The Greenville enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1870-1873, 1872-04-24

- - - tf"E" 80 b"uHtl
~. -..h n''' 'a WILLIAM BATES. r.ses
--I r-.1 ,I-r.l# tp
This remarkable man, and most
worthy and estimable gentleman,
is eptitled to a place in my " Re
miI,iscences. of Greenyille )" but
as Trey have been, suspended tor
the present,7I,will give him place
amongst the pu bic men. whom i
have been remembering. snin,szo N
90 Although not a pubiic man, for
he never filled or aspired to any Of
fetal station, William Bates contri
buted far more to the material
prosperity of his country, than
thousands who have filled public
Offices and gained great distinction.
He was one of the pioneers in the
manufacture of cotton in the South.
ern States, and with great skill, len,
ergy and industry, he mainly assis.
ted in building up cotton factories
in Spartanbhrg,1 Laurensd q d
Greenville Districts. These facto.
ries have given employment to
hundreds and thousands of poor
families since til e year 1919,
when lie entered the Weaver Fac!
Tory, on Tiger River, in Spartan:
burg District, a poor and friend
less boy. These factories lave
likewise contributed largely to the
wealth and convenience of the
whole upper country. They have
also encouraged, the. erection of
others in the middle districts, and
in Georgia, North Carolina, Ten
nessee and other States. a., n.,,,., ,
Mr.. Bates was born in, Rhode
Island, in the year 1900, and was
seventy two years old at his
death, week or two since. His
father was a farmer, living twenty
miles vest of Providence, and at
the early age OF eight years, lie
was placed III the cotton factory OF
sMessrs. Green, of Rhode Island
which WAS the second establish
lnent. Of the kind, ever operated
in the United States. The first, be.
ing that of the Siater's, located in
Pawtucket, Rhode Island, or wha,
is now known as North irovI
dence. Mr.. Bates vlsile this fac.
tory III 1865, ana Was much utter.
ested III examining ItS machinery,
and comparing 1t with thelimpruv.
ments Of tue present day.brc The
factories oftne Skaters and Green's
at that time, 1913, made onl,
arms. There were no power
Looms in tue United States. he
Yarns were sold through The coun
try and woven by the WOMEN Oh
iianU looms. ... ..,- .., ...., s,... r.'
Alter working three years in
Green y factory, Mr. Bates become
all ol'ei ator Ia that ot the celebra.
ted DE Wolf, we'll known as q
United States Senator and slave
uader. lie had many vessels Ell
gagged i'll the African slave trade
Juot before this most uefarious bus
Iness was prohibited by tue Fed
eral constitution. Again Mr.. Bates
changed his factory, and worked
III that oi 'Sprague's,' the granaia
tier Of the present United States
Senator, from kbode Island, and
the largest cotton manuiactur.
H..
tins time III the u tied S,a:es.-
I lhe deuland Tor culton- goods dur
iIg the war ot 1912, WIS ~ great,
SAID MIR. Bates, that tho factory
was run day and night, and never
stopped even on Sunday 1t would
seem that a change had come over
the puritanic spirit Of New Eli
gland, from the time they fined Il
maj. tor. kissing his wife ou the
Sabbath, and whipped their beer
barrels TOR workingrun OH Sunday. -
'~ In 1910, as have already said
[ Mr.. Bates come to the Weaver
| factory, near Cross Anchor, the
only factory at that time in South
Carolina, propelled by WATERPROOF
er. He Giarled from Rhode Is
Ei"rd with SIT i'll his pockets, all
told. When he landed III Charles
ton, lie had only two dollars to pay
his way to SpartanDurg. This W a.
very soon' exhausted, and Oh hi,
way to Columbia, ne soid his ovel
coat for seven dollars, to tie stage
driver which COST hun twenty on.
dollars. With this increase. Of III.
funds, he made l,is way 10 what j.
now known as the Burril Factor,
III Spartanburg. After working
there two years, Tor, which l,t
, "a. ..,a.- r,,r..;,,od a, ,.,.,.. L.. $4,000, -.