The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1893-04-27
TIE ADDRESS.
The Natural and Productive Adj
Vantages of the Southern States.

|
Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Ala
bama, Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri,
Louisiana Arkansas and Mississippi, as
sembied in convention at the city of
Richmond. Va, on April 10, 1898, for
the sole purpose of advancing, by CO.
operation and concert of action, the in
dustral interests and well being of their
several States, do issue the following
address to the people of the United
States and those in Europe who may
contemplate making investments in this
country or immigrating here in search OF
| homes.
"The State represented at this eonyen-
| ton comprise substantially the South
ern half of the American republic. It's
eastern and southern exterior limits are
bounded by the.Atlantic ocean and the
Gulf OF Mexico The interior is travers-
ed by many of the most important rivers
on the continent and by some of the
greatest in the world The surface is
diversified by mountain chains and
beautiful valleys, by long stretches of
fertile bottom lands and broad expanse
of picturesque and productive prares.
The climate is temperate, changing
more or less with the seasons, and is
pleasant, invigorating and heathful.
The resources of this vast area, dis
tribnted with q wonderful and surpris-
ing equality and its adoption to natural
and to industrial productions is almost
limitiess.
"Minerazs-AlI of nearly all of these
States have inexhaustable deposits OF
coal mostly bituminous, which can be
mined less extensively, perhaps, than
elswhere in the world In every section
of the area embraced by these States
are enorm GUS and immeasurable sup
plies of. iron, lead, zinc and other met
ais useful in the industrial arts Multi
piled thousands are already engaged in
mining and reducing these metals. The
value of these mines and mineral depos-
its have already long since passed the
period of experimentation, and yet they
are in the very infancy of their develop
ment.
Forestry tered through these
States are also great areas of forest lands
on which are growing in superabun>
dance as fine timber as CAN be found in
the world, cypress, oak, walnut ash,
maple, pine and the like, Git in the high
est degree for shipbuilding, house build
ing and for all the uses of manufacturing.
AgTicultstre-Th soil and climate
uaite to give to those States unsurpass
ed adoption and capacity for the pro-
auctions Of agriculture. Tobacco, cotton
sugar, Indian corn, wheat, rye, barley,
oats,-all the cereals are growing here in
profuse abundance. Nowhere in the
world does the earth yield a more
prompt, certain and abundant return
to the vitalizing tough OF the husband
men than in these Commemorative.
''Horticatltatre - AS much may be
said, likewise, of horticulture. Nowhere
can richer or sweeter fruifs--such as
oranges, bananas, apples peac hes,
plums, grapes, berries-be grown in
greater profusion. Already are to be
found here many Of the most extensive
and profitable orchards, vineyards and
gardens on the globe.
"Sueh, in brief, are the climate and
Typographical conditions and such the
natural and productive advantages of
these great States of The South and
Southwest.
Hitherto immigration and capital
have flowed more toward the Western
and Northwestern States. This was
due, no doubt, largely to the fact that
these were new States. where immigrants
could find free homes by right OF settle
mnt on the public lands Of the United
States, and due partly, it may be, to
the fact that most of the States repre-
sented in this convention were the thea>
tire of war during the struggle between
the States, and were interrupted in their
progress by the somewhat turbulent
conditions Immediately following the
cessation of hostilities incident to the So
called period of reconstruction. But,
happily, all these disadvantages are now
at an end. The desirable public lands
of the Northwest are practically absorbed;
they have been taken up. Long since
the old disturbing forces that prevailed
in the South and menaced it's well being
have disappeared. 1t has begun a new
year of progress and prosperity. The
tide of immigration has been diverted
southwest and is pouring in upon us in
steady and augmenting stream. Peace
is smiling everywhere and is striving to
win her victories On less renowned than
those of war. At this suspicious period
in Southern history the Governors of
the States here represented have but to
give the world assurance for their pro-
found qualification that this new and
brighter day has drawn upon these States
and if possible, to accelerate the move
ment which is now SO soon and SO sure
to develop the wonderful resources and
wealth OF the Southern States. They
are anxious to have the Immigrants set
tie among them. They are anxious to
have capital make Investments and de-
velope enterprises. To the worthy en-
migrant they extend the hand OF well
come, warn>hearted, hospitable, pro-
pie, among whom he can live in amity
and peace without regard to his religion
his politics or his nativity. Churches
and school-houses are everywhere. Al
though these facilities for worship and
education are already established upon
a most reliable scale, they are constant
ly and rapidly increasing. The social,
moral and religious life of the people of
these States is upon high plane. To
the capitalist these States offer especial
inducements for investments. The
laws are favorable to the investor, and
public order and private rights are firmly
upheld and maintained Nowhere in the
world are there such golden opportuni-
ties for investment in the mining and
manufacturing enterprises. Fuel, water,