Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1863-02-12
The Resources of the South.

The Resources of the South.
The Census Returns, so admirably
arranged and classified by Mr.. kcnne-
dv, give us an opportunity OF accurate
~ guag:ng the power and resources Of
the rebel States. For the basis Of the
investigation which we propose max
ING, we have taken merely the States
that are now held in great part by the
Confederates, from which they have
drawn their richest supplies, and which
will probably support them in the tu-
ture, if this unhappy war continues
namely, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida,
Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North
Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, and
Virginia. 1t is true that they now hold
:, small portion Of Tennessee, but this
may be balanced by Western Virginia,
which is in our possession.
The supplies Of men and provisions
which they have previously derived
from Tennessee, Kentucky, ana Mis-
souri-thoEgh important in their past
cf1cGt-cannot enter into this calcula-
tion, as probably the most enthusiastic
English or American friends Of the tu,
turc "SIave Contrderacy" would not
include these States in the power which
is hcuccforth to oppose the Unioa.
First, as to extent of territory, these
States embrace an area of 6SI, ,948
square miles, or territory larger than
the area Of France, Austria and Spain
. combined, with population of $685.,
532, Of which 4 1922 ,66l are whites, and
3,245,39l are slaves. The number of
white males in these States is 2,377,
O39.
Looking at their resources and pro
ducts, we find the value Of the dyrjcHt
ttraE implements manufactured during
the wear 1860 to be 81 ,56 sos, CT less
than one-half that Of the implements
made in New York State alone, (S3,-
429,o37) Their steam engines and
nluchinery manufactured i'll that year
amounted in value to $4,7G6, ,803, or
less than that of Massachusetts, alone,
which was So, l31 ,128, and not onc-half
that of New York, G0,+S+,6S3) OF
natural products the Confederate States
produced IN coal, in%.l660. 9,G00, ,G29
bushels, worth S696,18S while Penn
sylvania produced 4t,99f,295 bushels,
worth s., 1913, $50 In iedd, their yield
was SCI, 900 worth, against over $780,
400 worth in the other States; in cop
per, $l36, $50, against So, II, II i'll the
others. But in f01u and meat it might
at least be supposed that their agricnl-
,lural provinces wontG show richer re-
turns. Their total products in value is
s26,s41,t56, or less than that Of Penn
sylvania alone, $4,000, 900 less than
the product Of Now York,
In manufactures they show in cotton
qoods, in 1860, us factories, with IS.
s73 .92l capital 1nyostcd, employing
l56, 926 spin Hes, 1882 looms, and o.
547 hands, producing in value $6,63S,
945. while little Rhode Island alone has
l35 factories, with Sill, 100000 invest
ed, and employs 1865 spindles, 26,
900 looms, and 2,lS9 hands, produce
ing in value ST., ,459.
In ,cooUen goods the number of es-
Establishments is los, with $l,lS7,33O
capital invested, engaging l2,O45 spin,
dies, 2O2 looms, and 1867 hands, pro
duclng annually S2,O35, ,6Sl. L. Con
necticut alone, on the other hand, the
capital invested is &2,494, ,000, with
1918 spindleS ana 1888 looms Al
work, and s, ,751 hands, producing an,
nually S5,679,000.
In leather, the Comic 1erate States
produced in 1860 value of 1855. 500
while Massachusetts produced $40,
354.O56, and New \ ork $40, ,756, ,Ol7
In boots and shoes, there were in these
States 864 establishments, with .capi
tai of real and personal est"+" ipveste(
amoupting to sS04,5l :. employing ?,
64l hands, and producing in 1860 s.,
466,979. In Massachusetts,, on tht
other hand, there were l ,497 establish
meuts. with a capital of sll,l69,277
employing 69,39S hands, and produc
ING s46,440,299.
Taking a view of mGnufdcttres il
general, we find that there we're il
1860, in the rebel States, Is, ,606 estah
lishments, with a capital invested o
s93.395, 900, employing 97,0l5 hands
and producing annually sl29,25O,O0
Contrasting these with Massachusetts
we discover there 1906 establishments
with slaa, ,oOo,o invested, employing
2l7,1oo hands, and producing s2e4,
100000.
In the razue Of real and persona
estate the South shows the vast amour
Of IS, ,7os, ,262, ,2l5, with an average III
crease for each State since 1850 Of owe
200 per cent. -Four of the free States
New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, ant