The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-10-18
THE NEW "sOLID SOUTH"
Solid for Increase of Population, business
Prosperity and Commercial Growth.

There is another than political sense in
which the south may be said to be solid.
She is prosperous and likely to become more
so year by year. The rapid increase of
population within her borders during the
last decade has occasiOned genuine surprise
in the north, but that is only one indica-
ton of the progressive march on which she
has by no means reached the end, or even
the middle.
What the most sagacious of the anti
slavery leaders predicted as sure to follow
the abolition of the peculiar institution has
come to pass. The south is becoming popu-
lous; it is growing rich. Commerce is tax
ing new start; manufactures. are
springing up everywhere, and the
planter sees his fields better titled
than ever before Railroads are being uilt
in all directions new steamship lines are
being started even the mineral wealth OF
the south is beginning to be developed
New Orleans, her principal seaport, is win
ming back her ante bcllum position many
times over, and WILL in few years, be the
rival of New York and Baltimore, not only
in its old staple of cotton, but also in the
new ones of grain and live stock
All this is perfect by legitimate growth in
prosperity, too and therefore more certain
of lasting There is no reason why the
great southern staple should be sent north
to be shipped for Europe. The natural
thing to do is to put it on board steamer
at New Orleans Mobile or Savannah or
Charleston, and carry it across the
Atlantic without n break of bulk. This
would be a saving of labor and time,
which means a saving of money 1t has
also been found that it is cheaper to trans
port corn and wheat down the Mississippi
from the great grain fields on its upper
course than to the Atlantic sea-board, while
to bring the cattle of Texas to point at the
very doors of the grazing fields must incv-
itably have its advantages over the plan of
sending them 1000 miles or more BY train.
Texas is rich in many things, and her
| products, added to those of Louisiana Ar
kansas and Mississippi, find their natural
| outlet toward Europe at New Orleans, and
the system Of railroads which is either built
or in process Of building connecting that
city with these sections of country, will
soon supply tho one thing necdful--trans-
| portation facilities. The recent improve
mcnts ut the mouth of the big river have
made it possible for the largest sea-going
steamers to anchor off the Crescent
! City's wharyes, and it only remains
to perfect the internal system OF
! communication 10 give an impetus to COM
mcrce there such as any southern city never
before experienced Last year the imports
and exports jumped from ST. 100000 to
SlOl,00OO0O, and her bank clcaranccs from
$4,000, 900 to 1906 100000. The wheat re-
ceipts more than doubled, being over
100000 bushels, as against $4,000
bushels in 1879 There was also increase in
! the cotton receipts amounting to 100000
bales, or one fifth of the whole.
We in this city might he expected to feel
some jealousy at finding such formidable
rivals spring up to dispute the foreign trade
of the country with us, and if we looked at
the matter in an old-time, narrow and
bigoted light we undoubtedly would. For
tuHtely, we are aware that the south,
healthy and prosperous, will he our best
| possible customer once more, and that even
II our European commerce should decrease
in one or two articles, it will be more than
made up in u score of other directions. The
solid south" in this sense, may rest as
surcd that she has no better well-wisher
than the solid north, Now York Graphic.