Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-07-07

ting some of our own children in the fac
tory for short time. TO break down thai
foolish prejudice; she consented, and We
determined Ia put III the mill one son and
two daughters. This | made known TO my
partners, which course they very highly ap-
proved. | asked them to put in some OF
their childreI-each having family of his
OwE-but they said their children had not
been brought up TO regular habits of i'll
dusty, and therefore would not be worth
anything in the factory. | saw that they
did not wish their children to work there,
but it was eommendable enough for Bly
children TO work. But this did not dettr
me from the cOuIse had set out to pursue.
As soon as it was known in the neishbOr-
hood that my children were going TO work
ia The factory, numbers of the native girls
were willing 10 take situations.
In few weeks my daughters came out
OF the factory, the necessity of their pres
ence rs an example no longer existing, and
from that day To this good time, have
never wanted for help, and l have no doubt
| could today till three such cotton mills
with operatives within one week. So you
see, ladies, that by taking the initiative in
my own family | 81 once and forever broke
down this foolish prejudice. In the course
of human events l became sole owner of
the little cotton mill, which | am now run
ming. Both of my partners have gone to
their long home. They died insolyent, ana
left their children poor, yes, very poor, for
the want of being taught in their early life
habits of industry and self-dependence-an
indispensable part of an education.
And now, my brother Changers, we have
before us grand object TO accomplish, an
object that may be more difficult to attain
than building a cotton mill, and one which
will require our united effort. We must,
by our precept and example, by our daily
walk and conversation, convince our young
men and boys that it is duty they owe to
themselves, to their country, and TO pos
terity that they turn their minds, their
physical efforts to produce something, and
thereby stop this increasing prOcliyity to 20
into store to clerk or sell goods, or TO pre-
pare for some one of the professions, which
are already filed to OVERLOOKING. There Is
no need for more statesmen unless there be
something more produced, no need for
more professional men. More producers
is what we want, and the great object to be
accomplished is to teach the young of both
sexes that to be engaged in some active in
dustrial pursuit is both honorable and ell
noblIng, and will pay better, in a vast ma
iOrity of cases, than either profession or a
merchant.
There are many other pursuits or manu-
featuring establishments that might, yea,
must be put in operation in your midst so
as to utilize all your valuable water power
and surplus labor. Brother Changers, by
building up all these industries you will
create home market for all your surplus
farm products, and then you need no longer
hear complaint against railroad mOnOpolies
and high freight tarifiS-which is to-day a
cause Of so much Just complaint. 1t now
takes fifty cents to carry one bushel of
wheat to Augusta, Ga, and sell it, which is
q clear loss of that amount TO
the farmer. Let the manufacturers put
your surplus into some manufactured arti-
Gle that will bear freight better than the
raw material. By manufacturing at home
we keep the money we have been sending
away for almost every manufactured
article. We buy all our household furni-
tuTe, all our farm utensils; indeed, we buy
almost every manufactured article We use,
and the great wonder to me is that we have
sustained ourselves under this perpetual
drain as well as we have; for you may go
TO the books at your railroad depot, and
you will find that we bring here twice as
much as we send OFF to sell. In other
words, in the fact that We bRy more than
we sell, lies the cause Of all our financial
Now, / anticipate what / think you
want to know, and that is: "What are the
profits of a cotton mill; or will an invest
ment in an industry Of that kind pay," In
answer to the inquiry, allow me to say that
cotton spinning is like every other pursuit
that men engage in-its success depends al
together upon the amount Of energy, indus
try and economy that is brought TO bear in
the business; for bear in mind that it IS not
the particular business or pursuit that a
man or a corporation embarks in that insures
success; but success depends solely upon
its management or the business tact or
financial ability of the owners. We see
that the Augusta cotton mills, located in
the city Of Augusta, Ga, have declared an
annual dividend of 20 per cent for the last
five years, or has paid back in that time to
its owners all the capital thus invested.
Then turn to the Tennessee Manufacturing
COmpany's cotton mills, in Nashville. One
of the largest stockholders in tine mill told
me that they lost two thousand dollars by
running the mill during the month Of April
last, using the same sort of machinery, or
perhaps better than that used in the Au-
guSta mill; and the only visible difference
IN the running Of the two mills, TO an out
slider, is that the Augusta mill is propelled
by water-pOwer, while the Nashville mill
is propelled by steam.
But, even if the investment shOuld not
pay dividend above ten per cent, still
think there are sufficient reasons why you
should build a cotton mill outside Of any
actual dividend. 1t viii give employment
to portion OF your orphan population that
cannot now support themselves cOmfOrta-
bly, at anything they can do. Remember
that the orphans have increased one hun
bred per cent. by the late terrible war; and
the poor are always with US, and objects of
charity are daily increasing. BY giving
them employment you make them not
only seif-sustaining, but profitable to them
selves and to the country, by paying them
wages that are drawn from other States and
localities by the sale of your manufactured
goods; You not only do this, but you also
elevate them in their own and in the esii-
nation Of their fellows, and consequently
give to our commonwealth a better and
more reliable class Of citizenship. In do
ing this, to my mind, You receive the rich
est compensation for your investment-the
consciousness that you have bettered the
situation of the poor of your county, and
feel that you have been benefactors Of your
race.
do feel to-day the conscious belief that
l am a helpmeet to the poor of my county,
and this is one Of the richest cOmpensatiOns
receive for all my toll and investment.
so hold that by building up manufacture
ing enterprises You not only better your
own pecuniary affairs, give more prOmi-
hence TO your locality and increase your
importance abroad, but are benefactOrs of
yOjr race to an extent that cannot be
equaled by any other consolidated expendi-
ture of your means, for you bring into
requisitiOn and make active a species Of
surplus labor that can find remunerative
employment In no other channel-the boys
and girls of the country. l hope that,
when your works are completed, and situa-
tiOns offered them, not one of them, by any
false pride, will longer consent to REMAIN
as a drone in this great American hive of
industry.
But / am OBTAINING yOu too long, as
others more gifted than myself are expect
ed to address YOU. In conclusion | extend
10 Won nv heartieSt wishes in this and all
your efforts designed and calculated to de-
velop and improve your own condition, and
extend like blessings to those who must,
of necessity, look 10 you who are more IA