The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1882-08-09
Two Notable Names in the history
of North Carolina Progress
The Cotton Factories Along
Haw Rivera Surviving
millionaire Of the Re-
construction Period,
Etc
correspondence Atlanta Constitution.

CORRESPONDENCE Atlanta Constitution.
NoREHEAp CRY. n. G.. July 80, 1882.
There are two family histories in this
State that may be written out with pro
fit TO the Southern people.
Forty wears ago, Edwin Holt and
Frank Fries were poor young fellows,
lust starting in life. 1t is a tradition
that Fries's father declined to stand his
sectrity for the purchase of a negro. ana
Holt was probably as poor. They both
,urned aside from the professions and
from mercantile business, and d"termln-
ed TO devote their lives to manuIactur-
inc. MIR. Holt Is now worth a million,
and his family owns nine cotton mills
worth over a million and Il half. The
| Hollis do not use steam at all. but de
pend on water oower. Most of their mills
IRE on Haw River. From the modest
L.egining made 10y the elder Holt there
are now nine mills. all running and all
being enlarged constantly. Every son
and son-in law owns one mill or more.
had a pleasant talk with Thomas NJ.
Holt, the most prominent member of the
family at present. He went to college
for d year or two and then ven into a
shop and mill and learned the business.
10 WHICH, Ut WAS " uCfOlC II lli0s LII
started with his present mill at law
river, which then had 52S splndles. Out
Of its earnings he has added to it. until
he now has S425, 900 cash invested in
buildings and machinery, and is just now
finishing q large addition. Heis himself
worth much over half a million. every
dollar of which was made by cotton man
ufacture. | asked him to-day
IF you were a young fellow just star
ting life would you adopt the same
course of life you have ~followed?'
Certainly. Nothing pays SO well and
so surely as the spinning and weaving Of
cotton when it is properly looked after.
1t is assured wealth and independence to
| any man of intelligence who will attempt
| it near the cotton field. TO show you my
faith in it, my son Is now working in a
factory in Chicopee, Mass, and has just
finished his study of the card room. He
viii. soop be con petcnt to take charge of
a mill, and then he Will have one
do you consider the growth of cot
ton spinning in the South assured?'
Beyond question. 1t is only a ques
ton of capital and education. New mills
are springlrg up on all sides Of us and
all through the South. Our most remar
kable progress, however, is in the quality
OF our goods. We are now making the
grade of goods that New England a few
years ago was supposed to have the mon
opoly Of. | dyed with my own hands
the first piece Of colored cottons ever
wove in the South. Now it is being
made in many Southern mills"
''The South has the advantage in cost
| of manufacturer"
Il can demonstrate to any man that
there is a clear and indisputable advap-
tage ot | J to > cents q pound in favor of
the South, over New England. In this
day of competition and swift transporta-
ton this difference must tell tell at last.
We are in the dawn of the greatest in
dustrial development any section ever
saw"
Does the manufacture of other arti>
cles IN your State keep pace with the
spinning OF cotton?'
Hardly, | think. We have small fac
tories devoted to special industries build
ing here and there, but our people are
still dependent on the north for many
things. For example, we have the best
of walnut forests in Western North Car
DINA. Our people have sold the trees in
the rough and the buyers shipped them
north. made them into furniture and re-
shipped it to us. Even when the prices
went up SO that one walnut tree sold for
$40, they did not seem to understand
that there Was money IN working them
up. Near my factory there is abundance
OF timber suitable for shuttles. This is
sawed out and sent in bulk to the north.
Ibcre 1t Is made into shuttles and sent
back TO me. We are improving, how
ever, and this will all come right in time.
| nouced at Goldsboro, a cotton seed
OF null being put up, and another at
Newberne. There is probably nothing ia
which the South IS making such pro
gress, as IN the handling of cotton seed.
| believe that the number of oil mills in
the cotton States will be doubled in the
past year and this, and more than twice
as much iced worked up.
SOME CAROLINA MlLLIoNAIREs.
lind an unusually large number of rich
men IN North Carolina. There are sew
eral men that can be called m~iilionaires.
NJ. Paul Cameron, of Hillsboro, is worth
quite a million, and lost one thousand
slaves by the war. Mr.. r. S. Tucker, of
Raleigh, the great dry goods merchant.
s worth probably as much. Mr.. John
Gatling himself high into the hundred
thousands says Mr.. Tucker has a half
million IN convertible bonds, besides own
the best part of two banks, a large
amount OF real estate, and his enormous
business. Besides those | have mention
ed there are to be found two or three
men worth from a quarter to a half mil
iion IN almost every town IL the State.
Raleigh is the richest city.
Go he cOnt3nued.)
Maj Grady who writes the above Is
topping at Maj. Gen. Blacknalrs hotel.