Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-11-01
MANUFACTURING IN TIE SOUTH.

In 1880 there were 16l cotton mills in
the South located i'll twelve States To-day
there are 20 mills, or a gain of l09 in four
wears
This statement standing alone speaks
volumes for the manufacturing progress Of
the South. 1t is admitted ly the New
Orleans Times DcmocfGt-if the admission
is needed to convince the doubtng-that
prior - the war the manufacturing in
dusry in the South was declining steadily.
Hinder the slavery system il could not be
Otherwise, since it is an axiom i'll economics
tina involuntary servitudc never can be the
basis of prosperity for a manufacturing
community. Slave labor drove free -killed
labor out of the market in the South, and
the latter IS the only true substructure for
manufacturing growth.
Between 1880 and 1860 there was regu-
La yearly decrease in the number Of hands
employed in manufactures in Kentucky
Alabama and North Carolina The real
revival Of industrial manufactures has &C
CURED between 1873 and 1881, the period in
which the South turned It's attention from
he mourniul past to the hopeful future.
What the progress will he in the next de-
cade, if liberal spirit continues to he
manifested toward capital and manu-
featuring industries j; is not difficult TO
forecast The spirit that once held labor
10 he a badge of disgrace has very largely
given place to the better sentiment that it
is the foundation Of all true prosperity, and
is a buIwaTk Of Republican institutions.
The manufacture Of cotton cloth hiss most
LARGELY reelected the new movement. and in
tn. line the advances made are scarcely
les than marvellous Prior to the war Of
the Rebellion the few cotton mills of the
So,rh were small atTlrs. hidden in ont Of
the way places, as If fearing to face the
menace of slave labor, and turned out only
a few coarse fabrics for home consumption
Now. the proiuc. Of the mills is OF the best
grades, and finds sale in the markets of the
world while the EIills have been brought
to an honorable front, and are pointed 20
with pride as indicative Of new era" We
have good authority for the statement that
the cotton mills of the South are to-day
uniformly dividend paying, and average
nearly double the profit in proportion to
the amount invested that is credited to tie
bsst mill enterprises Of New England
six years ago one cotton mill in Georgia
was doing business upon 500, 900 capital
to-day It's paid up capital is 81, 100000, and
lis profits amount TO 20 per cent. At
Augusta one establishment six years ago
with 100000 capital paid = per cent. to-
day its capital IS ENLARGED t. the prestige of
100000 and pays - pc. cent.-a division
of profits being effected by the incoming of
new factories The mills throughout the
Soutl are en- argjng, and their business is
of the safest character. We learn that The
small est mill OF the 30 now in operation.
is one of 200 spindles with but 81 900 capitol
But ii spins direct from the seed, by 4 new
process, and its profit IS no less than 20 per
cent. The average dividend of mills in
South Carolina was 22l per cent. in 1881 and
but a little less since. Georgia and South
CarO1na boast Ine most eHectlNe ana eco
nomical water powers in the Union, and
these are now being quite freely ayailed Of.
South Carolina in 1850 had II working cot
ton mills, to-day she has 81, II OF the in
crease being added in the years 1872. In
1850 she had 1.776 looms, 92,7SS srindles,
and employed 2,19j wolkmen, and within
two years time these were augmented to
4.12O looms, 1S0,7oi spirdes, and 1862
hands, receiving $72S,9 800 wages TO $40, jos
paid in 1880. But a short time ago Missis-
sippi had but one cotton mill, that at
Wesson. The product of that mill took
the premium at the Centennial Exposition
To-day there are Il mills in the State and
the capital stock of 100000 in 1875 has
risen to S13,o00oooin 1884. Texas had two