Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1881-08-25

nnlsn up tne estlmates preparatory 10 per-
location of the route. They expect
to return here next week. From Mr.. Cain
we learned that the highest point on the
line surveyed by him was just this side
of Asheboro, being an elevation of $50
feet. At Asheboro the elevation is $50 feet
just twice the elevation at this place, and 1926
feet higher than the highest point on the line
on Hickory Mountain run by Col. Garduer.
At the Uwharrie River (between Asheboro
and Salisbury there is very great descent,
and asome difficulty was experienced in OBJ.
tanning suitable line. The elevation at
that point was 200 feet less than at the
point where the North Carolina road cross.
es the Yadkin River, and yet the Uwhar-
re empties into the Yadkin. Mr.. Gains
line crosses Deep River nearly mile above
Cedar Falls, and runs with the river nearly
to Columbia factory, thence direct to Mar.
ley's mill. From Asheboro to Cedar Falls
"a distance of about five miles) the country
is exceedingly rugged and hilly, but notwith'
standing this very good line was run. At
no point on the entire line from Goldsboro to
Salisbury does the grade exceed seventy feet
to the mile.
The Wheat Supply and its Price.
The New York Financial Chronicle
says, speculation in wheat, looking to an
advance in prices, has been prosecuted with
considerable vigor, especially at the West,
though finding some support in this market,
and apparently having an important effect
upon values in London. This is certainly to
be deplored. 1t adds to the risk and bur.
dens of commission merchants and bankers
the parties who "handle" the crop 1t him
ders the regular operations of millers, by
giving an uncertain basis of values on which
to make contracts for their products. 1t de.
lays the movement of the crop when the ia.
cilities for moving it are at their best-giviug
light stocks at the seaboard at the close OF
inland navigation. These circumstances make
a speculation for higher prices at the opening
of season quite unfortunate, to say the least
Whatever may be the range of values later
in the crop year, it would appear that Great
Britain, while contemplating her own i'm
proved crop prospects, has given too little
heed to keeping up her stocks and too little
allowance for possible decrease in the Amer
ican yield this year, and that consequently
she has exposed herself to a speculation on
her present needs which may force prices up
higher, and as we have pointed out in the
opening paragraph, disarrange the whole sea
sons business. The price now is about 2S
cents bushel higher than one year ago, ano
much above the average of August in recent
seasons, and this fact ought to suggest pru
dence to spectators for rise.
Steam vs.. Water Power.
-- Mr.. D. w. Oates, of the Charlotte
Cotton Mills, furnishes to the Observer hi
experience with steam as motive power
for cotton machinery, and institutes com
parison between steam and water power al
follows:
Il can give you our actual production al
compared with that of one of the most sue
cessful water mills in the SouLh-that Of the
Messrs. Holt of Alamance. l give the 6g
ures of this mill particularly, because it work:
the same spindle as we do-Sawyer's high
speed spindles.
eve are now running 6,240 high speed
Sawyer spindles IL hours every day, except
Saturday, when we run only 9 hours. This
is an average of III hours day-one hour
and half per day more than the Northern
mills, while our operatives cost US no more
than theirs. This gives US IA per cent. ad
vantage of them per week in time, and We
have no reason to doubt that the advantage
is equally great in production. Our pro-
duction is l2,300 pounds of No. 20 warp
cotton per week, or 3l3 ounces per spindle
We have had no experience with spin
ming by water power, but our friends who
have and who are operating similar ma
chinery on the same kind Of yarn, give
their production at % ounces per spindle.
refer to the Messrs. Holt, as have said, and
every body knows the success with which
they have met in cotton manufacturing. This
is difference of a little over i per cent, and
is equivalent to 1850 pounds per week with
our number of spindles. In other words
this 1850 pounds represents an absolute cash
gain of $40 per week on 6,240 spindles when
worked by steam. This gain is, we think
enough to cover the excess of the expenses
of steam but besides that one Of our big
gest advantages over the water mills is oul
location in the city. In the first place. by
being right in the inside Of a live cotton
market, with our experience in handling the
staple, we are able to take advantage of the
fluctuations of the market in buying. The
many other advantages of being in town it is
unnecessary to state. But again, suppose
half the water mills in this section of the
State have not nearly made full time this
summer from the failure of the water. We
are not subject to serious interruption in our
work from any cause whatever"
"When you consider all these things, then
you think that steam is even better than wa
ter p
mo, we are not prepared to say that, as
we know nothing of water mills by expert
ence. But we are entirely we'll satisfied that
steam cctton mills will pay handsomely in
the South and furthermore, we do not regret
that we have made the experiment in Char
lotte. You can say to your readers that the
Charlotte Steam Cotton Mill is success"
THE LIEN LAW.
Asa member of the General Assembly,
we have on several occasions voted against
the repeal of the lien law, and now see no rea'
son WHY the system should be changed. It