Each newly ginned bale weighed about 500 pounds. In 1906 the price was 15 cents per pound, or $75 per bale. Adjusted for inflation, this man was hauling roughly $10,000 worth of cotton.

I have sat on cotton baled like this and it is like sitting on concrete. I hope he didn't have to chop it all, too. Maybe the mud provides a squishy suspension, but that does not look like a comfortable ride. And that poor animal must be struggling moving 2000+ lbs through the mud. He's carrying a lot of that weight with a two wheel cart. Think of a modern truck's tongue weight. That was hard work all around.

Nice composition. The photographer is not square with the brick wall, but at a slight angle, giving the photo depth. The man is framed by the middle, dark window set in a lighter color brick wall. The muddy ground, hay bales, and brick wall give this composition plenty of texture. Although the man appears husky in his layers of clothes, his thigh suggests he is actually slender. Like good models, man and mule remain motionless and relaxed, with slack in the reins and legs crossed at the ankle. Good work, photographer.

in the land of cotton, Old times there are not forgotten. Look away, Look away, Look away, Dixieland!