The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-02-14
The English View Of oar Wonderful In
dustrial Growth.

dustrial Growth.
The London Financial News Of January
ID deyOtes a column 10 the progress Of the
southern states, which is republished as
follows:
The most interesting feature recently in
the development Of the United states has
been the wonderful strides which have been
made by the Southern States. The remark
able industrial growth Of these states is not
confined 90 few sections. but is general,
and even the less favored states have, in
spite of every drawback, taken up their
position alongside with the leaders. AT the
end Of the war. the south was completely
PROSTATE, and for many years it seemed as
though the shattered states would never re-
cover from the blow they had received. The
losses entailcd upon the South by the war
were estimated at fl.O0O.00O,OOO. In 1850,
before the rebellion, the total assessed value
Of property ia the United states was -, i0O,-
OOO. 900, of which the south had tl.Ol0,OOO,-
900, or a per cent; whereas in 1870, five
wears after the close Of the civil war, the
total for the country was -, Sii. 600, 900, Of
which the South had only I6l2, 100000. In
fact. so completely PROSTATE did the con-
diti0n Of the Southern States appear
10 be that, % the outsider, the pos
sibility Of their recovery seemed too
remote 30 De calculated upon. Their pow
NIIN ItN-fU AIIN IIAIlNINUs ANIif hI TWO
states struggled 90 their feet. but their very
prosperity only revealed in holder outline
the poverty of the others. The South, an
fact. came 90 be thought Of only In cOnnec-
ton with penury and reputation. But, UNI
seen and almost unnOiccd. the south has
been working with Will for the quarter Of
a century since the rebellion. A new gem
GRAFTON has sprung up. which constitutes
to-day the brain and muscle Of the So o..
The "pOOr white has come 10 the front.
while the educated sons OF the formerly
wealthy land ana slaye-Owning classes.
who. but for the war, would have lived. rich
and indOlent. upon their plantations, have
thrown themselves into the industrial strug-
Gle. and taken the places 20 which they are
entitled by their talent and education. They
lave. indeed. made a great effort. beside
which 10 may be almost said That the strug-
gle OF the war was comparatively small.
The results of what the south has accom-
plishe are almost entirely shown in the
char es Of the past ten years, for 10 was
only i'm 1880 that the Southern States began
20 recover the position they had occupied
twentyeyears before. The assessed value OF
/ the property of the South i'm 1870 was nearly
at lOW-Water mark; for ever since she has
been recovering. slowly at first but in leaps
and bounds in the last ten years. During
this last-named period the increase in the
value % the assessed property Of the south
has been over II per cent. The state debt
OF the twelve Southern states Is to-day SIS
OOOOUO, against t2j.O0O.OOO in $50; but
whether "a part Of this decrease is accounted
for by the unfortunate population OF the
past is not stated. There has during the
same period been an increase Of the surplus
in the National banks Of 1876 per cent, as
compared with 40 per cent. in the
North and 50 per cent IN the West. The
number of national banks has more than
doubled-fr0m 22O 10 4l2-and the capital OF
these banks is nearly double. Coming tO
trade. we naturally look 90 the cotton in
dustry first. and here we find that since
1860. in which year the last shot of the re-
belliOn WAS fired, there has been paid % the
south for cotton the sum Of & 800, 100000.
the bulk of which has in recent years re-
manned i'm the south instead OF being sent
North 90 pay for i00dstuils and luXurics.
Formerly most of the cotton money
went North, but now the South is raising
her own corn and bacon, and providing
the bulk OF her own manufactures,
and she is, moreover, sending iron
and lumber and cotton goods 20 the
North instead Of money. Her ability 20 pro-
vide for herself is shown i'm part by the COM
parative value of her agricultural products.
which i'm 1879 was fll4.2OO,OOO while in 1857
DO WIS AWNMI p INsNNNsNN'f a Percentage lN~
crease which exceeds even that Of the West.
In 1879 the live stock 0fthe South was valued
al tlS.29S.ODO. while last year IL was
tl14,0OO, 900; and In the last four years alone
there have been l4.OOO new manufacturing
and mining enterprises established i'm the
South.
The railways. too. have shown extraordi-
nary progress. Since 1850 there have been
nearly 2l.O0O miles Of new line constructed. /
aud l6O,O10,O0O spent in all upon the rail-
way system. During the past year the
Southern railways have had their full share
Of the general prosperity, and their promise !
i'm the future is extremely encouraging. /
The pig-ir0n output as compared with /
1850, is little short Of marvellous. I'm |
the latter year 10 was 3yi.j0l tons. /
and the output of 1889 is estima- |
ted 40 between 100000 and 100000 /
tons. Taking coal, We find that in 1880 /
GOSSIP tons were mined. while IN 1888 the /
output was over lS.WO.O0O tons. Cotton |
mills have increased from l6l, with 1929
looms and Cos S4 spndles. % $50 mills /
with 4j,OOr looms and 2.03j. 2Js spindles.
The cotton seed oil industry is a compare
lively new one, and its rise 20 It's present
proportions is AN the more remarkable. In
1850 there were 40 cOttOnseed mills, with a
capital of 100000, while now there are 2l3
with more than t4.OOO,OU0 invested.
Throughout the long line Of these South
ern statistics there il, indeed, no exception
10 the signs OF increasing wealth. In the
matter of population. the Governors OF the
twelve Southern States have just made re-
ports which show that their population is
now 49, 4s9, $50, against 1i.C3s. y3s in lssO, an
increase Of 33 per cent. which is very evenly
distributed, South Carolina alone only show
Ing very slight increase. Florida, il may
be noticed, heads the list with IS per cent.
increase. 10 must be understood. moreover.
hat this population is nearly entirely ma
iye-bOm American. Negroes comprise
about 100000 out Of the total population.
lut the foreign immigrant is not encouraged
n the south, and the S0utherners can, there
ore fairly claim that the really wonderful
Progress OF the past ten years has been the
esult OF their own efforts"