Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1881-07-21
THE COTTON EXPOSITION.
A Suggestion from AIr. Edward
AtkinaOn as to tho EXhlbl-
ton.

to submit to you suggestion fer an cxhi.
bition auxiliary to the cotton exhibition,
that will not in the slightest degree interfere
with that or alter it's plan or method. That
exhibition should be kept in it's integrity
for cotton, md cotton only. Or perhaps
We might odd wool from sheep fed on cotton
seed. But there might be an auxiliary
exhibition, Which would add greatly to tho
interest of the occasion, and render your
success more absolutely certain. You will
recall tho Kansas aud Colorado building
and it's contents which formed part of tho
centennial at Philadelphia. That exposition
of the agricultural and mineral po,entiali-
tics of Kansas und Colorado turned great
tide of emigration in that direction, and for
the time being, altered all its conditions.
If am rightly informed that building uud
lis contents formed purt Of the plan of the
railroad corporations interested 10 those two
Stutcs by which they expected to attract
cmigrants and those ruilroud corporations
have been paid one hundred fold for their
expense. a.
Since returned from my hasty visit to o
part of the new South, have been called
upon to give my impressions of what saw.
My trip extended through tho blue grass
sections of Kentucky aud tho Cumberland
plateau to ChuttoDoooga md Atlanta, and
North through the Piedmont sections to
Richmond In attempting to describe this
journey have usually began by asking NV
hearers to follow 10 tl.eir minds tho boun-
dary lines OF section of the new South
moro than three fourths the size of France,
nearly twice the size of England combined,
beginning on the Ohio River keeping along
the Westerly margin of the blue grass
country, across Tennessee into Northern
Alabama, then Enstcrly u little South of
Atlanta, thence Northcrly on the Eascrly
nn'gin of tho Piedmont district to the
Potomac River, and Westerly to the point
of beginning, keeping at every point in
the boundary line at least six HUNDRED feet
above the level of the sea, and ranging
from that to $500 feet, and, therefore, all
above malaria except where the rivers have
cut their way to the low lands. l huve
then said that if one wished to realize the
potentialty of this section, aud its future
place In the history of the United States,
they might be assured that in its resources
IN coal, iron, salt, lead, zinc, copper, COR
rundum and in tiu'ber Of the most valuable
sorts, it cxcceda Great Britain aud France
combined; that in its possibility of agricul
aural productions it is equal to either, and
oilers greater diversity than either country
would have then added, it is the terra,
almost incoguita of this nation, Inhabited
10 tho extent of at least one half of its area
hy an isolated population, clad in homcspun
and making for themselves the things re.
quired by their limited wants. l have
added Tint until the Cincinnati Southern
opcucd the Westerly eide Of this section it
had been the railroad desert upon the map
OF the United States, in which scarcely o
mile of the effective railroad could be found;
and that it necdeA gcucral survey to open
it to the knowledge of emierants, more
than tho distant territories of the far
Northwest.
1t is not too much to say that the present
rural aud mining population Of the United
States, 10000 600 OF least, in plumber,
could be sustained within the limits of this
area, under better conditions than the
average conditions which they now enjoy.
This section is now booming with the
great Industrial forces. born 0. liberty; is |
being permcutcd in every direction by new
lines of railroad, undor the management of |
Een who are as sasacious ns my connected |
with my of the great roiroad enterprises
OF this country. The moment ycu bring
tho subject TO their attention, will they not
ccntipc to build duplicate Of the Kansas
and Colorado building, ard to bring to-
gethcr therein specimens of tho minerals,
the timber, the soils and tho product of
2grculturc-thc flora and the fauna-of |
this great scction of our common country.
If you do not think that such an enter.
prise would overshadow tho cotton exhibi-
'tion, and if you believe with me that it will
double tho interest and double the attend !
,anoe there, 1 think you have but to spread
this letter before your people and tho aug.
gestion will be as potent as the first suegcs-
tion of the cotton exhibition is now proving
to havo been.
In this case again, tho somewhat higher
building would bo required can be CON
strncted after tho manner of the middle
section of the proposed cotton exhibition
building; and like that may bo 80 cou.
structed Tint its several parts will be worth
moro for other purposes after tho exhibition
is over, than the cost Of the materials of
which it will bo constructed.
In this connection it ought to 10 consid.
cred that the rapid increase 10 tho wheat
crop Of tho United States may presently
end in such low prices that it will no longer
BIO worth whilc for enigrants to pass on to
tho distant prai,ies Of the far West where
they must depend on wheat ns their money
crop. And it must not bo forgotten that if
wo bad enjoyed as good cotton picking
season this year rs we hud last, the crop
might hnyo reached from six and half to
soren million bales; and then IL may bo
that tho lest uiion Of trash will not bo
worth tho cost Of sepdr q to market and