St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1893-12-02
COTTON STILL KING.
Greatest Single Contribution
to Modern l'rOsresS.

The development Of the production of
cotton in the United States with single
century from insignificant proportions to
80 ,0OD bales year, considering ali its
+ relations to modern industrial progress,
; is without q parallel in history. T!c fact:
in thi, case have lei y. \. Tump
kins to write for the Engineering Nigga
zine a review of I 1itnn rs a Factor in
! Progress. - which contains many facts o;
great Interest. which doubtless will prove
nc~ to a large number OF readers.
The pre- cut Industrial Development in
America. in England, and cn the Cou,i
ncnt ha: its beginning, says Mr. ToMp
kris, in four events, tie absence of ;;.-y
one Of which would have destroyed III"
greater portion Of the value Of the otter
three. These were the invention ot t..
power spindle, the invention of t"o
!}owtr!oon, the Invention of the cotton
gin, and the response tc these Of the
southern portion Of The United States in
the production Of the raw material for
the utilization Of these Inventions
II is not alone Of iatercst that the i'm
pctus given to the production Of Gotten
by mechanical invtntipns his added to
the productive cnr.tclty q Southern! agr
culture and increased the wealth Of an
important section of the United Stutes
Every family in the whole country has
been benefited BY the chcapcning Of
clothing ard other articles made of cot
ton by reason Of the marvellous increase
in the extent Of production of this fiber.
The manufacturing and commercial in
tcrests of New England have been pro-
NOTED to a remarkable extent by the
same cause, to say nothing Of the effect
upon the cotton manufacturing interests
in England and other parts of the world,
and the increase in the consumption OF
cotton goods due to the wonderful cheap
cning of their cost. The single item Of
the benefit to the shipping interest due
to the cotton carrying trade is Of great
extent. Cotton, more than any other one
item of freight, has been the basis of
transatlantic commerce.
Leaving aside these general con:ilcra-
lions Of benefits at home and abroad, to
industry ard commerce, and the in
creased comfort of the human race, we
may again rccur to the Importance to tho
Southern States of the cotton growing
industry in great variety of !irectious
Cotton as Il basis of wealth and of pro-
ductive industry has made possible the
growth of prosperous cities and towns
where, at least before the development
of mineral rcsourC es in the South, moth
ing of the kind could have existed. The
cotton interest has contributed to the
success of all transportation systems in
the Sonth, whether in the palmy days of
steamboating or since raijroa have
been constructed in every State. Even
the development Of the mining interests
of the South has been fastened Ivy the
need Of iron 10y railroad companies in
preparing for the transportation Of the
cotton, and in the manufacture Of cotton
machinery, and the need of coal for trans
portation and manufacturing purposes, to
which cotton has given rise The cot
ton growing industry, in short, has fur
nished what opportunity has existed in
this large portion Of the union, for the
of engineering and mcchan-
ical skill, contributing thus to every
branch Of material progress.