Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1886-03-13
Seeking the South
Fort Worth Gazette.


The following paragraph from a
leading trade journal published in
New York City is significant: eff
cotton goods cannot be made in Maine
or New Hampshire or Fall River or
Providence to sell at profit, owing
to high freight, why, then we shall
move the looms to the cotton fields of
Alabama, Georgia and Louisiana and
save all the expense on bulky freight,
and then we shall be able to send out
the cheapest and best cotton goods
the world has ever been able to buy
for the money" Tuesdays Gazette
contained specials from the towns of
Bolton, Albanyand Gainesvillein this
State, all of them bringing the cheer
ing news that capitalists were pro-
speeding with view to the establish
ment of wooden mills in those places.
Join the item from the New York
Journal to the Gazette's specials, and
a faint inkling may be had of the
mighty movement that is headed
Southwark. Heretofore the advan-
tage has been with the North. She
had costly plants before the South
ever dreamed of being aught but an
agricultural region. She had skilled
labor and capital at her command.
The South had rich fields and a glori-
Gus climate, but was content to stop
when she had produced the raw ma
terial. That day of utter dependency
has passed. The looms have already
commenced to move to the cotton
fields, but as yet only the advance
guard. A little while longer and
there will be legions. A splendid
start has been made. Under the
magic of machinery the poor old
WORKOUT State of Georgia has taken
a new lease of life. The marvellous
growth of Atlanta attests the virtue
of her factories, and the cotton mills
of Columbus send their agents 1900
miles toward the setting sun. The
iron furnaces of Alabama have made
the hearts of Pennsylvania capitalists
sicken as they saw young and for.
midable rival invading their own
territory and selling their own peculiar
products for less money than they
could afford to take.
What Georgia and Alabama have
done, Texas can do in ten-fold de
gree. Her possibilities are much
grander, as her limits are broader
At new Braunfels, between Austir
and San Antonio, there is one of tn,
most successful wooden mills in TIT
South. The fame of the cashmere
there turned out by the thrifty Teuton
in charge of the institution has sprea(
all over the State. The excellen
cloths sell readily to Texas wearers
and the stockholders haveneve failet
to reap good dividends. If woolel
mill can be run successfully in New
Braunfels, why not at Bolton, Alban,
and Gainesville? Whynotanywher
sufficient means can raised to found
plant?
1t can be done; and more, it Wi
be done. But this applies not merel
to industries of one peculiar class-t
cotton or wooden mills alone. Thi
is but the beginning, the preface t
the opening of huge volume i
which will be recorded the achieve
ments of a new epoch-a golde
epoch, too in the history of the Soutl
land. Factories for making farm in
plements, rolling stock for railroads
wagons, buggies, boots and shoe
clothing, and the countless things thu
modern man demands, are swift
coming South. A decade hence an
the hum of spindles that make merr
music along the banks of the Chatt'
hoochie will be duplicated along IL
Colorado and the Trinity. Columbl
will have counterpart at Fort Wort
and Birmingham at Jefferson. Th
is no idle boast, no arrogant assum]
ton of inflated local pride. 1t is
prediction that will be fulfilled, for
is manifest destiny the fates have
decreed. The "star Of empire
which has tended to the West, is no
turning South. 1t will shine stea
fastly and forever on the fairest lar
the Creator ever fashioned, inhabitt
by prosperous, powerful and progre
Sive people.