The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1891-05-21
THE FAVORED SHTRH.
The Industrial Future Of
the South.
Gao. B. COwiam Writes Interestingly
About the Central South.

Some months ago Public Opinion
offered three prizes for the three best
articles upon "The Industrial Future
of the South" Nearly 100 papers
were received, and the judges award
ed the first place 20 the following arti-
Gle by Col. Geo. B. Cewlam, of Knox
vile. Col. Cowlam writes from a
thorough knowlo lge of the subject,
gained from years of practical study
OF the resources of the South:
"Taking that part @ the United
States which lies between the Atlantic
coast and the Rocky mountains, and
separating, for the purposes of COM
pari son, the Nor hern from the South
ern States therein, it will appear that
while the area of the two groups does
not greatly differ, yet in one of these
groups the preponderance of natural
wealth is probably four to one, while
III the other group the preponderanee
of wealth accumulated by the labor of
man substantially reverses these fig
ures.
Counting Missouri as Western
State and leaving her out of the South
ern count, the Southern group has an
area of 878,775 square miles, with a
population, as shown by the last CEN
sus, of Is, ,479, ,910 Counting Missouri
in the Northern group and including
the ITO Dakotas. the North has an
area n 915.61O square miles, and
population of 39,763. .824.
1t is within bounds to say that, TAX
ing into consideration the extent and
variety of material, the possible pow
of Productions from the soil and their
values, the mineral and forest wealth,
the advantages from climatic condi-
tions- temperature, rainfall and length
of the growing season-the dynamic
forces Of coal and water poweTand the
advantages given by proximity of in
terdependent resources, and by ge-
ographical position for distribution to
other parts of our country and to for
eign countries, the natural foundation
of the South is four times as great as
that of the North. -Or, stated in
another way, that the Southern area,
fully developed, is capable of sustain
ing, in equal prosperity and in greater
comfort four times as large a 1popula-
ton as can be sustained in Northern
area fully developed. This claim can
be advanced without ground for Of
tense to the North because it is true,
and for the still better reason that the
wealth of the South, like that of the
North or the Rocky Mountain States,
or the Pacific Coast States, is part of
our common heritage.
But while this is true as to natur al
resources, when we come to cons;"er
what has so far been achieved in TIE
creation and accumulation of wealth
by man, and the appliances for carry
ing on the work still further, we find
that in fixed capital, in the shape Of
towns and :ities of railways and other
means of transportation and the tom
mage they carry, IN value of farms, in
mities in operation and their products,
in furnaces, mills and factories run
ming and their output; or in active
capital in the shape of money. credit,
organization, in skill in the arts, and
in ways and means generally, all Con
sidered together. "by and large, the
Northern area has Prepon6erance OF
four to one. Why is it so? This Is
an all-important question to all con
cerned, for, in the opportunities which
the wealth of either section mar afford
for the needs and energies OF both and
of other countries must, be found the
equation of the future. What 1t viii
be we can only hope to forecast intel
ligently in so far as we may be able to
understand, and correctly apportion
the weight of all the forces of progres-
sion or restriction which have operated
to bring about SO great difference In
the results of past work in these dis
similar fields.
? The study of this question will prob
ably disclose the fact that some oi
theee forces have been overestimatefr
and the Others, greatly more impor-
tant. have been overlooked. As we
come to understand them better, 1t Is
more than likely that we shall ascrlbe
less and less weight to certain minor
causes which we have accustomed to
Hook upon as the main aud controlling
influences, as almost the sole cause $,
Indeed, of the disparity in results. 1t
will appear that it has been more due
to conditions in our own country and
abroad, and less to differences In men
and methods in our Northern or South
Ierp States, than has heretofore been
thought to be the case; that some