The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1890-04-24
The Story of the Census.

YORK tribune on the next census reveals
a story that it will not be pleasant for
the east to contemplate. 1t points to
the fact that the sceptre is passing
assuredly from the East to the West and
South, and that the South will increase
more largely in political power by the
apportionment under the census of 1890,
than any other part of the country Out
of 1853 members of Congress, the South
and West will have 29S; and out of 437
electoral votes, they will have 3l2, or
three-fourths of the political strength OF
the country. The further fact is ex-
posed that the increase in the popula-
ton of the West and South is much
larger than in the Eastern and Middle
States, and that by the time another
census is taken the disproportion will be
SO great that the South and West will
be practically the government. The
South is just entering upon an era OF
development. The untold and I'M
touched natural wealth South of the
Potomac has just been scratched over in
spots. When systematic development
commences when railroads projected
shall have been completed, when others
shall have been organized and pushed
to consummation; when the unlimited
mineral wealth shall have been partially
utilized; when the vast forests of timber
shall have been brought into use for the
Of 70 ofr tho nv
tensive wastes of land shall have been
subjected to the skill of the husband
man; then it will be seen that the South
will hold one-half the wealth and one
half of the political power of the country.
1t will be the seat of the cotton indus
tries of the world; it will be the theatre
of the iron manufacture of United
States, and it will produce all the
cereals and all the plants that can
be grown upon American soil, and pro
duce them to more perfection and in
greater abundance than any other part
of the habitable globe.
The South is in her infancy yet in
material development. she is yet in
swaddling clothes. She will grow to the
strength of "a giant. and do so rapidly
The sceptre of political power will pass
to her control, and her wealth will be
beyond computation.
Referring to the progress of the South
since the war, the Manufacturers Re
cord colates the following authentic
figures and facts
The money loss to the South from the
civil war, according to the Record, was
at least S., 900, 900, 900, or nearly twice the
total amount of capital invested in man
ufactures in the United States in $780,
The assessed value of property in the
South in 1860 was $1,000, 900; in 1889
it was but s., 220, 166, 400, showing that
the losses of war and reconstruction
have hardly yet been repaired. But the
progress in recent years has been fast.
From 1880 to 1889 the increase of assessed
values was $1.306, 729, 927. The true value
as distinguished from assessed value,
! has increased, the Record thinks, by
twice that amount There is at present
in several States, we observe, a ''fiashn
prosperity at certain points where spec
ulators are booming town lots, but apart
from this the progress Of the past DECADE
has indeed been wonderful. The cotton
crop in 1880 was 5, 1855, 1853 bales, worth
$313, 696, 452; in 1890 the figures are 1885,
900 bales. worth $500, 0G0, 600. There were
in 1880 but 161 cotton mills, with 667, S54
spindles; ip 1889 the numbers are 1856
mills and 2,035, 26S spindles. In corn,
wheat and oats there has been a gain of
221 900, 900 bushels since 1879, and in live
stock there has been a gain in values of
SIT, 700, 900. Railroads have grown from
20, 51s miles to 40.521 miles, the amount
expended on railroads since 1879 being
about $500, 900. The foreign com
merce of the South has greatly increased.
Its exports grew from 1929, ISL .55S in 1888
to 1890, $40, 296 in 1889. The production
of pig iron in the South In 1880 was 397,-
301 tons; in 1889 the product was $780,
702 tons. AS about so furnaces, with an
average capacity of 100 tons per day, are
under contract and in process of con-
struction, the output promises to be
largely incraased in the near future.
there has been a corresponding increase
offoundries, rolling mills, machine shops
&C.. TO convert the crude material into
higher forlas The coal output has also
been RAPIDLY increasing. In 1880 it was
6,049, All tons: in 1889 it was 19,497,4fS
tons. The 40 cotton seed oil mills Of the
census year, with a capital OF $3,504, 800,
nave grown to 2l3 mills, With S20, 00O,00O
of capital. The lumber industry has
greatly increased, the recent investments
in timber lands being estimated as high
as $100,0Ga, 600. Phosphate rock mining,
fruit growing, trucking and canning are
industries that bring new and large re-
turns to the South. With the increase
of business since 1879 there has naturally
been a rapid increase of banking facili
flies The number of national banks,
for example, in the year named, was 220,
with 50. 40S,9S5 of capital in 1889 the
number had ss1wa to 47s, with capital
of $76, 454510. At the sage time there
was very large and wholesome growth
of savings banzs-a sure evidence of in
creasing thrift. A gratifying eircum
stance ip connection with the industrial
advance Of the South indicated by the
figures here quoted is the fact that it is
mainly the work of the Southern people
themselves. Southern capital and South
ern labor have solved the problem of
progress under conditions that are
weighing down other sections of the
Union. Southern energy and enter
prise" says the Record, "are mainly en-
titled to the credit for what has been
accomplished.