Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-08-10
THRIFTY COLUMBUS.
Interesting Facts and Figures About
the City on the Chattahoochee.

Columbus (Ga.) Enquirer-Swn.
Everywhere in Columbus the stranger
sees signs of improv ement. AS we write
this we hear the hammers ringing with 8
clamorous twang, making music TO the
glee Of the carpenters just across the
way, who are erecting a handsome resi-
dence.
The progress of Columbus ind ustries
have grown proverbial. Our people don y
make any fuss about it, but Columbu 6
has the proud distinction of being tn {
scene of the very last battle foug hit in the
war between the States. On April 10
1866, the battle took place just across the
| river. The Federals won and obtained full
possession of the city; the next day the
burned 1000 bales of cotton, valued in
New York at 81 20 per pound, and every
industry Of the second man ufacturlng
city in the South was destroyed except
two Touring mills. This was twenty odd
years ago, and the Enquirer-Sun does
not propose to kick up any row about ii
now, but no excuse has ever been rem
dered for this outrage save the desire OF
wanton destruction and the ruin OF our
people. The plea of Gen. Wilson, the
officer In command Of the raid, was that
of the robber-military necessity. Gen,
Lee surrendered April 8, and Gen. John
ston on April 90 of the same year.
And what a dark and desolate spot 1t
/ left Columbus.
But the people of Columbus are like
ipecac-you can't hold them down.
AS soon as the shock was over our PEG.
Lple began the work of recuperation. The
result OF twenty years of endeavor stand
! a monument to the enterprise, vim and
pluck of our citizens. Every year shows
an increase commencing with ashes.
Facts gathered from our own books
and from the books OF our manufacturing
institutions show the gradual advance
until our oity Is now one of the most pro-
gressive 10 all the South. The city of Co.
| iumbus lie true type of Southern progress
| sion. 1t puts to flight the usual state.
ment that Northern capital is necessary
to the perfect development of the South
| and her resources.
Let US see for a moment what we have
EStarting with nothing in 1865, our textile
manufactures alone make products to
the amount of 81, 130,6S5 annually. They
pay to the operatives over $500, 000-in eX.
act figures $3.50, 519-each year in wages
| They give employment to more than 1900
| people, and have an investment of So, $780,
1913 capital stock.
There was a small concern some people
| OdllCu run WOLhb dU bu6 CtOb6 vi bu6 Wal
| but now we refer to the fact with much
| pride that Columbus has the largest iron
works south Of Richmond. What has the
! figures to say upon this subject? There
| Is an investment of $452, 900 in iron manu-.
| featuring and the annual value of the
products is $576,920. These institutions
distribute yearly S142, 1914 in wages to the
employees.
In Touring and grist mills there is an
| investment OF $195, 900 with product OIL
about 100000, and various other indus.
tries which swell the aggregate TO an in.
vestment of 1854, 100, and show product
valued at $4,151, $3.50.
We have said that Columbus Is pros
porous and fourishing city; let's see Il
the figures bear out the assertion. To re
! capitulate: We annually use raw ma
terIal to the amount of $2.445, 100. From
that we have products valued at 81, 161,
$50, or an excess of 81, $3.50, 1850. After pay
ing out $949, 80S in the cost of production
there is still an excess of $670,551 in the
treasury of our paying institutions.
| That sounds something like prosperity,
and yet this Is only part of our pro
| gress.
All this has been accomplished witt
home brains, energy and money.
Such progress and such favorable show
| ing puts Columbus certainly in no NEAR
| light. We occupy no back seat in textile
manufactures, the grandest industry o.
the nineteenth century-an industry
which fosters the cultivation Of our pecu
liar staple and largely enhar ces it's value
AN industry which supports thousands
of widows and orphans In that most com
mendable way--honest labor. Already
we are known from Maine to California al
the chief cotton manufacturing city OF tn,
| South. Ours is no finished city; 1t ha
| Just begun to grow. Seeing the lusty ant
Interesting child it is, we desire to let it
prattle be heard.
Columbus is solid financially as we'll al
in business way.
| Mr.. John BlacKmar, the broker and rea
estate agent, recently sold $4,000 cfty o
Columbus per cent. bonds at 103. Thi
| is as good as the State of Georgia can do
for at this price they paw almost the sam,
as the new Georgia AZ per cent. thirty
year bonds, as the State bonds are non
taxable and the city bonds pay State ant
county tax, .six.tenths OF l per cent. II
referring to his sales registered of stock
and bonds Mr.. Blackmar tells US that thu
price OF our city bonds from 1880 to th,
| present time has been: