The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1845-05-16
ESSAYS
On Domestic Industry: or, an enquiry in
10 The erpedieacy of establishing Cotton
Manufactures in South Carolina. b.
WiiliGm Gregg. -CoNcLUDED.

u ~ ttt'bW oFtSE 81 CoNtLI DEDs
/. CHAPTER XI.
n trust that enough has | cen said on III
n subject Of Cotton Manufactures, TO prov
e the prnclicabiIny Of engaging in them i
e South Carolina, IN competition with on,
g other country. To the thinking part O
= the community, il is hoped, arguments ar
J. not now necessary TO show the necessity 0
II changing our industrial pursuits, in orde
l. TO close up the food gales TINT are drain
l. ing our State Of lis enterprsins planter
a aud negro population, TO people the Yves
y and sueepng OF millions Of mercantile
r capital, to build manufacturing Towns at lhl
5 North. les, 10 build up totnS TO
: Charleston has done her part 10 tbs work
. II is said, and We believe with truth, thu
y the town Of Bridgeport, in Connecticut, one
D Of the most thriving manufacturing towns
S IN that Slate, has been built by the capita
Of Charleston. The majority of its lsrgesI
I Manufacturing Establishments have been
pu, 10 operation by capital accumulated il
this city, aud we are daily adding TO its
wealth and population, by The purchase Of
, thousands Of dollars worth Of Carriages,
Harness, SaddIery, aud other articles
Indeed We may truly say, that the manu-
faciurers Of Charleston have their work
shops IN Bridgeport, whose streets are paw.
ed with money that should be spent 10 this
city, and in which the palaco Of tho manu-.
lacturer will be erected when he retlrcs
from business.
Before bringing my snbIcci TO close,
will make q few remarks on tho policy to
be pursued, by those who may engage in
Manufacturers the use OF steam power
4 and on the COS, of the machinery neces.
sary for manufacturing cotton. To such as
are disposed TO engage in this branch Uf
business, The caution cannot BIO too onen
repeated, to guard against two errors,
which, so far as am informed, have boon
the only obstacle 10 a realization OF profit
from such investments, at the South. So
well convinced am of this fact, that v hen.
over hear Of failure 10 produce profit, IN
any enterprise Of this sort, can, without
inquiry, safely predict, that II has resulted
from one Of those causes.
The first is MISUNDERSTANDING
to do too much. Persons commencing this
business al the South either forget or are
not aware CT the fact, that manufacturers
are essentially wholesale dealers. Ihoy
generally set out with tho notion, tbst to
run a mill Of 1000 spindles. on one thing,
would soon ovet.siock the market; aud by
undertaking 10 Ct out factories m such
manner as TO avoid this, they commit "a
tai error. often bring to mind a CONVEX.
so,iou wht.. | onco had with very intel
lgcnt old gentleman, who owned on inter
Get in a small factory Of l,200 spindIcs. |
will relate par, Of 1t, 10 order TO exempt .
fly the notions that pteyall among us on tins
subject In speaking OF the advantage ahIch F.
South Carolina possessed in ratcr po,fcr,
he remarked, 4" that near his factory there
was one OF the fines, mill seats in the State,
but It cotton mill should be- erected on it, .
It would ruin the ono IN vhich he had sn
interest" This gentleman did not seem 10 (
be aware OF the fact, that mill erected IN
Massachusetts, was as much competitor
With his, as # II were alongside OF It, and .
that any disadvantage from competition,
was more than counIefbaIanced by the Rd. .
vantage gained from communion. The .
owners OF this little mill, nt the time spoken .
OF, was endeavorlng 10 force their goods of ,
in the village IN winch II was located this (
was of course over stocked, 10 the great EN-.
bnrrassment Of thus manufacturing compG. .
ny. After many hard struggles 10 avoid .
such an alternative they were induced to
send few bales Of their goods TO the .
Charleston market, and nre now regularly .
Shipping them to New York; market !
no, likely To To depressed by oil the cloth /
that South Carolina may send 10 II, for ma /
ny years 10 come.
Thosc whoembark in this business should .
look entirely to wholesale market. The ,
idea of having mn agent in every country I
village ls ridiculous. Aside from the en- .
barrassmonl and perployliy Of having thcrr
goods scattered over tho whole country, /
the changes necessary for making dltie. /
reut kinds of goods, are wholly at war
with any system which may be adopted, |
with regard TO quantity. The stoPpsges
necessary for changing machinery, will dc.
sttoy oil system among tho operatives, and /
render it impossible, with the very best
management, 10 Iurn of any thing like the
quantity which might be produced by work (
lng at one thing only aud the loss in such .
cases would no. be compensated by the DIFF. |.
ference between wholesale and retail prices
The sale Of tho manufacturers goods be
longs rightluIy TO the commission mer
chant. He has no business pcddlng oil his
yarn and cloth at retail-let him leave that
to small manufacturers, or any person who
desires to engage in such petty business
His goods should DO forwarded precisely as
a paEtcr's cotton is, TO mercantile agent, I
to make the hes, disposition Of them tina,
shipping market will aiford-they should DO |
sold as they are made.
In r,akiug q selection OF the kind of
goods 10 be- manufactured, care should be
taken not to Fix on on article with which I
the marko, is easlly oveTstoched. The ar
tlce. osnaburgs, is one Of limited demand.
South Carolina and Georgia are now over.
stocked from our factories, which send q
large surplus 10 New York and New Or