C. P. William

“ Long time took he to dress, and a miserable man did he look when he presented himself at the breakfast table. Though breakfast was a mere form with him, he lingered so long in his chair, that Mrs. Hall, the housekeeper, seriously alarmed at this state of things, quietly went and begged Reuben (an early man) to come upstairs and persuade Isaac to forego attendance at his duties for the day.
“Why, Isaac, what’s the matter with thee to-day?” began Reuben, cheerily, but stopped short, shocked at the change in the other’s appearance. “Thou art surely very ill,” said he, more quietly. ”

“ And off marched Reuben to Isaac’s bedroom, returning with the maltreated books.
“Truly,” he remarked, “this man—or fiend as thou wilt have it—hath a marvellous knack of imitating thy hand.”
“No man could do it,” quoth Isaac.
“I will prove to thee that some man hath done it,” retorted Reuben. ”

“ It is clear that the check must ultimately come from the consumer, for as long as a market exists for such cotton, so long will people be found to supply it. Whatever may be the result of the means adopted with a view to the suppression of this gigantic swindle, it cannot be denied that its perpetration is a strong argument against our remaining, longer than can be avoided, dependent upon one country for the largest supply of so important an article as cotton. ”

“ On coming to himself, however, he repelled all inquiry and advice.
“Nothing was the matter with him, he had slipped in getting on to his stool,” he said, “and fallen.” He closed the open cash-book sharply, and with a suspicious glance at those around him, and bidding them all rather ungraciously get to their work and leave him, he sat down to try and think calmly over the matter, it was in vain, and by the time Reuben Barlow returned, Isaac had pretty nearly worked himself into a fever. ”

“ Ah, I feared that man greatly;—too flighty, too unsteady. Not six months ago he was in this very place receiving a payment, and when he came to write a receipt he pushed that ledger out of the way as if it had been a stone, and well nigh upset the inkstand over it. ”

“ The American nation not being particularly ready to cede to Great Britain, or to any other Power, that to which it conceives it has any claim, it will probably surprise many people to be told that a large portion of American soil has lately passed into British possession; and not only so, but that it is absolutely in England at the present moment, though it must be confessed that England has paid pretty dearly for its acquisition. It was not to be expected that an article of such importance as cotton could escape the usual lot, and remain free from adulteration. ”

“ He lived on the premises—as did the warehouseman, whose wife acted as housekeeper—and often enough, after the place was closed to the outer world for the night, Isaac used to remain in the counting-house, engaged in posting, balancing, and entering up those cherished volumes. ”

“ The principal business of the concern, however, is transacted with a very extensive country connection, which necessitates the employment of a large staff of travellers, clerks, apprentices, warehousemen, and so on. But when the firm first came into being, the sole assistant of the brothers (with the exception of the porter) was a certain Isaac Jackson, who discharged the double duties of shopman and clerk, and who had progressed with the business, until at last he became cash and book-keeper, as well as confidential clerk and general adviser to Reuben Barlow. ”

“ This does not seem a very large remuneration, yet a little calculation shows that the buying and selling commission on the average daily sales of 9000 bales must amount to nearly 1000l. per diem, or at the rate of more than 300,000l. per annum. In addition to this commission, the samples are for the most part, after they have served their purpose, a perquisite of the broker;—no insignificant one either, though each separate sample weighs but a few ounces; it being understood that the yearly value to many firms is sufficient to defray all their counting-house expenses. ”

“ Between twenty and thirty years ago Reuben and Samuel Barlow commenced to trade together as grocers under the style and title of Barlow Brothers. Up to the present day a brass-plate may be seen—by those who know where to look for it—bearing the inscription, “Barlow Brothers, Grocers.” When the plate was first engraved it was displayed at the door of a shop, where men, if so minded, might purchase ounces of tea and pennyworths of figs. ”

“ Glad to find his vigil so nearly over, and triumphant, though rather disappointed at finding himself no nearer a solution of the mystery, Isaac sat down on his own stool. and presently finding his head bump against the desk before him, was forced to conclude that he had been asleep, and so it proved; for on striking a match and consulting the clock, it showed a few minutes before six to be the time.
“Not quite an hour, at all events,” said Isaac, slapping his pocket to feel for the safe key; and rather put out at his failure in watchfulness. “And everything is quite still. ”

“ This sandy adulteration, too, is more difficult to deal with than the simpler one before mentioned: when stones are found in cotton bales, it is at once evident that they have no business there; they were not represented in the sample, and were, therefore, not expected; consequently an affidavit is made of their presence, and a claim for compensation is preferred. It is true that a spinner has occasionally suffered the inconvenience of having his mill burned down, in consequence of contact between a flint and the iron machinery ”

“ It may be here explained, that these sale-rooms are plentifully supplied with north or east light, and that each broker, from custom, is able to judge better as to the colour and general appearance of the cotton—on which in a measure its value and suitability for his particular purpose depend—in his own sale-room than elsewhere. West or south light is never used. ”

“ Reuben heard the tread of a man without shoes. The intruder advanced, picked up a match-box from the desk, as Reuben knew by the sound, struck a match, and lighted a gas jet. Keeping him full in view, Reuben then watched him go to the safe, unlock it, bring forth the books, place them on Isaac’s desk, and then deliberately proceed to examine the entries. At this point Reuben advanced boldly and seized the individual by the arm, when—Isaac Jackson awoke, and found himself sitting on his own office stool, clad solely in a long white garment, and with a pen in his hand ”

“ In the supposed sale just recorded, the buyer paid for the cotton th of a penny per pound less than the price first asked, and if the seller had not made this concession, the transaction would probably not have taken place; and though at first th of a penny appears a trifling matter, yet when it is stated that the average weight of American bales is about 440 lbs., it will be seen that on one hundred such, this ths represents to the spinner a saving of between 11l. and 12l., sufficient to pay part of the carriage to his mill, besides his broker’s commission for buying, viz. 10s. per 100l. ”

“ Although “the flags” is their particular meeting-place, however, they are not in the habit of behaving after the manner of the sharebrokers hard by, of whom it is related, that having subjected the curious or unwary invader of their domain to the extremities of contumely and ill-usage, they finally deposit him outside the sacred precincts, presenting an appearance strongly contrasting with that which he bore previously to his ill-advised entry. ”

“ It is stated by those whose assertions are worthy of respect, that cotton could be grown in Africa, and laid down in England at considerably lower price—quality for quality—than that brought from New Orleans. No doubt time and capital are requisite to render Africa to any extent available as a source of supply ”

“ Accordingly the system of “sanding” sprung up, and instead of bales consisting of American cotton, they are frequently found to consist of America itself, to the extent of 10, 20, or in many instances of more than 30 per cent. ”

“ It will also be noticed that American descriptions are vastly more inquired for than any other kinds; which arises from a reason analogous to that assigned as the cause of white sheep eating so much more than black ones ”