The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-02-12
:; RICHEST IN THE UNION.
South carolina's' s'claim to that HIgh:Rank.

/ Let US see how Col. McClure's estimate
of South carolina's progress, ito begin
with, is warranted by the facts. Taking
our banking capital, We have about
fourth of what we had before the war.
To offset this, we have some 600 miles of
railroad in excess of what we had before.
This, at an average of $4,000 per mile
for road aud equipment, amounts to
S9,000,000. This alone meets the whole
shrinkage in banking capital. In manu-.
featuring establishments of all kinds, the
capital employed in total manufactures
in South Carolina in 1860 was Sc, ,900, 900,
in 1880 s11 200, 900, in 1884 SIS, 700 900,
in 1885 $l7.0O0,OOO. We thus see to-day
grain Of some $40, 1000, 900 on the ante.
bellum period.
Our agricultural product stands 700,0 900
bales of cotton (4O0 pounds,) average for
the present period, against $4,000 in
1860. Our grain product in 1928 in
Indian corn and small grain was some
$4,000, 1000 bushels, against 100000 in
1860. Our rice and sea island crops have
sunk about an average of 80 per cent. on
ante. bellum averages.
The flesh crop has leen necessarily
much reduced, owing to the years of rev.
olution and confusion encountered since
the war, along with the great destruction
suffered in all kinds of live stock during
the war. Nevertheless, at no time in the
history of the State has there been so
much interest and enterprise in the i'm.
provement of stock in all parts of the
State. So that to-day we have stock of
the very best strains in nearly all sec.
tions of the State, and more care is being
devoted to this branch of agricultural
industry than ever before known in the
history of the State.
It is no idle word then of Col. Mcclure
when he speaks of the progress made by
South Carolina in the last eight years.
Now, as to the superiority of resources
assigned US, there is this to be said:
During the colonial period the British
Government always held South Carolina
as the favored colony of all. Just before
the war Elwood Fisher astonished the
North and our own statesmen, uninform.
ed then as now, with the startling state.
ment that South Carolina was the richest
State in the Union in proportion to her
population. When challenged to the
proof he proved it beyond all question.
We need not repeat after him now the
facts and figures which lie before us in
the Federal statistics of 1860. The
carpet.bag Governor Chamberlain always
contended that South Carolina's resources
exceeded those of any other State in the
Union.
Taking the whole thing together, we
may proudly point to our exposition at
New Orleans In cotton we stand at the
head of the list. In the grains we are
second to none as to the quality. We
grow the best rice in the world. Cur
sweet potatoes are as good as the wo.ld
can afford. Our exposition in hay is
astounding. We show four kinds, Means
grass, Bermuda, crab, pea.vine and millst,
all showing that South Carolina cau't be
exceeded as hay producer. Our wood
exposition has taken everybody BY sur.
prise, comparing most favorably with
that of California. We have the very
best iron ore in the Union. Our mineral
products are by no means Insignificant.
Our water power, all told, is the most
abundant, never failing and the cheapest
in the Union.
1t is no extraordinary claim for South
Carolina to say that she can comfortably
sustain five times her present population
and feed them all from her affluent
bosom. Col. Mcclure is mistaken in
saying that South Carolina never fed her
people from her own soil. She did do
this before the war. For whilst she i'm.
ported some food she exported more than
she got beyond her borders.-Columbid
Reqister.