Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1893-01-24
The .Poor Mans Bclt."

A writer in the New York World
says: THAT only few biographies
should mention the district in the South
known as the "Poor Mans Belt is GER
tainly not on account of any existing
conditions that the name now implies.
1t might at present more properly be
called the erich Mans Belt"
Several prominent papers have re-
Gently referred to this tract of country,
and ;he st. Louis GlObe-DemOcrGt re-
marks that it promises to become one
of the richest parts OF the southern
States. We aGduce few facts to prove
that The promise, ifnot already filled, is
fast becoming realized.
This tract of land is almost wholly
devoid Of timber save the long leaf
pine, which yields abundant quantities
of pitch. tar and turpentine. In the
early and later days of slavery, and in
fact during all the war, it wes known
as the Poor Mans Belt" not only on
account of its want Of strength to pro-
Luce as strong n staple as cotton, but
It's absence of inhabitants and all SEM
blance of wealth that q rich soil is sup
posed to possess.
The track begins q little south of
Richmond, Va, about 81 degrees north
latitude. and extends along the Allan
tic and gulf coasts into Texas, varying
from fifty 10 two hundred miles in
width. The soil is composed almost
entirely of silica to q depth of many
feet, and is, of course, as regards pro-
ductive power, unable to furnish re-
suits anything like the rich and va
riously yielding fields through which it
passes. But it seems what the soil
lacks in nutritive qualities is more than
compensated by other agencies that
nature so lavishly furnishes.
The belt throughout its entire length
running parallel with the coast is nee
essarily crossed by every stream in the
southern States. These streams have
many and immense falls, particularly
in this district, and since the manutac-
ture of cotton has begun to be one of
the leading industries of the South
these falls have been utilized almost
exclusively to the neglect of others in
the richer soil. Better building ma
tcrial, and more easily quarried, is
found for construction, and the region
affords better advantage for transpor-
tation, railroads following this section
where possible, on account of the level
country. Railroad freight rates are
also, to great extent, regulated
by the cheap transportation afford
cd by the copious streams. Then is it sur
prising that the Poor Mans Belt can al
most be traced by the line of cotton mills that
have been erected within its limits?
1t starts Just below Richmond and upon
both the Nottoway and Mcherrin rivers are
situated large manufactures Then comes
the Roanoke with its well-known Clayton and
Ashland manufactures, shipping their goods
down the Roanoke by the way of Plymouth.
Further down is Goldsboro, situated upon the
Neusc river, and particularly noted for Its
immense manufacture of cotton, as also Is
Fayetteville, upon the Cape Fear river. This
line continues on through South Carolina,
across the Savannah river into Georgia, thence
into Alabama, the southern portion, where
run the Alabama and Tombigbee rivers, cross
lug the Mississippi river through Louisiana
into Texas.
1t has been remarked by some ono that the
falls within the limits of the Poor Man S
Belt alone furnished sufficient power to spin
all the cotton which the South produces, and
indeed, it seems just now that the truth OF
the remark is soon to nc tested.