Telegram-herald., 1886-12-24

Judge Kelley Tells Of the
South 5 Great Progress.
TIE DEVELOPMENT Or THE NEGRO.
World OF Mineral Wealth Yet IN
discovered fhefe-Ne~ Railroads
Thrifty Miners and Smslt-
ers. and the Cotton
Interests.

BAirlsoaz. Dec. 23.-The United Press
Is indebted 20 the Haa flcsares record for
= copy Of letter received f10m Hon. Wm
Kelly. OF Pennsylvania. ia which he gives
his observations of the lesouroes, prog tess,
and prospect u ths south during his recent
visit 10 renness-e and Alabama and S04tl-
ern states Mr. Kelly says
Il have points OF COMPARISON ia vivid
recol leciions OF a visit t0 the states 10 so.
OF .rips % Florida in 1871. and TO Macon.
Ca. ia lolj The progress IA wealth
of individual comfort and in pro-
ductiye power made by those portions
of the country with which / can thus insli-
tute comparisons has been nlaryelOus. IN
i~d- the South was land of desolAtion.
her nelds were fenceless aud uncsltivated.
and her people were without Productive
stock OF tAar With which 20 impsl modern
agricultural implements, had they beer. be-
slowed on them eratituOusly They were
numerically speaking, without seed for
food. crops, except " nat WAS bestowed np0n
them by personal friends or ths govern
ment through the Freedman's bureau and
the agencies Of the agricul-
tural department The war had
been the prOximete cause of these cOnd.-
ti0us but not the primary cause. which vas
10 be found IN the economic opinions aud
industrial system thai had dominated tbs
South before the war. nnder which she
neither hal nor desired u have pOpu-
iOus towns or cities which her then leaders
reesrded as Je7erson had done as erea.
sources" And Ar. Kelly quotes portion of
q speech made by himself IN I5il, a. Mont
ecmery, Ala. in vhich ne referred 10 the
vast mineral wealth oi the south. a.
Urged us development. The letter then
continues.
IN view Of the immense development of
the coal and iron ore OF these states and the
increase IN number and extent II industrial
centres. ] saw IN Tennessee and Alabama,
the states in which have most frequently
spoken in ls65, the recollection OF the re-
marks Just quoted made me ieel that well
instructed men among my auditors must
have felt that was treating them as
children ana giving them what might be
regarged IS kindergarten lesson
in the elements of civilization OF
the latter half OF the nineteenth
century. Certainly. they have outgrown
the need OF such elementary suggestions.
The change wrought from then Till now
has been marvellous, the systems of rail
roads that now traverse the South are per
feet in the construction Of road bed, and
track, and bridges, and in passenger cars;
the means provided for the transportation
of freight as good as those OF the North.
All roads branch from them into such val
levs as are known to be specially rich not in
iron alcne, but in after minerals, some of
which are found IN suCn profusion and iuxt-
apo.iti0n - 10 seem 10 defy geologic laws.
I have said that prior to the wal the South
neither had nor desired 10 have great cities.
In is also true that her statesmen preferred
that their workshops should be in foreign
lands and that the ships that exported their
products and brought them commodities III
exchange should be built and owned by
foreigners In this respect the contrast Is
most striking
Nashville is then spoken of as a beautiful
city and manufacturing srd commercial
centre and now the Judge visited a foundry
which uses no irons not made in Tennessee
or Alabama. From the ores from these
two states Chattanooga. characterized as a
city. whose industries are diversified, 1t
has. ard said to be- the largest in the
world. says the writer. "and the labor EN-
ploves are colOred. and it was in con-
nec.iOn with the homes Rf these
laborers THAI my attention WAS ~ drawn
10 the striking contrast between the neat.
commOdiOu5 aud well-painted home OF the
negro labOror in mining smelling aud me-
chauical pursuits. and the cabins which the
rOpr. while growers OF cotton live
now a. they did before the war"
lie pays high compliment 10 the pro-
gress OF the negro in the mechanical
branches and SAYS that the establishment Of
an industrial art and in midst OF pOpu-
latiOn ike the Chattanooga nail makers,
would soon produce gratifying evidence of
the adoption OF negro laOOreTs 20 mechanic
pursuits requiring high degree OF skill.