The Charlotte Democrat., 1889-05-10
North Carolina.
In and about Charlotte.

he ~~~~S~~~~
town of it's size in the whole South with
more live men IN it, more push and enter
prise, more thrift and tidiness, than Char
lotte. The business portion of it has the
general look of one of our Northern cities,
while the residences are of more modern
architecture than found 10 most cities In
the far South. There is a hustle along
the streets and hustling up and down
which causes one to wonder If he has not
made slip somewhere and brought up
in Georgia. A stranger dosen't want
over half an hour in Charlotte before feel
ing that be can safely predict that it ia
destined to become an important business
center within the next ten years. 1t has
laid the ground work for it in the most
substantial manner, and it has class OF
business men who possess all the pluck
and enterprise needed to start boom and
keep it going.
Charlotte, like all other towns in North
Carolina has history running back TO
the revolution and beyond. 1t was for
many years called Mecklenburg, and it
was here that the Declaration of Independ-
ence was born. More than a year be-
fore the Old Liberty bell at Philadelphia,
sent forth the glad tidings of revolution
the people of North Carolina were in re.
volt and a declaration full of fight had
been signed in convention at Mecklen-
burg. The town has had many and
strange rulers and witnessed many and
queer changes. When the Confedsrates
evacuated Norfolk, the navy yard was
moved to Charlotte, being the only case
recorded in history where navy yard
was established in town several hundred
miles from water deep enough to float a
ship It was busy point during the
war. and it's railroad connections made it
very important one for the Confed-
crates.
Charlotte has all the conveniences of a
city of $4,000 people, including fine
system of drainage, and it would be hard
to find town where the streets are better
kept. Belgian block pavement is being
laid on its main streets this spring. and
other public improvements looking to
convenience and comfort will be carried
out during the Summer.
A year or two ago the citizens deter
mined to establish cotton mill on the CO.
operative plan. Subscriptions were taken
from white and black, male and female,
old and young, and in any sum which the
subscriber felt he could pay. The enter
prise was carried through so swiftly and
successfully that two others were entere d
upon, and Charlotte today has three cot
ton factories humming away which owe
their existence entirely to the people.
The fourth and largest one was built by
capitalists, and all are making money.
The cooperative plan should have a
word OF commentator. It is singular that
it is not practiced more extensively, both
north and south. Here was town with
out a mill, though handling thousands OF
bales of cotton every season, and having
the best of railroad facilities as manu-
featuring point. Subscriptions were
opened and the merchant came in with
his $5 per week, the blacksmith with bis
So, the mechanic with his 81; and the
drayman and the laundress with from
two to four "bits." Each was bound to
pay so much weekly. In a little time
there was money enough to buy site.
In few m ore months the building was
completed. The manager then went
North and got the machinery On time,
| and when pay day came the local banks
advanced the money and were secured by
the real estate. None of the mills are
vet out of debt, but each one is earning
at least 800 per week to apply with the
subscriptions on the indebtedness. Could
anything be easier?
For several years there have been two
or three building and loan associations in
Charlotte, and all of them have been sue.
cessful. was shown fifty homes which
poor people had secured through these as
sociations, and which they could not have
possibly secured otherwise. Cooperation
has had wonderful effect upon the work
ing classes. 1t has taught them to be
saving, economical, and temperate, and
thus made valuable citizens of them.
Men who had formally drank up from 80
to o. week are now stockholders in some
of the factories and occupying their own
homes. Many of the colored people are
contributors and sharing the benefits, and
it has worked change in them for the
better.
Agricultural-It is beautiful country
about Charlotte, and tie farmers are a
pretty thrifty class I rode ont to the
Wadsworth farm to see a sample OF what
a Southernor can dc when he turns his at.
ScuCIOW W oSI1CuIIuIc' Aucto 0ie oGV
acres in all, and OF these 224 are 10 grass,
the varieties being clover, orchard grass,
timothy aud lacerne Timothy and clio.
yer are sowed together on the low land,
and cut two crops per year. The lucerne
is q sort of clover, and can be cut as many
as four times per year. 1t stands any
sort of weather and by narrowing and
top. dressing field will stand fifteen or
twenty years without re-seeding. This
grass has a root which sometimes strikes
into the soil twelve or fifteen feet.
Oats are here seeded in September and
cut in June. Five bushels of seed are
used TO the acre, and the yield ON this
farm for several years past has been 1875
bushels to the acre. Wheat has run az
high as forty-6ve bushels to the acre. but
that is way above the average. There is
FIVE acre vineyard on the farm, contain
ing twenty-five varieties of grapes. No
account of sales of grapes was kept last
year, but $500 worth of wine was made
and disposed Of The orchard has several
varities of apples, and pears and plums
are always good yield. Mr. WadswGrth
has experimental with cabbage TO that
point where be has cleared 800 per acre.
He feels confident that his profit can be
main tanned up TO twenty acres. The pro-
fit on the farm last year was $50 per acre