The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1893-03-30
lAtlanta Constitution. |

! "cdltA NV dllHS the Empire StdLt
of Georgia, H e Declares.
iAtlanta Constitution.
If any old man has treasured the
impressions of his youth about old
North Carolina it is time he wa:
waking up from his Rip Van Winkle
dream. There was a time when the
geography we studied asked the ques-
ton, What are the products of North
Carolina ?" and the answer was
's Pitch, tar and turpentine." There
was time when the primitive settler
on being asked what he raised for
market, said, "Fruit and live stock
and lumber" by which he meant
pumpkins and 'possums and lIooppoles.
There was time when the natives
were called "tar heels" and if one oi
them emigrated he hardly dared to
own his State, and if he did he tenn
pered the discredit by saying he was
born purity close to the Virginny
line" Ifthese things were ever true
they are not now. Old North Caro-
lima has long since awakened from her
slumber and is rapidly forging ahead.
My recent visit there and the beau
titul handbook sent me by Mr.. Robin
son, the Commissioner of Agriculture,
constrains me to tell your readers some
things they do not know and will be
surprised to learn.
This handbook OF $50 pages is pub
lished in the best style of Typography
and illustrative art, and would be a
good model for other States to initiate
and emulate. 1t has forty-hve beau
tiful full-page Photographic views of
notable features that illustrate the
mountains, forests, vineyards, fisheries,
farms, factories and railroads of the
State. 1t is book fit for Chicago at
the Worlds Fair. l wish that Georgia
had one, and every other Southern
State, for am sure that no stranger
can read it but who will be attracted
to North Carolina as a most wonderful
and progressive State. 1t is just 500
miles from Cherokee to Roanoke
island, and every portion from the
fisheries Of Albemarle to the land of
the sky has something peculiar and
desirable to boast Of We have long
been boasting of our cotton factories
in Georgia, but does Georgia know
that there are one or more cotton mills
in forty-three counties of North Car
olina that there are nineteen in Ala
nance, seventeen in CASTOR, twelve in
Randolph, nine in Mecklenburg, eight
in Catawba, eight in Guilford, and
14o in the State, besides number in
construction? That in these mills are
nearly 10000 looms and 100000
spindles, and they consumed last year
I65,2oo bales Of cotton. Besides these
there are fourteen woolen mills that
are turning out the best quality of
jeans, kersevs, cassimeres and blankets,
and there are eight knitting mills,
some of them being operated day and
night, and all declaring good div
idends. There are fifty-seven factories
that make carriages and buggies, thir-
ty-two that make wagons, twenty-five
that make furniture, six that make
hubs and spokes and twenty-four that
make sash, doors and blinds. One Of
these works 125 hands. Then there
are hundreds OF sawmills and turpen-
tine distilleries.
There are twentyeight canning fac
tories for vegetables and fourteen for
oysters there are fourteen cotton seed
oil factories, fifty-four fertilizer facto-
ries and quite a number that make
barrels and crates and baskets and
brooms.
But on the high top of this pyramid
are the tobacco factories that far ex-
ceed in number and capital those of
any State in the Union.
There no that make plug tobacco,
nine that make smoking tobacco.
Durham alone sold 100000 pounds
last year and paid to the government
for Same $616,129; Winston paid more
than that and Asheville sold over g.
100000 of leaf tobacco: These are
only the principal tobacco marts, and
the aggregate of the production in
creases with every year. Then there
are the rice fields and cranberry
meadows and the immense truck farms
that extend all along the coast and
find an early market in Washington,
Baltimore and Philadelphia. At New
Berne alone there were shipped in one
day $4,000 barrels OF Irish potatoes
and 1900 boxes of beans, and this
is an every day business. and does
not include green peas, tomatoes, as
paragus and cabbage. Indeed, the
productions of this coast region seem
incredible. Then there are the fish
cries that employ 5000 persons and
5000 boats and ship 100000
pounds of fish in season. Next comes
the medicinal herbs, of which one firm
in Statesville shipped in one month
$4,000 pounds, They employ 500
agents to collect these herbs, and do
by far the largest business of any SIM
liar firm in the world. We have in
the mountain region Of Georgia and
Tennessee the very same botanical
plants but nobady gathers them.
Now, l have said nothing of the
mineral springs or the vineyards OF
the small fruits nor of the tube roses
that are shipped from every large town
to the northern dealers.
| This IS wonderful State and a
thrifty, industrious people. More great
men have been born or educated
within her borders than any of the
Southern States. In the long ago my
father taught me that Nathaniel Macor