Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-08-04
Prosperity in the South.


Prom the Washington Poet.
To those who, looking at the South
through the spectacles furnished by a
certain class Of northern journals and
Republican stump orators, have come
to consider ii a region as barren in re.
sources as it is fertile in outrages, IA
land hostile and forbidding, whose peo.
pie lack energy and object TO it In 9th.
ers, 1t will be matter of surprise, per.
haps, TO learn that the South is -four.
ishing as never before that emigration
and foreign capital are flowing thither
TO develop its resources, and, better and
stranger than all, that a great part OF
this emigration, and much the larger
portion of this capital is furnished by
the North and Northwest.
Yet such is indisputably the case.
The South, which for such long period
after the war, struggled on in poverty,
harassed by all sorts Of difficulties and
handicapped by the bitterness of sec.
tlonal feeling at the North, which pre-.
vented its looking TO northern capital
for aid, is coming 10 the front again !:
and the strides 1t is making toward
prosperity are marvellous, indeed, when
everything is considered.
The development of the agricultural
resources Of the new South in the past
few years has been something wander.
ful, and though cotton has, OF coursc,
taken the lead, production has not been
confined 10 that staple alone, but has
extended 10 the cultivation Of all the
crops that grew under southern skies.
Manufacturing especially the manu-.
facture Of cotton, has kept pace with
other industrial pursuits, and today IL
is almost impossible to find place Of
any considerable size which has not its
factory, either in operation or in course
Of construction.
but it Is in the development Of her
railroad interests that the greatest
strides have been made in the South
Everywhere new lines are being built
and new connections made The whole
country Is opening up. Within the
past eighteen months fully one hundred
millions Of dollars have been subscribed
IN the North and IN Europe for invest.
meut in the South, 81 which the greater
portion is TO be used in the construction
and equipment Of railroads.
Powerful syndicates have been formed
among the leading capitalists of New
York, Pennsylvania, pa!o and the New
England States for the development Of
the section south OF Richmond and
southeast Of the Mississippi. These
syndicates representing their millions.
are reaching out for the control Of
southern trade and by investing their
immense capital, are creating countless
opportunities for business and enter.
prise.
one result Of these investments has
been to take from the hands OF south.
ern holders, at greatly advanced rates.
millions Of dollars worth OF stocks and
bonds Of railroads, the possession of
which was deemed 10y the various syn
dicates nece.sAry 20 The completion Of
their syst - railroads. This has
put in tif5zSA H. OF the sellers large
sums Of money for investment in agri.
culture or manufacturing. and conse.
quently given both a decided impetus.
The syndicates. moreover, being inter.
ested in the general growth of the
country through which their lines ran.
are encouraging emigration and the
opening of factories and furnsces. In
fact, all these various causes acting and
re. acting upon each other have lnaug.
urated season Of genuine prosperity,
and give promise of development OF
the South unparalleled in the history
OF any other section Of the country.