The Big Stone post. (Big Stone Gap, Va.) 1890-1892, 1891-05-08
Friday, May s, 1894.
The Press on the South.

AS the reports Of the last census are
formulated and analysed, the extra
ordinary development in the South dur
ing the past ten years becomes more and
more surprising. In some States the
value Of property has increased almost
100 per cent during the decade, which
seems incredible when one considers that
such figures do not merely apply TO the
sudden growth of some boom town.
but to number Of large States, with an
area of over 100000 square miles. SO
surprising do these figures appear, even
to those who had watched the course OF
Southern development, that all the Lead
ing papers in the North arc commenting
on the unparalleled exhibit. The New
York Evening Post, which has hitherto
contained little in regard to such matters
says:
But the industrial growth and outlook of the
Southern States cannot be more conclSely or
graphically measured than by the production
and handling of the three staples, cotton, iron'
and coal; the last Of these three IS, indeed, Il
sesame TO the succussful manufacture Of the
first two. "The fact that since 1863 nearly
s.. OOO, OO0, 900 have been brought into the
South to pa, for cotton, explains III part the
marvellous recupcratlyc powers OF thls Sec
ton since the war"
The south to-day is producing as much coal
iron ore, and pig iron as the whole country dlo
twenty years ago. In the census year lo!V
the bituminOus-coal production Of the oouth'
ern States was only 2,0O0, 900 tons; i'll lSSo the
output for the Southern States had risen tc
5,676, l6O; in 1890 to H,772,945 tons.
The quality of this Southern coal peculiar
" adapts it for manufacturing purposes. VI
fetal reports OF various comparative analyses
of the Penns ylyania coke, and the East len
nessec forty-six and seventy -two-hourS' coke
show the superior quality OF the Tennessee
coal for smelling iron ore, and for use Ill tht
various manufactures OF steel III the besSelnei
and open-hcartn steel works. 1t has been as
serted by many iron makers that Southcrr
iron ore could not compete III the manufacture
of steel rails, etc, but competent experts rem
force the chemical ana Sos, which prove ina
the magnetic iron vi Tennessee produces
metal not only fit for rails, and the fines
structural steel, but from which the ines
cutlery has been and can be made. DIT
Porter states that enough Of these nigh grade
ores exist in Eastern Tennessee to supply the
Southwest with steel and iron for Thousand
wears. Although previous to 1870 the mnera
Industries of the Southern States were almoS
mil Tennessee being the only one i'll that veal
reporting any pig iron, and then less than ~
600 tons while in 1850 their entire output o
MIG iron was short of 400, 900 tons, in 1890 TIT
production of iron ore in the nine iron-pr0duc
ing Southern states amounted to Z,9i ,o-9 TONS
almost equal to the total production OF the
whole country in 1870.
There is trifiing inaccuracy i'll thi;
statement from the Post which it may be
we'll to correct The superior cokinS Goa
referred to is not located in Tennessee bu
in Virginia, though not far from the Ten
nessec line. No coke yet analysed, II
this or any other country, has equalet
that made in the suburbs of Big Stone
Gap where the coal vein seems to have
approached nearest to perfection, both II
regard to quality and situation.
But why is it that leading Southern
newspapers do not devote more OF thei
snace TO the discussion and advertising o
these facts? 1t seems utterly Impossible
for them to ret out of the old, worn rut:
of politics. Though new, more materla
and far more profitable matters engage
public attention, they still feed their read
ers on the same husks which have beer
dishcd out to them for generations. The!
seem to ignore the fact that physical dc.
yclopment means political as we'll as ply
sica! power, and that the shortest, and in
deed the only mode of acquiring pcrman.
ent influence in legislation, is by industrial
progress.
The only explanation we can give to-
their blind Indifference to such matters
ia the fact that they are either too mar
row and stupid to discern their impor-
lance or they are conscious that this
process Of development is at war with
their pet theories Of political economy
and has tendency TO dethrone the school
of politicians who have so long maintain
ed their ascendency in Southern affairs
But the process will continue in spite OF
either their Indifference or their hostility
and they will soon fnd that they must move
with the procession or be trampled under
foot.