The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1891-06-18

- ers' Record, of Bal.
fA:a781 timore, publishes an
AA elaborate review o.
the South and its
~4 f6G resources, by Hon
kSssN s.N Edward Atkinson,
of Boston, based on his recent trip
through this section. 1t is the best
article ever written upon the South
by Mr.. Atkinson. He says that it
may almost seem officious for him to
deal at such length with the resources
of the South, but that his justification
is found in the strange fact that in the
very heart of the eastern part of the
United States is an area nearly as
large as France, endowed with more
resources and with better climate
than almost any other similar area
within the limits of our common
country, which is very sparsely settled,
and until few years ago scarcely
known to New England people. The
time has now come, he says, for men
to comprehend that there lies at our
door very large area of almost unoc-
cupied territory capable ofbeing made
the homes of millions of intelligent
and industrious families.
1t is territory capable of supplying
meats, fruits and vegetables in almost
measureless abundance, where yet a
large part of the grain and meat are
imported from the West. Mr.. Atkin-
son confines his review mainly to the
great Appalachian region of the South
from the Potomac to North Alabama,
and from the Piedmont region to the
Blue Grass district of Kentucky. OF
this section he says: One might spend
months instead of days in making
observations. Even then, unless the
trip were extended beyond a twelve
month; only halfthe story might be told.
Great as the work of exploration has
been during the last 10 years, the halt
has not yet been told of this imperial
series of deposits of coal and probably
of iron, to say nothing of the other
resources of this part of the Southland.
Almost any attempt to forecast the
future of this part of our common
country becomes mere vision. The
whole area is so much elevated above
the sea as to be in true sense a white
mans country. This mountain and
plateau section possesses a climate in
which any kind of work may be per-
formed by white or black alike; in
some portions of the area described
are probably to be found the best con-
ditions of climate, of soil, of humidity
and rainfall, and of all the other ele-
ments which 60 to make stalwart men
and women.
Referring to the coal and iron re-
sources of this area, which covers about
100000 square miles, Mr.. Atkinson
says that it is about equal to the COM
bined areas of England, Wales, Scot
land and Belgium, half of France and
half of Germany, which are the main
sources ofthe iron production of Europe.
If any one would fully comprehend
the future industrial development of
the area which 1 have bounded and
described in this country, let him draw
maps of each 100000 square miles as
l have described each section, on the
same scale (of course eliminating the
British channel and North sea-, then
set off London and Liverpool against
our own great seaboard cities; lay one
map on the other and stick a pin
through the points over the European
area where the great centers of industry
are now established; remove the map
OF Europe, and find the perforation
in the map of our own territory; then
imagine, ifpossible, what the conditions
will be at or near those points single
generation hence. Are not the noun
tains of iron ore and the mines of
coal, the true loadstone to which all
forms ofindustrial energy are attracted?
At few points the crystillization has
begun, but as yet is only beginning,
and one may not yet venture to pre-
dict where the processes will 60 on
most rapidly. Moreover in European
iron countries large quantities of ore
have to be drawn from Sweden and
Spain. European railroads have large.
ly been built to serve war purposes
Southern railroads wholly in the inter
ests OF peace and for the distribution
of the abundance which makes fol
human welfare. In Europe, passing
from Great Britain into France, from
France through Belgium and Lexem.
bourg to Germany, and taking into
view the condition of Spain, would
not one find every possible obstruction
that could be placed in the way by
difference of race, creed and condition
by national animosity, accompanied
by burden of debt five times as great
as that which now rests upon us?
Does it not require the product o.
the work Of one man occupied in the
pursuits of peace to support every idle
soldier in camp or barracks, waiting fol
the spark by which war and revolution
may be engendered at any moment
Is not the border of each country ar
armed camp1 Are not all the rail
ways laid out more for the contingen
cies of war than for the service of peacei
In passing over the iron and coal area.
Of Europe, should we not find dimin
ishing supplies of coal and iron ore?
Again, one may put the question
must not Europe disarm or starve ir