The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-07-08
About Cotton Factories.

Ldncutcf lteCteU.I
The cry Of "bring the mills to the cotton" Is
not being shouted so Justify In the South as II
was Il few years ago; and the Abnormal boom
which cotton fRctolies bad In the State for q
grief scnson has collapsed 20 suddenly Us tt
give rise 10 the suspicion that there Is moi 81
much money to be made at the business aftci
all. More than one factory III The South
some In the Statr, has had to close down
within the past twelve months. others havnl
paid any dividends In twice that length. OIL
time, willie not q few arc now running either
at u loss or bureIy making both ends meet. In
II conversation had some days ago with MIR
Ferguson Barber, the president OF the Fishing
Creek Factory In Chester country, lie nscriO
cd the present serious depression In the thu
business Of manufacturing cotton yarn TO the
close proximity CT the price of that article K
the average price of The raw materld, tht
prices being nearer together now tll,ln they
have been IN forty years. 1t Is the opinion Q
Mr.. Barber thrt there are ether mills wh'ci
ready closed down, but he expressed hilnsel
AS having great confident In the ultimate III
ture Of cotton fuctorles--ihosc that VIII bt
able to bridge over present difficulties.
Fe says there Is no doubt about the fnc1
that in factories where steam rover ~ EN-
ployed, they are being operated at u great dis
n advantage when compared to their more for
tunate competitors which are being run by
water p"wer; BY WY Of Proof, rI nc say :c,o IL
was broken by o heavy freshest, nnd FOR I'VE
weeks the mill had 10 be run by stcam.-uur:
ing that period II was aSccrlained by u strlcl
uccount, kept with the view OF learning The
difference, ii any, In the expense OF the tive
powers, that 1t cost just Sl1.I5 per day more IL
run the factory by steam power than by wa
ter power, tc say nothing OF the interest OH
the money invested In the cnglne. And nj
tina time Mr.. BARRIERS factory WAS only run
ming something over 400 Spindlcs. Mr. Bar
bcr suys lie has 600 acres OF land which any
one can take, and enjoy the rents and profits
therefore, us long Hs they Will pay him tho
difference between the average expense u
running 500 spindlcs by water and by steam,
Mr.. Barber freely comedies :he superiority
OF Northern skilled labor ever SIMILAR labor
available ut the South. He says Southern
mills have to run twelve hours III q day to nc
complish what the Northern mills do In ten.
When ask cd the question If yarn manuinc
turCu from seed cotton, as Is done By WHAT j.
known rs the Clement attachment process, l.
stronger and mere durable than that made
from lint cotton, Mr.. Barber replied most EN-
phaticatly that IL Is not. Hr says that even
his brother, who Is running u Clement attach
ment, has at last conceded the fact that hi.
yarn is no better han that made BY the usual
process. He says OF course the longer the lii
Is allowed to -cninin on the seed, drawing
strength rs IL does from the oil IN the seed
the better the thread will be, but 1t will make
no difference whether the yarn be made III
rect from the seed cotton or from the lint NJ
ter it hus beea separated from the seed by the
ginning process.
One Of the great disadvantages The South
erin factories have been laborinS under is the
very great expense, In the way OF cXoI bitan
commissions etc., attending tile sale Of thc!i
yarn on the Northern markets.