The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1873-09-24
MANUFACTURING AT THE SOUTH.

very general attention at the South
as well from capitalists who see in
it a field for profitable investment
as from all public spirited citizens:
who look upon it as great agency
in the work of Southern devclopc,
ment. In the neighboring county
of Anderson especially, is tho mat
ter awakening at this time more
than ordinary interest. A project
is on foot for establishing a cotton
factory at High Shoals, some five
miles below the town, and has met
with very encouraging success
one-half of the proposed capital
$4,000 having been subscribed, and
some of the largest stockholders
having pledged Themselves to dou-
BILE their subscriptions if this
should be necessary. 1t has been
further proposed to extend the en-
terprise by establishing steam
cotton factory at Anderson G. H.,
as it has no water power which is
available, and this has called forth
a discussion in the county journals
of the comparative profits of facto-
ries propelled by steam and water.
The editor of the lntelllgpncci' con-
cludes from the experience of prac-
teal men, that the enterprise would
pay handsomely, and that with the
facilities of transportation which it
would enjoy, and the low cost OF
fuel, that its profits would not be
much Less than other manufacto-
ries.. Major Thos. ,. Lee, how
ever in q late speech delivered at
the High Shoals meeting, express
.es the opinion that water is much
cheaper motive power than steam.
lie asks aWhy do steam cotton
mills compete with water mills in
the North? The principal reasons
are: fuelis cheap and must be used
largely for both classes Of mills
for five months in the year the
buildings must be warmed, and
this can be more economically
done in steam propelled mills than
water mills. Water powers arc
utilized to such an extent in the
Northern and Eastern States, that
water privileges are highly expen.
sive. On the MerrinA River, in
Massachusetts,, where eleven mil.
lions. of dollars are invested in
manufacturing, &C., the Canal Com
pany who provide and lease the
water privileges have expended over
twenty thousand dollars in expert
menting to determine the most
accurate way of guaging the water
used by those who patronize them
The formula for guaging water
have been reduced to great accura,
cy, the most stringent regulations
adopted and heavy penalties intllct.
ed for using more water than al
lowed. For several months during
the year this Merrimac River is one
nnbrokep sheet of ice for thirty
miles; flowing water is not seen, i;
passes beneath the ice into the wa
ter wheels, which are located in
houses (not mere shelters, but
brick or stone houses highly heated
by steam. These motors are as
snugly covered up as some tender
creature who feared the cold. This
is the famous Lowell, and these
precautions are used all over the
Northern and Eastern States in the
winter. Is it surprising, then,
that steam may compete with water
power? that we hear of steam
mills of large capacity built along
SIDE of water mills, and working
nearly as economically? We
think Yet with all the great
drawbacks, no man. ever builds a
steam mill when water power can
be had ample to do the work all
the year round, and within few
miles of 4 railroad"
In the same speech, we find the
following calculation Of the profits
D of the proposed Cotton Factory al
High Shoals:
"We require, to inaugurate OIL
enterprise, the sum OF 100000
with this we propose to go to work
This amount will purchase the
water power, erect the necessary
buildings, purchase the machinery
repair the corn and wheat mills
furnish sufficient operative capita
for the purchase Of cotton, sup
plies and store. The cotton mill
will run 1000 spindles, and about
seventy looms, should it be thought
best to weave the yarns into cloth
In making an estimate of the
amount of work that may be done
by these spindles, it will be fair to
assume that each spindle will aver.
age six hanks per day, making No,
10 yarn, working 800 days, will
give an out-turn of $50 pounds per