The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1892-08-12
THE BOOMING SOUTH.
The Immense Strides Made In Re-
cent Years.
industrial Revolution Observable I'm Every
Dlrection-The Great Increase I'm
Manufacturing The Boom
Am Agriculture

Mr.. Richard II. Edmonds, of Balti-
more, late editor of the Manufacturers
Record. has paper in the August
Forum on the industrial progress Of the
EOuth, in which he says: The south
produces three-fourths of the entire
cotton crop of the world. 1t is becom-
ing the market garden of the north,
over IS, 600, 900 worth of vegetables and
fruits being shipped annually from
Norfolk alone 10 northern cities.
Florida furnishes the country from s.
900, 900 to 4,O0O,O 900 boxes of oranges a
year. Georgia ships over 10000 car
loads of watermelons every season. In
the aggregate the shipment of early
fruits and vegetables north and west
probably amounts to nearly $50, 900, 900
n year, and this business is increasing
very rapidly. Ten years ago it was of
trifing Importance.
The south's profitable crops include
about 45O, ZOO, 900 pounds of sugar, 14O,-
100000 pounds of rice, many million
pounds of tobacco and other smaller
crops.
In the extent and variety of its stand
ing timber the south far surpasses all
other sections. The editor of Timber
man estimates that the annual lumber
product of the south is fully $500, OOO,-
600, or as much as the value of the cot
ton crop; but that is probably too large
an estimate. In the mineral and timber
belt, which stretches from West Vir-
gInia To northern Alabama, covering.
roughly speaking, an area of about 700
miles in length and $50 to zoo miles in
width, there is a concentration of min
eral and timber wealth greater than
can be found in any other equal area in
America or Europe with ideal condi-
tions for its profitable development.
Instead of having to haul ore 1000
miles, as many northern furnaces do,
and coke 500 to 600 miles, as many west
ern furnaces are compelled to do, the
iron-maxer in this section finds his ore
and coal and limestone within a few
miles of each other. In quantity they
are, humanity speaking, inexhaustible;
and as new railroads open up new and
large fields, the cost of production
steadily decreases, against gradual
but certain increase in very large part
of the north and in all of Europe For
the quality of southern ores and coke
was inferior to the best grades of north
ern, but the best southern Goals and
colxes now equal or outrank the highest
Pennsylvania grades, while southern
iron ores have gained position equally
rs strong, except for Bessemer iron.
The mountain and plateau sections
covers about 25O, 900 square miles. This
is equal to the combined areas of En-
gland, Wales, Scotland and Belgium,
and half of Germany and a half of
France. This central southern region,
equal in area to the countries named, is
capable of supporting a greater popula-
ton than their combined population.
1t can comfortably accommodate and
furnish foundation for the prosperity
of more people than now live in the
United States. Its greatest resources
are its coal and iron and timber, and
vet cMr. Edward Atkinson estimates
that it is capable, when well populated
with thrifty farmers, of producing as
much wheat as the entire country now
consumes.
loss BY THE WAR.
The census report of 1870 showed a
decline of $4,000, 0OO, coo in the assessed
value of property as compared with
1860. Careful estimates put the money
loss to the south by the war, counting
the destruction of property and taking
some cognizance of the losses due to
disorganization of the labor system, at
from $4,000, OOO, 900 to $4,000, 600, 600. If
the losses represented by the death of
great rush west and north just after
the war be included, it is very reasona-
BILE to say that the war cost the south
IS, ZOO, 100000. The total capital invest
ed in manufactures in the United
States, according to the last census, is
about 81, 500, 900, 600.
If we could conceive of some disaster
which should wipe out of existence
every manufacturing enterprise in this
country and every dollar of capital in
vested, the loss would be so appalling
as to stagger the world. And yet this
frightful condition and this loss would
he less than the south had to face when
il laid down its arms in 1865. Moreover,
this loss would have TO be borne by over
65, 600, 600 people, who would have every
aid that the worlds capital could rem
der in helping to overcome its effects,
while the south's loss had to be borne
by less than 10000, 600 people, and that,
too, without any material assistance
from the outside world.
ENORMOUS PRODUCTIONS.
The growth of the population in the
south since 1880 has been almost wholly
natural increase; the growth in the
north and west has been swelled by
over 5000, 600 immigrants. In 1881 the
south produced sos, O0S, 900 bushels of
of corn, and in 1891 SIS, 742, 900 bushels,
a gain OF over 2SO, 900, 600 bushels, or rs
per cent, while the increase in corn
production in the balance of the coun-
try in 1891 over 1881 was Il per cent,
or a lower rate than the south. The
aggregate production of wheat, corn
and oats in the south in 1891 was 672,-
459. 600 bushels, against 404, sol, 900 bush
els in 1881, gain of eos, 15s, 900 bush
els, or 60 per cent During the same
period the gain in the rest of the coun-
try was az per cent In other lines of
agriculture the south's growth has been
equally satisfactory. In 1881 the cotton
crop was 5, $50, 900 bales; in 1891 it was
about 1900, OO0 On the basis of prices
which prevailed in 1881 the south's ag-
ricultural products of 1891 would have
been worth about $500. COG, COO more
than the total of 1881; but even with
the very great decline in TIE prices of