale establishments as we
should have to more successfully compete
with St. Louis, Chicago and other of the
larger distributing points. Why such con-
dition continues to obtain here is a hard
matter to understand, unless it be that
printer’s ink has been too sparingly used
in behalf of acquainting the investing
world with the true state of affairs as
they really are.
“Like the parent rebuking the child for
its sole good I call attention to these
facts in the hope that doing so will speed
the time for bringing about improved
conditions. They will come as an in-
evitable result of the facts being known
and the sooner the better. Let us all
work in unison for the speedy consumma-
tion of this much desired end.”
It is in the wholesale grocery line and
in handling staples that Galveston excels
most as a jobbing point. There are ap-
proximately 25 concerns here dealing in a
wholesale way in groceries exclusive of
brokers and manufacturers’ agents.
These concerns do business, according to
careful estimates running from $30,000 to
$1,000,009 a year and aggregating accord-
ing to the most accurate estimates obtain-
able $7,835,000 per calender year. This
represents Galveston’s wholesale grocery
trade alone.
-----— $------
HOME OF THE GRAPE.
San Antonio Light.
Texas is the natural home of the grape
and should manufacture wine for all
creation.T
?
For further information apply to the nearest tree peddler and have your leg pulled, ditto your pocketbook.
Won Mak© a Suneeess
WMh Trees ffr®mm ttlhe
o o o o
They have over 300 ACRES IN COMMERCIAL ORCHARDS, composed of all the best varieties,
for home use and the market. Their orchards are a profitable investment, and they can make yours
so if you will give them your co-operation. They do not depend wholly on their sales of fruit trees,
and can, therefore, afford to GIVE YOU THE BEST TREES, THE BEST VARIETIES AND THE
BEST PRICES. They have no agents with whom to divide profits, and this, together with their ex-
tended experience, both as nurserymen and orchardists, justifies their claim that they can give their
customers the GREATEST WORTH for their money, and thereby enhance the value of the invest-
ment from the start.
sIjK •
For further particulars, address
o
Fraferfclk W. MaiMy5 M«
General Manager, HULEN, TEXAS.
W<<<<W<<<W
H. OPNER.
One of the Great Cotton Houses
of the State.
COTTON, BANKING AND LANDS.
Calm, Conservative Business Meth-
ods by Which a Great Institution
Has Been Built Up.
In the cotton trade and among the
banking fraternity not only of Texas, but
of the United States, few names are more
widely or more favorably known than
that of H. Kempner.
Its rise has been contemporaneous prac-
tically with the growth of Galveston as
a port, and like the future of this city its
fame is beyond and above doubt or dis-
trust. . .
In the cotton trade the firm of H.
Kempner stands among the largest re-
ceivers of consignment cotton in the state.
Its position there is not temporarily held
for a seasofi nor one attained by any mere
sporadic growth, but it is the result of
confidence of natrons born of faithful at-
tention to their interests and a knowledge
of the spirit of enterprise and push which
is a part of the policy of the house. Their
methods have ever been above cavil or re-
proach and no cotton house in the state
today can point to as many old patrons
whose transactions cover so long a pe-
riod.
Their banking interests are large and
varied; they carry on their books some
of the best bank accounts in the state,
both national and private, and their
stock holdings in banks and loan compa-
nies throughout the state are consider-
able. Locally their interests are reflected
in some of the mcst substantial invest-
ments and properties of Galveston; while
in ventures whose inception was rather
in a spirit of public than a money return
they have always extended a helping
hand in contributing to the furthering of
the city’s interest, s •
Their real edtat® holdings are exten-
sive, scatteredinthroughout the state.
Their principaluinvfetments lie in Brazo-
ria, Fort Behdi '.eJackson, Limestone,
Coryell. McLennan, ' Montgomery, Hous-
ton and Runnelb ceranties. Every variety
of land, farming: •timber or grazing, is
included, and fbW individuals could offer
a better selection to prospective purchas-
ers.
Underlying the structure of all their
business and enterprise is the solid foun-
dation of caution, conservatism and a full
appreciation of its needs, and its growth
bids fair to continue under the same' influ-
ences. < l9’<
of
_________-----------
holding cotton.
laol----
San Antonio Express.
All over Texas banks are proposing to
advance money to farmers to enable them
to hold their cotton for higher prices.
Th© project may work well if the expens©
of holding does not figure up more than
the anticipated advance in prices.
NEW PECAN LAW. .
Navasota Tablet.
Pecan, gatherers should now be very
particular about whose land they trespass
upon. The new law is extremely rigid
and pecan tree owners in many places
say they will prosecute tresspassers to
th© full extent of the law.■4®
II.
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6alvestoiiDry6oodsCo.
B. Adoue, President. j
Geo. Seeligson, Vice-Pres’t. g
J. LOBIT, Treasurer.
J. R. GROSS, Secretary.
Robert Weis, General Manager. J
2314 to 2320 Strand, Galveston. Tex.
N. Y. OFFICE, 2 4 HOWARD ST.
The
(Incorporated.)
WHOLESALE
Dl?y DRESS GOODS,
NOTIONS and
GENT'S FURNISH'Q GOODS.
A■
! [O
KEMPNER,
COTTON FACTOR,
GALVESTON, TEXAS.
(^SOLICITS YOUR COTTON SHIPMENTS on the basis of Fair Treatment, Efficient
Service and Prompt Returns. Liberal advances made on cotton, whether to be sold
on arrival or to be held.
Our record in the past YOUR guarantee for the future, and our best references are
those who patronize us.THE
J. S. BROWN
HARDWARE CO.;STRAND, GALVESTON, TEXAS.
Solicits yotir business.s
&
WM. J. LEMP BREWING CO.
s LEM P’S
EXTRA PALE-.
Shipped in Keg or Bottled
AVENUE A AND 27th STREET, GALVESTON, TEXAS.
St. Louis, Mo.
WM. G. H. JAItSSEH, Manager,
GALVESTON BRANCH.OF THE GALVESTON TRIBUNE
I hC /BarKCt HCpOI IS are COMPLETE and CORRECT.
_______________SAMPLE COPIES SENT ON APPLICATION-------------------
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Ousley, Clarence. [Galveston Tribune Supplement for The Ennis Meteor] (Galveston, Tex.) Friday, October 29, 1897, newspaper, October 29, 1897; Galveston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1374590/m1/4/?q=%22United+States+-+Texas+-+Galveston+County+-+Galveston%22: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Rosenberg Library.