Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-04-13
SLEEPY sOUTTEREERs AVA GING

1t is most encouraging to see from the
DRIFT Of the public journals published within
the cotton belt that cotton-growers and cotton
dealers are becoming wide awake as to the
importance Of manufacturing cotton where
the cotton grows. There are thousands who
were asleep on the point. They knew there
was a cotton factory here aud there 10 tue
South, and had heard that as an investment
they paid pretty well; but even these victims
OF the narcotic apathy which is the bane Of
our part of the Union have been walked
up" When they found that E islern manu-
faoturels wsre applying to the railroads to
help them out, or the Southern factories
would soon be in possession OF the Western
trad, which is every year becoming of more
Importance TO them, the apstheiic were
startled. Opening their eyes and stretching
their lmbs they absolutely discovered
that the East have most lively sense of
facts Of which they themselves were az ig-
norant as The donkeys in one of Jupiter's
moons. The Southern cotton factories TAX
ing from the Eastern cotton mills an i'm
portant portion of their trade in manufac-
tured cottons? Incrediblel Yet figures and
facts, when examined, proved that it was
even 20. add now not few Of the stick-in::
the-muds are actually irquiring whether
cotton mill in their own neighborhoods
might not be good thing. Let them in
quire, ard study, and think, and pencil in
hand figure matters out, and they will dis
cover that while they have been doing and
noddipg, and sending the mule 10 mill with
piece of rock in a bag on enc side of its
shoulders to balance the bag OF corn on the
other, people with open eyes aud some celer-
ity of movement have been making money
by investing in cotton mills. The recently
awakened are even brought to the verge of
suspectiug that when the black man was
emaucipated the white man was tmanci-
p4ted also, and that really, after all, old
things hare passed away. 1t does indeed be-
giu to look that way, VIII, n We read in The
official report of the National Cotton Ex-
change for 1881 80, that 81 ,643 bales Of cotton
were consumed ia the South during the ear,
an increase Of more than twenty-seven per
cent. over the yesr before; that the old cot
ton mills we're kept busy, that new mills
were in operation, and that other mills were
10 the course of construction. 1t wss esti-
mated that the new mills would run 100000
spindles in addition to the $4,000 running
bsfore, an increase OF over forty five per
cent, and that when all the mills now buffd-
ing are completed, the South will consume at
the rate Of Sol 900 bales year BY
next September S.ndirg out 36l 600
bales Of cotton in manufactured goods
each year, instead of in raw material for
other people 10 manufacture and We to buy,
means money saved aad fortunes made in
way rhe South fifty years ago little dreamed
OF. But the Northern spinners last year
took ,677 58l bales, 80 we see there is plenty
OF room yet for more mills at the South, for
the South will have the manufacturing OF all
the heavy cotton goods. The South makes a
better article than the East, much of It out
OF cotton never under the compress, and none
OF it weighted By the addition Of terra alba
sizing. Let the South get the heavy cottons,
let it keep the name it has alreacy gained,
and then the manufacture will not be con-
fined TO heavy fabrics. The East began with
heavy goods, and the South viii end
with light and fine goods OF a quality
neither Massachusetts nor Manchester
can outrival. These are rousing facts
for sleepy Southerners, even should they live
in Memphis, aud when they have rubbed
their eyes 10 the seeing point they might as
well set about putting their surplus capital
into the cotton-spinning business, that will
bring home trade. Ii there is anywhere &
lingering doubt as TO the prospects OF the
Southern mills. let the following from the
New York Times, in an article discussing the
railroad application Of the Eastern mile, be
considered: "The more this complaint is
discussed the clearer it becomes that unless
the railroads behave with almost unprecs
denied generosity TO the New England and
New York producers and dealers in CHEAP
cotton goods, the Southern mills will get ant
keep the Western market" Add 10 this tbs
following from the New York Sun: "Tht
danger that threatens the New Englanl
manufacturers is imminent. The sign
sharply indicate that they are to be forGsC