The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1873-09-04
eSTE LAM VS.. w AFER. .
Letter from Ex-Governor Joseph e. Brown.
ATLANTA, GA, April %, 1878.

- ATLANTA, GA, April ~, 1878.
Hon. j. p. REED, ANDERSON, S. C.--My
Dear Sw: Your esteemed favor Of the 18th
instant is before me, and in reply I have to
state that I have not had an opportunity to
examine carefully the relative cost of pro-
pelling machinery for cotton factories by water
and by, steam. Some contend that steam is
equally as cheap: Ny own opinion is, that
good water power is cheaper than steam, though
abundant experience has shown that the busl-
ness ,fi,y may be conducted very proftably in the
absence Of water power by the use OF steam.
The Milledgeville factory, for. instance, with
the operations of which am somewhat famil-
lar has, from the beginning, been run with
steam. and It has been made not only paying
but a profitable investment. And the same, I
understand, is true of the Macon factory, and
several others in this State, though the most
eminently successful cotton mill is in Augusta,
propelled by water power.
Efforts are being made here to get up one or
more cotton mills at this place, but up to this
time d sufficient amount of stock has not been
subscribed. If cotton mills should be located
here, they Will doubtless be run by steam, as
the iron mills, -four mills and other n,anutac-
turing establishments now are propelled in that
manner. Coal is used exclusively, believe,
in this city for manufacturing purposes at
present, and is good deal cheaper than wood
as a fuel. Our people are very fast abandoning
the use of wood for fuel in their houses, and
adopting coal and as our coal interests are
further developed, so as to cheaper the article,
it will be used exclusively. At present, coal
can be delivered in Chattanooga at three dollars
per ton, and the freight to this point is s1.SO
pes ton, making, say, $3.50 per ton, delivered
here. I suppose it would cost you two dollars
more to lay it down at Anderson, making, say,
in round numbers, $500 per ton by the car
load. Our people have been paying here for
the East Tennessee coal, for CRATES, SS.75 per
ton by retail during the past winter, and they
find it cheaper than wood.
It is proper that remark, however, that the
Miliedgeville, the Macon and other factories in
Georgia run by steam, have used wood all the
while and made the business profitable. The
increased development of the coal interests IN
Tennessee and Georgia WILL I believe, soon re-
duce the price of coal still lower, and put 1t
within your reach.
If your people undertake to build factory
at Anderson, pardon me for making single
suggestion. An error very frequently commit
ted is, to put large amount of capital into
fine house, SO as to make quite display in the
appearance of the concern. This will do very
we'll for wealthy company that is driving q
profitable business, but is not very sensible 1or
beginners. The use Of the house is' simply to
shelter and protect the machinery, and the
palmer and cheaper the structure provided II 1t
be substantial and convenient, the less it Will
cost, and the larger will be the dividends A
citizen with small means always acts unwlseay
TO put most of it in fine house, upon which
he pays heavy taxes and for occasional repairs,
without deriving any dividends from it, And
the same rules will apply as we'll to amanufac-
turing establishment. However, your own
good practical sense. will readily teach you
this, without any argument from me.
. Wishing you and your people much success
in this and every other laudable enterprise l
am, very respectfully, your friend and obedlent
servant, -oo,n,r Dpo1uN