Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-12-10
FORTUNES IN THE SOUTH.
What the "Priuce of Nashville" says
About Them,
From the NetO York Tribune,

About Them.
From the New York Tribune.
The attention attracted to the South
western coal and iron fields has also
drawn attention to the men who are en-
gagged in promoting these enterprises.
W. NJ. Duncan, the Nashville banker,
who is sometimes spoken ofin New York
as the 'Prince OF Nashville" is promi-
nent in the number. He is man of small
stature, but we'll built, with a bullet
shaped head, a large square forehead and
a thoughtful expression. His gray hair
and moustache are kept closely trimmed.
Histalk about Southern affairs and South
efn men is intelligent and lively. He said
the other day:
sin the old time before the war the
Southern people gave their attention to
raising cotton. The man who was the
owner of large number of negroes and
cotton plantation had reached the
height of his ambition. He looked to the
increase of his negroes for his largest
profit. If he got dollar ahead ii was in
vested In more land or more negroes.
Since the war new era has come. We
have already developed men OF business
sagacity and grasp equal to the men OF
the North. The resources Of the States of
Tennessee and Alabama, with which | am
best acquainted, have remained uudevel-
oped all these years simply because our
people could not forget their early train
ing and the occupation in which they
We're educated by their fathers. They
knew nothing else. The general impress
sion that prevailed drought the North
that there was feeling OF opposition in
the South to all Northern people for many
years prevented the enterprising people
Of fhia Snotjnn from evan pOiu down fhnra
to look over the undeveloped properties.
Gradually men came to the front in the
South itself who have created their own
capital and, with sagacity and energy
have so far succeeded in developing the
resources of the mountains that thay have
brought their section into prominence.
Men of capital in the North have become
eager to join them in the turthering OF
what will eventually be a development
far beyond the anticipation OF the most
sanguine of the early workers in that re-
giOn."
MIR. Duncan referred to the pioneer
movements in the Birmingham region In
this way:
1.-The pioneer organization was the Ten
nessee Coal, Iron and Railroad Company,
located in Tennessee, but afterward alb
sorbing and consolidating with the Pratt
Coal and Iron Company and the Alice
furnace Company. bringing together two
of the largest properties based on coal and
iron in the South, and what promises to
be the largest in the world. You may un-
derstand something of the consideration
with which capitalists have regarded this
consolidation from the fact that when the
properties were 'listed' on the New York
Stock Exchange about year ago, the
stocks stood at 40c. The owners in
duced Northern men to go and look over
the region and the result is that the stocks
are now at 49,"
When Mr.. Duncan was asked TO tell
something OF the men who have been
pushing this territory to the front he
spoke first of EnOch Ensley, formerly of
Memphis, Tenn, now resident of Rir-
mingham, Ala, and President of the Ten
nesseee Coal, Iron and Railroad Com
pany. Mr.. Ensley, like nearly all the
other prominent men OF these developing
movements, is the son OF an old slave
owner, and he was himself slave owner.
The war partly impoverished him and his
father, and threw him on his own resour-
ces, causing him to develop the ability
with which he has handled the Birming-
ham property and brought it TO prosper
ity. He is about SO years of age and
millionaire. Another of the leading men
is Il, T. Hillman, who is at the head of
the furnace property OF that region. He
learned lron-making In Tennessee, where
his father was charcoal iron maker be-
fore him. He has recently gone from
Cumberland, Tenn, to Birmingham,
where he now lives, and is recognized rs
an authority in the iron world A. NJ.
Shook who is the general manager of the
two properties, was born in the noun
tains Of Tennessee and with his father was
a slave owner in the days before the war.
His business capacity IS considered great
and he has made both reputation and
wealth in the iron and coal business.
Concerning Col. John w. Thomas,
President of the Nashville and Chatta-
moo ga railroad, Mr.. Duncan said:
the modest and retiring disposition of
Col. Thomas would prevent him from De-
coming noticed unless some one should
speak for him. He has done as much as
any other man to induce capitalists from
the North TO come South ana help 10 de-
velop the coal and iron interest. AS
railroad man he has no superior In my
Judgment in the United States. When
he took charge OF the Nashville ana CHAT
tanooga road he adopted policy so DIFF
ferent from that of his predecessors that
the entire region Immediately felt the
beneficial effects, These are all Southern
men of whom l have told you. There are
also some Northern men who have shown
such deep interest as 10 make their Efforts
appreciable. Among them Is John II. In
man, of lnman, Swan & Co., the large
cotton house. He has spent money way
into the millions in developing the coal
and iron properties OF the south. VIII
liam Woodland and James Stillma1, Of
the firm OF Woodland & Stillman, have also
been prominent, as well as NJ. b. Fielding
and Nicholas Gwynn. OF the firm OF Field
ing q Gwynn. These are all cotton mer-
chants and millionaires, who are using
their money to some purpose when they
build up some Of the waste places and de-
yelop the neglected resources OF the
South. The people Of our section are do
ing everything in their power 10 make
Northern people feel welcome. They are
succeeding to some extent. l thlnk
il we understood the Western methods OF
advertising inducements TOR emigration 1t
would not be long until the South would
compare we'll with the West in the yIgor
OF her citizenship, IN stirring enterprise
and in growth OF material wealth"
To Mr. Duncan's list might be added
number of Northern men like Gen. Will
lard Warner, OF Tecumseh, Ala, who
have done magnificent work in develop
ing the material resources and particu-
larly the iron industry OF that region.
o the shaking OF the ague!
o the tortures of neuralgia!
O the misery OF dyspepsia