Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1880-04-08


from lS to so per ccnt-Me Advan.
tagcs Over Northern Nils Ten Thou
sand Persons Employed, or Supported
---An Almost Unlimited EIcld Tor the
Lucruti0c Employment Of Home and
Foreign Capital.
The public arc aware that during tho
last ten years considerable progress hos
been made 10 the development of the man-
ufaoturing interests in South Carolina,
especially in tho manufacturing of cotton
goods. But few persons have any Just
idea of the magnitude of the work which
has been done, or what is more important
of the number Of persons engaged 10 it, tho
amount of raw material consumed, and the
profit made by those engaged iu tho bust
ness.
Attempts have been made at different
times to chow the extent Of the cotton
manufactures in South Carolina, but until
to-dny no thorough aud complete statement
upon that subject has been given to the
public
With this will bc found summary of
'the condition of each and every cotton mill
in South Carolina, showing its capacity,
consumption of raw MATERIAL production,
class Of goods manufactured, water-powcr
used; tho number of persons c,npioyed,
and tho number of those dependent upon
them; tic wages paid and the rates of
profit, forming as to each mill plain and
at tho same timo complete exhibit Of its
condition aad operations.
The ieforaiation now given was obtained
within tho last fortnight by visit to the
different factories in the State, made by
Mr. j. k. Blackmau, of the Ne,os on2
Courier staff, who has cndcavorcd to give
similar information with regard to each
factory in order that the results might be
grouped together.
These results briefly stated ore: That
thero are in South Carolina seventeen
factories, (not including the Westminster
Clement Attachment MilD engaged in the
production Of cotton yarns and cloths.
These factories have 95,43S spind!cs
with 1888 looms in operation.
They produce 10l 1888 yards of cloth and
1913 pounds Of yarn for each working
day; consuming for each such day 54,O4O
pounds of cotton.
They employ 2.20G operatives, WHO in
so'o oPPoto f}oAo pcIoOuS VINO arc &c
pendent upon them, the monthly pay rolls
being over $4,000. The capital employed
in these mills amounts to e2,288 900, and
they are estimated to be worth to-day
1884 600.
The profits range from 1S to so per
cent. per annum upon the capital invested.
This 6O per cent. is the return from the
Westmioster Factory, the we'll known home
of tho "Clement Attachment" At the
other factories the profit ranges from 18 to
26t per cent per annum, tho highest rate
reported boing that of the "Picdmont
Mills" in Groenville County. With this
summary OF general results by way of intro,
duction we pass to the report of the condi-
ton and operations of each factory, which
every ono can read and understand for
himself. These detailed reports are given
10 the order in which the mills were visited:
The GraniteyiIlc Manufacturing
Company.
The GraniteviiIo Factory, one of the
Oldest and, at present, tho most extensive
cotton manufacturing establishments in the
State, is located in the centre of the town
of Graniteville, about stones throw from
tho Charlotte, Columbia aud Augusta Rail
road, and about milo from, the South
Carolina Railroad. The factory was first
organized in 1916 under charter which
ran for fourteen years, and at recent
session Of the Legislature the churtcr was
renewed for thirty years. Mr.. William
Gregg was tho leading spirit in starting
the enterprise, and Messrs Joel Smith,
1Iyram Hutchinson and Kerr Boyce
woro tho principal stockholders. The
company started operations in 1910 upon
capital of 100000, and worked 10000
spindles and 800 looms.
Tho town of Graniteyille, as It is called
is not an incorporation, and hus no town
government aside from tho rules and regu-
lations of tho factory; III fact, it is depend
ent upon and inscparablc from the factory.
It has population of 1890 souls
1t has three churches and on Episcopal
chapel, and it takes just pride in an aoadc.
my, towards tho support Of which the
Manufacturing Company contributes 81 900
per annum for the education Of the children
Of tho operatives. The average Attendance
at this sohoo. is l18 pupils.
In 1867 after several years Of disastrous
business operations tho iactory passed into
the hands Of the company which now
controls.it: The officers of tho company
arc: H. II. Hickmap,. of Augusta, Prcsi.-
dent; w. II. Walton, Cashier; James II.
Gilos, Secretary, and S. w. uowand,
Superintendent This company owns and
controls what is known as tho Granitoyillc
Factory, and also what is known as the
Vaucluse Factory, which is the offspring
o. tho former factory. Tho capital stock ID