Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1886-12-30
A REMARKABLE SHOWING.
WHAT HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED m
THE SOUTH DURING 1886.

Enormous Investments of Capital in Iu-
dustriaI Enterprises - Iron and Steel
Plants Springing Up Throughout the
South-other Interests Which Are At
tracing Attention.
BALTIMORE, Nd, Dec. S0.-ln its annual
review of the industrial progress of the south
a Baltimore trade journal In this weeks issue
will say that the Year 1876 has been the most
remarkable in many years in the history CT
the southern states. and more has been ac-
complished for the prosperity and progress
of the whole south than ever before in any
year This is shown il the enormous in
vestment OF capital in industrial enterprises
and in the growth of confidence among
northern and European investors in the
stability of the souths iron and other manu-
featuring interests The amount of capital,
including capital stock of incorporated COM
anies, represented by the new manufactur'
ing and mining enterprises organized or
chartered in the south during 1886, including
the engagements of old plants and rebuilding
of mills aggregates, S129 .!s26, 900, against
Sex, Sl2 900 in 1885.
The iron interests have attracted the great
| est share of attention, and some gigantic en-
| terprises have been organized and are now
| building furnaces. The Tennessee Coal,
Iron and Railroad company, with a capital
of Sln, 900, 900 has five furnaces in operation
and is building five more, besides coke ovens
and opening new coal mines. The Sloss Iron
and Steel company, with an investment of
| IS, COX, 900, has two furnaces now and has
| ,rixr fnr .r.rn oil
| build a steel plant. The Birmingham Fur
mace and Manufacturing company, with a
capital of s., 500, 900, has just been organized
by Pennsylvania capitalists to build two fur
naces. Five furnaces are to be built at Shelf
field, three at Florence, two at Bessemer, and
several at other places. The aggregate of
new furnaces represented for the year was
twenty eight, most of them from l0o, 600 to
150, 900 pounds daily capacity. One Bessemer
steel-rail mill is nearly finished, one Besse-
mer plant has been completed, one is under
way, bids have been invited for the construc-
ton of another, and several other steel plants
have been decided upon
Other interests, as well as iron. however,
are being rapidly developed, and included
in the list of new enterprises organized In
| the south during 1886 were 2S iron furnaces,
50 ice factories, 6S foundries and machine
shops many of them of large size. Bessemer
steel rail mill, 20 miscellaneous iron works
including iron pipe works, bridge and bolt
works, and eight stove foundries, 20 ga'
works, "a electric light companies, II egri
cultural implement factories, Ia mining ana
quarrying enterprises, lbcarrlage and wager
factories, Q cotton mills 25 furniture fac
tories, - water works, IS tobacco factories
% flour mills, iSS lumber mills mot includ
ing small portable saw mills, including saw
and planning mills, sash and door factories
stave, handle, shingle, hub and spoke, shut
tie block factories, etc in addition to which
there was large number of miscellaneou
enterprises. One of the most gratifying
features of the south's industrial progress i
the wide diversity of new industries that ar
developing all through that section.