The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1892-08-05
aonthera Proeress.

Nos Delta.
Nowhere IN the country, perhaps, Is
there upon the surface moro Of nnrest
ard more Of doubt about the future
Of the country and Of this section il
particular than 10 The scuthern states.
Il Is true that The feeling Of dissatis-
faction and spirit Of gloom is most
prevalent n the agricultural districts,
and may 10 some measure be accounted
for BY The Immediate effect Of die
satronsly low prices for cotton and
the cnTlsilment 81 credit incident 10
that cause. Il has also been aggra
waited by the discussions Of the vsfions
aYils, real and imaginary, bearing
MON The farming and producing
rlaesas
Bnt the record Of q decade shows
that the aonth has progressed at arste
that IS marvellous even in this country
of phenomenal growths, and it shows
that the accumulation of wealth has
been unprecedented. This record 10
put before the world IN a very striking
and attractive form in the August
number Of the Forum magazine, and
Il worth careful study OF the present
time.
Indeed all things considered the
reeuperation of the south after the
war, and iis progress since, make it
The most remarkable chapter in the
worlds history. A comparison may
more clearly illustrate what the
southern Losses were in that struggle:
There is invested 10 all kindsof mann,
featuring industry in the United States
al The present time the snm Of three
and half billion Of dollars. If all
this were destroyed at one blow it
would be o most appalling calamity,
from which the most hopeful would
say the country conld not recover for
several decades, though the loss wouid
fall upon nation ofsixty.five millions
Of people. But this sum 10 one and q
half billions Of dollars less than The
losses inflicted upon the south by the
war, and it had to be borne by ten
millions of people.
Yet il little over decade follow.
ing that struggle we find the sonth
regeneTated and ready for more rapid
| growth than the rest of the nation.
From 1881 10 l 89l the sontheFn states
have ouIslfipped the country, and even
the giant west in her materialdeyelop'
ment The other sections have had
the millions of incoming immigrants
from The old world to aid them; the
soaih has received but fow accessionH
Of population from that source.
Let us compare agricultural results;
In 1881 the south produced Of corn
305, 900 bnshels, in 1891 it had grown
10 535, 942, 900. al increase Of rs per
cent, while the rest of The country
increased only n per cent. The cot
ton crop jumped from FIVE and a hall
millions TO nine million bales. Her
"a, 81 miles of railway 10 1881 grew
10 ten years TO 44,0e5, gain of 81
per cent, while the Increase over the
whole country was only 81 per cent,
She has oulslripped the west in the
rate Of growth Of railways and the
earnings Of her roads are larger.
The southern output of pig iron in
1881 was barely 45l $40 tons, and iu
ten years l,0l4,O42 tons. Her rate
Of increase was 322 per cent, while the
rate for the whole country was only
| rs per cent. The south has put into
her cotton mills since 1880 no les
than 21,755 new employees, or NOR
than the increase in 81 New England
She has in decade trebIed the nun
Der Of her cotton looms and spiudlel
and converts into cloth three times a
many bales az she did ten years age
Her coal mines have enlarged thei
output from six millions of tons i
1880, to over twenty.three millions @
tons in 1890. .
Her outports have expanded thei
commercial relations and the increas
10 foreign exports within the deead
was from these southern cities. He
national banking capital has abou
} doubled in ten years, being now abou
one hundred millions Of dollars. Tb
assessed value Of property has bee
: augmented by over one billion, min
hundred millions Of dollars, or pearl
seventy per cent.
These figures serve to show wha
has been done in ten years and affVr
an indication Of what the next decsd
will bring forth. The resources {
these states have as yet scarcely bee
I touched. the work Of development hi
E bnt begun.