The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1891-04-23
MODERN ELDORADO.

DEV ELOPMENT.
Tha Baltimore Manufacturers Record of last
week publishes an asbtsls FROM tbs pen Of Rob-
ert p. Porter, superintendent of the census, on
the material development and progress i'll the
Southern States during the past decade, as
shown by facts and figures gathered by the cen
slls bureau. AS epitomiZed they show wonder
full grow tn and progress in mineral and asricul
t,lraI development, and justify Mr.. Porter's pre-
diction of even greater and Unprecedented
prosperity in the new South in the future.
While the kime, sgpeflntendent l'orter says,
has not YET arrived to give complete inventory
of the wonderful progress OF the South during
the last decade, official figures of the branches
of inquiry already completed Indicate that the
final returns will show that iii no part of the
United States has industrial progress been more
satisfactory. One thing is certain, namely, that
the mineral Development and the increase III
manufactures during this period has been OF
such magnitude and of such Importance as to
seriously attract the attention OF the world.
The South is to-day producing as much coal,
iron ore and pig iron as the entire United States
produced in 1870, and the progress OF the South
ern States in the manufacture of Steel Mr.. Por-
ter thinks, Will be as great during the next ten
years as has been the nradHet8H qf coal ana
pig iron during the past decade, and the class OF
LABOR To Tlcl iitiHeTdl VIII
be Of a higher character than of the past; that
is there Will be artisans and mechanics who viii
command a much higher rate OF wages, and
hence increasing the consuming power of the
South Tho trouble to day, he aays. with this
part OF the country, is that most products have
to be shipped North or to foreign countries for
further manipulation. but once establish an
industrial condition that will require greater
variety of articles of general eonsHmptian and
you viii bring to that region stlll greater d.
versilcation OF MANUFACTURES.
The remarkable development of the new South;
as he calls 1t, is shown in a striking degree by
the astonishing growth of individual cities in
this section during the past ten years, and rs
further proof of the WONDERING and i'll some
cases, the phenomenal growth OF Il number OF
cities and towns during the decade i'll Alabama,
Arkansas, North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee
Kentucky and Georgia. Admission, Ala, that in
1880 had a population of 942, IS returned by the
census of 1890 containing 9,S1a Inhabitants
Birmingham, Ala, unknown when the census of
1870 was taken, and which in 1880 had poputa
tion of a6,lTS Inhabitants, is i'll fact q center
of industrial activity Of ia,un nGapie, Florence,
Ala with a population in 1890, of 5Si or $50 per
cent greater than in 1885, Chattanooga in ls'o
had population of sa,l0O, an increase durlns
the decade Of moro than 1s5 per cont; Haanoke,
Va, which did not appear at all in the census OF
1880, is now city of IL, l5Oinhabtants. These he
points to some OF the striking Illustrations OF
material progress, while "a hundred similar cx-
amples could be given OF small towns that have
been thus developed in the South, and the great
en- part of their growth has been due to the de-
velopment of their mineral resources.
Facts already published by the census office,
he says, exhibit a mineral development in the
South which, if continued through another dc
cade, viii bring about remarkahie changes IN q
number of Southern States. In lsa) the best e:s
Inmates that can be ahtained show that the
Southern States produced less than million
tons OF coal and IN 1870 about Two miinnn TONS.
In the year 1885, az shown by official data, this
production had increased to 56f6, 100 TONS Ac-
cortling to the eleventh census returns, the pro
duction i'll 1895 was l7,i.29ij. This gives an out
put in tie coal producing States OF the South III
1880 OF more than twice the entire output OF his
luminous coal i'll the United States in leti), and
nearly 2 OO1, eco more tons than the total produc
ton Of the United States in 1870. Far greater
progress superintendent Porter says, has been
shown by the so;lth in the production Of pig
iron; the entire productions South in 1850 was
3J1 3Ui tons which in losa had increased to l,Gl7,
500 tons; in fact the production of iron ore in
these Southern States now almost equals the
total production of the United States in 1870.
Nor has this Development, aiperihtendent
Porter says OF the mineral resources OF the south
been at the EXPENSE Of its other Industries The
manufacture of cotton, for example, has in
creased to wonderful degree, as Will be seen
from the fact that iii 1880 tile amount ofcotton
consumed in the South was 10000 bales, While
III 1890 it used 49, t05 bales an increase, in round
Numbers. OF Us per cent
Tie fact that SINCE ls6l nearly $s,CU ,,O0W
have been brought into the SoElii to pas iap
cotton explains i'll part the marvellous recupera-
tive powers of this Section since the war
White bad agricultural methods made cot
ton raising unprofitable to innny farmers, it is
claimed that cotton is one of the most profitable
crops that e4n he rafi-d where it, cultivation is
carried on inteliissently aNi on p.ssh basis.
The South produces about tire -fonTths Of the
worlds annual cotton crop, but manufactures
only about seven OF ii h per zen, OF Whit it
Raises, the balthc furnishing the inateria foi.
spihdles in New inslaid ausi ia Iu o.ae. The
total cotton erop Ni tbs World nov runs ffoi,l
about lulsa,i Oj 10 li,sJ,aHt bales VI which the
South raises on All erase vi late years 1UUtG0
bales.
Or the agricultural development of The South,
MIR. Porter SAYS The South also ms made isrelt
strides in assrc .ltural + .sress dur ~ the past
ten years fiiia hes i;eei the /. slI l. largely OF
divefsifying her crops At one tim king Cot
tom held absolute sway Oh nearly every planta7
tiOn. The supplies Of meats, hay and grain,
even for farm use, were obtained ff'm the North
ana West. A vast Increase as been made in
the raising of stock Of all kinds, and grain grass
and vegetable crops are grownu % a constant
Is increasing acreage Tens OF Il odsands of
acres in tile Sont. Ell States t,ti It one time
produced bale of cotton TO the acre, now
With plifiipItS WINGS.
trees. while trains and steamers fer months IN
the year bear nslrthward their burdens of veg
etables aud small fruits to supply The markets
in States where ice and snow still hold sway.