Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1881-07-21
Cotton Manufacturing in the
South.

Mr.. Edward Atkinson, as is known. holds
that IN tho cotton country the climate is not
favorable fur establishing industries that re-
qniro continuous, indoor labor every working
day In the year, on Il very largo scale, and
that the South can generally mako more
money by growing cotton than by manufac.
turing it. Mr.. Felix Foutoine, the Georgia
Commissioners of Land and Immigration,
has, in recent letter. presented his views
regarding tho future of cotton manufacturing
in the South, and in doing 80 takes issue with
MIR. Atkinson
Mr.. Fontnine believes TINT tho South is tho
region Of all others for the building and
profitable operation Of large mills. lie cites
tho Eagle and Phcnix Manufacturing Com.
pany's mills at Columbus, Ga, where aro
employed 1900 operatives. the extent of these
mills being Indicated by tho fact that thcy
have $4,000 spindles and ono thousand
eight hundred looms, manufacturing over
loo varieties Of white and colorcd goods. and
using $4,000 bales Of cotton annually und
oOO pounds OF wash wool daily. An the op4
eratives in tho Southern mills, says Mr. Fun-
tainc. are whites, nearly all natives of the
region where tho mill is situated. 1T is."
says Mr.. Fontaine further on, "an undisputcd
fact TINT no mill in New Eng glaud can show
equal profits with those earned by mills in
Georgia, oil Of them. except q lcw small
mills being situated in the cation country
proper" Mr.. Fontaine asks if any one can
seriously assert that Gcorgia mills, which
haro an advantage Of 0-I0 cents per pound
in tho cost OF raw material over their North-
onstern compctitors-w for u mill of
,6oO looms amounts to over Q Spcr cent. Of
the entire capital, or $4,000 per annuu,-.
cnnnot sell goods to Mexico and tho South
Western States cheaper than can mills 1000
miles from tho cotton fields and 900 miles
fl,r hnr uko nf Frn,, = I
Mr. Fontaine estimates that Il crop of G 50O,-
GOO bales would require the work of 2,lG6,-
666 tnrm laborers, and he believes that this
vast army OF workers will ut no distant day
be clothed with goods made almost e1cu-
siVcly in the cotton country proper. The
Southern mills have, according to til, Gcor-
ga Commissioner. been selling heavy shoot,
ings at six and three fourth cents per yard,
shirtings Mt five and three fourth cents and
eight ounce osnaburgs of fine finish at o.
cents, making money at n time when no
Northern mill could do it. In the cons,ruc.
tion of their mills, tho Georgia companies
have in their favor difference Of 33 per cent.
in the cost of brick and OF 66 per cent in
that of lnmhcr. while the raw material can
no bought $40 por bale cheaper than the
Northern and English manufactures can buy
il. Alter making his argument, Mr.. Ron-
,ainc concludes by asserting that, rs in
New England, large factories pay best in
Georgia
South Carolina has the sumo experience as
Georgia. The profits OF the cotton mills arc
handsome and there is hcnlthy cotton mill
revival in tic State. Cnriousy enough
however the highest rate Of profit Inst year
was IL very small mill, working with the
"Clemcnt attachment" Every mill in the
State recently erected and we'll equipped is
doing we'll, and it will not take long to make
MIR. Atkinson trre believer in the wisdom
OF bringing the mills to the cotton. -Ne,cs
unG Courier;