The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-09-06
CONDITION OF GEORGIA.
What the State Has Lost
by Emigration.
PROFITABLENESS OF MANUFACTURES.
The Small Farmers Her Most
Prosperous Class.
ALPINE. Y. J., Sept. 4, 1875.

ALPINE, y. j., Sept 4, 1870
To THE EDITOR OF THR HERALD
You printed the other day letter Of mine Geor-
ga affairs which had been long delayed the way but
to you in time TO show somewhat OF the condition
of the State whose white people have been alarmed by
rumors Of intended negro nsurrection II looks AS
though INSCRIPTIONS men in both parties were very
ready To take advantage Of such affair and TO 'nake
political capital out of it - fortunately in this case the
authorities and the people of both colors have acted
very circurspectly. The negroes in Georgia have,
my previous letter showed some but slight and les
SEEMING, for dissatisfaction the fact that they
will pay 81 600 600 this year, all acquired
since 1866, and by class VIGOROUSLY unthrty, shows
that they have suffered serious wrong injustice.
The fact that 25 900 negroes have emgrated from
the State shows also that they know how to better their
condition But their dissatisfaction does not arise from
wrongs; fer the whites also dissatisfied, and an
equal number Of them have removed to other States.
The chief difficulty in Georgia is that it Is
old State with worn lands, whose near
neighbors, Mississippi Arkansas and louisiana invite
its people to and take possession of new and
fertile soils where they need manures and get
greater returns for their labor
Georgia and North Carolina differ from the other
Southern States have in this that much of their
land is thin and worn, and will produce a crop,
the cotton region without the OF expensive
remuneratve than it is in the rich bottom lands OF
Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana Moreover judg-
ing from appearances, should say that in the old
times, before the war, Georgia must have less
wealthy State than those of it, The landowners
in the middle belt of the State do not call themselves
planters, but farmers, and in general through
the cotton raising region there are fewer of
such evidences of wealth meets with in Alabama,
Louisiana. Mississippi 1t seemed to me that
the landowners whether they called themselves plant
farmers, u class less enterprisng, less
prosperous, generally in debt and If may say it
without offence less intelligent than the class in
the other States have named less expert managers,
and less capable Of adapting themselves to sys
TEN Of labor. There are, of course, many individual
exceptions this general description and lest should
be misunderstood will ado here that OF the most
intelligent capable and liberal spirited planters have
in the South found in Georgia and native Geor-
gans
EMIGRATION FROM GEORGIA.
One evidence OF q general lack of prosperity in this
State upon before | entered Georgia is
the considerable number of emigrants of both coors
who leaving the State for Arkansas Texas and lis
sissppi and parties of whom frequently spoke with
at railroad stations. Georgia has lost in this way
the conclusion of the war; have TO think,
at least so, 600 people, half OF each color.
The that Georgia though it is still essentially
an agricultural State has its greatest future
featuring region 1t has great deal of valuable
power also coal and other mineral wealth; 1t has
great deal OF land better fitted for small farms and
varied agriculture than for either cotton corn and it
has ready to the hands of manufacturing capitalists
a numerous population of ''poor whites, whose
daughters excellent factory operators and to whom
the offer of this species of labor is real in the
scale OF civilization. The cotton planters not,
class either wealthy prosperous but the few cotton
factories are, this day of general depression,
very remunerarve; the iron and coal works are in a
good condition. and the Of Northern Georgia
said to be doing well in all respects have been
prised by the unbroken prosperity Of the cotton mills in
Georgia The Augusta mills have paid yearly dividend
Of less than twenty per cent since 1865 and tho
stock quoted 16S to-day, and is for sale The
product is 275,000 yards per week. The Eagle and
Phoenix mills OF Columbus, built since the war; with
capital of $1OOo,0OO and $4,000 spindles, have
paid average dividend OF eighteen per cent and
have a considerable surplus No stock
be bought The Grantevie cotton mills
which lie in South Carolina just
the border line OF Georgia, not fairly started until
1867 and then am told, have paid Oh debt of
SIS OOO increased their capacity Is 900 % 600
spndes built forty houses for operatives; and
have meantime paid average dividend of twelve
per cent. But all these mills have done a much
important work beside for all OF them give employ
to the girls and women of the poor white class to
whom such labor is have said, real and very i'm
portant step in civilization They make excellent opera
tives told and the factory life only improves
their own condition in remarkable degree but adds
greatly the comfort OF their parents and is per-
haps the only of redeeming this large popula-
ton from a somewhat abject and degraded condition.
FACTORIES PROSPEROUS.
/ think / that the cotton manufacturer has
several important advantages in this State his
rivals in the Northern States. He needs such solid
and costly dwellings for the workpcople; land still
cheap; lumber for building is cheap fuel IS unusually
cheap; the operative class is suspect, manage
able and more easily made intelligent than the rude,
imported labor used in the North; food is and
must long remain cheaper the mildness of the winter
is certainly advantage and there is air of comfort
and about these Southern factories which
is very pleasing. The operatives usually very
nicely lodged in cottages and evidently happy and
pleased with their life
1t is among the factory workers and the small farm
ers OF Georgia that find the chief prosperity OF
the State Here there is little no debt money cir
cuates rapidly; Improvements seen, and there is
patient, hopeful labor thrift and enterprise, which
affects, it seems to me, the whole population.
heard here and there Of of poor young
chanics working steadily and earnestly in New Eng
land way at their trades making labor respectable, ac
cumulating property and taking honorable places in
their communities; and some such talked to me
Of their past and their future, of the hopeful change
which the extinction OF slavery had produced in the
prospects of their class IN language which showed
that there Is newborn hope OF better things in the
poor white people Of the State.
LAwa
when you strike the cotton region affairs are not so
prosperous happy. In the first place. the cotton
farmers and panters-thc largo landowners less ener-
getc than the population have spoken of above-have
suffered bad laws which losered their lack of
business capacity and love Of ease The Homestead law
reserves to landowner u homestead of the
value OF $4,000 10 gold, exempting this from
seizure by creditors To this waa added