The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1888-07-05
SOUTHERN INDUSTRIAL DE-
yELOPMENT.


The Baltimore Manufacturers Re
cart of June goth, publishes an ex-
hibit OF the South's industrial progress
for the first six months of 1885, as
with the first six months OF
1887 and 1886. The comparison is
most satisfactory as showing the rapid
industrial development of the Southern
States, There is a wide diversity OF
new enterprises. The Manufacturers
Record says:
In looking over the whole field OF
Southern industrial progress, the pros
poets were never before, we think,
more cheering. Though there is less
excitement than marked the later part
Of 1886 and the early months Of 1887,
and fewer great iron companies are or
ganizing, yet there is more general
diversified development, and in all
lines as we'll as in all parts ofthe South
increasing activity in manufacturing
and railroad interests. and hence in
creasing prosperity is found.
The South is now about to reap the
benefits. of the gigantic iron plants, the
building of which has virtually locked
up SO much capital for r. months or
more. The new furnaces, about which
so much has been said, are one after
another going into blast, and thus are
becoming wealth creators. For over
year vast sums of money have been
into tbei- constitution into the open
ing of new mines to furnish them with
ore and coke and limestone, and into
new railroads to handle the immense
traffic which they will develop. Now
there is to be change. A number of
these furnaces have already blown in,
and at Ensley, Bessemer, Nashville,
Pulaski, Lynchburg, Birmingham and
elsewhere they are creating from the
hitherto valueless, because unused,
materials great wealth, which must
inevitably help to bring prosperity to
the whole South. The production OF
pig iron alone in Alabama next year
will greatly exceed III value the entire
value of all manufactures in that State
in 1880, and when to this we add the
product of the immense rolling mills
car works, car wheel works, stove
foundries, machine shops and kindred
iron enterprises which have been es'
tablished during the last few years, ii
addition to other manufactures o.
wood, cotton, fertilizers, etc., we car
gain some idea of what this industrial
development means. In 1880 the value
of the manufactured products of Ala
bama was S13,ooo,ooo and the value
of the agricultural products $4,000,
900, OF considerably more than fou
times as great In 1889 the value O
the products of the manufacturing ane
mining. interests of that State will
exceed the average yearly value of al
agricultural products. Moreover, tn
manufacturing and mining product
will next year furnish fifty times a
i, uluCn ncignt 10 the railroads. as tn
entire cotton crop Of the State. VIVA
, Alabama is doing in developing he
industrial resources is being vigorously
followed by every Southern State. Il
Tennessee, in Kentucky, in the VIZ
t ginias, the Carolinas, Georgia, ant
even through Mississippi, Arkansas
Louisiana and Texas, this increase il
the magnitude of the manufacturing
r interests is going on with surprising
rapidity. Possibly the gain in these
y States has not been quite so marked a
=. in Alabama, but still it has been won
derful to contemplate.
n While this marvellous industrial de
q velopment which is SO revolutionary
many interests, has been in progress,
. has not been made at the expense @
agriculture. On the contrary, it ha
e greatly helped the farmers. To man
S of them it has furnished home marke
. for fruits and vegetables, which IS no,
!. becoming a most important industry
Il and to all of them it has given ne,
inspiration to still greater work in tn
h development Of the agricultural re
It sources of their country. 1t has thrille
:, the whole South with new energy an
new life, and the farmers, as we'll a
those directly engaged in industria
4 pursuits, have felt Its beneficial effect
: In view Of the phenomenal activit
h in the organization of new manufac'
o uring and mining companies durin
1887, it might have been very NATURAL
supposed that there would be somethin
d OF lull this year until the period {
l. construction had passed and these er
4 terprises had gotten under full heaC
way. To some small extent this
true, more especially in the iron inter
9 ests but, on the other hand, there b;
been even greater activity in the e:
y tablishment OF diversified industrie
,e Co,ton-mill building has been pushe
-, with great vigoy, and this lndustr.
:" which ought to surpass even the iron il
J terests in magnitude, promises to col
se tinue is growth until much of the CO
n ton raised in the South is manufacture
r. there.
One of the most noticeable featur
r of the development of new industrie
4 new at least to much Of the South,
r the canning business, Factories f
L. canning fruits and vegetables a