The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1894-04-19
HENDERSON, n c., THURSDAY, 10, 1894.
hey did not produce much revenue to

the road, encouraged the farmers in
growing tomatoes and other small
vegetables for Northern markets, and
even if the farmers made no profit on
the sale of these fruits and vegetables,
they placed them in funds at the time
of year when they are ordinarily with
out any money. Merchants have
reported that the farmers are buying
more dry goods and better class OF
them than they have for number OF
years, and that they looked for very
good spring trade.
In no place along the line of our
road have I found any evidence Of
distress. The only complaint, so far
as | can see, is from merchants, who
claim that the country at large is in
better condition and that in the towns
they were not doing SO large busi
ness as they had heretofore. Whether
this is attributable or not to their old
method Of doing business, making
advances TO farmers and handling their
crops, supplying them with all they
consumed, | am not prepared to say.
While the surplus money in the banks
and little or no demand for it, there
seems but one way in which the
capitalists can utilize their capital, and
that is in the investment in stock OF
manufacturing enterprises. | have
found them more disposed than ever
before, and it seems to me only a
question of very short time before
desirable industries will receive suf-
| ficient inducements to locate perma
nently in the South.
There is at present natural distrust
, for large number of industries that
make application for charges Of
| location, and it is far better for cities
and towns to go slowly in securing
desirable industries than they that are
at all questionable, and it is only after
the most thorough sitting that cities
should invest in the stock of manu-
factories. Human nature is SO con-
stituted that if 100 factories be located
in the South and one of the hundred
should prove failure it would dc
more harm than the other ninety nine
would do good, and where local
capital is necessarily limited the result
of obtaining an undesirable industry
would be felt for twenty years, and
would prove standing argument
against further subscriptions to desir.
able industries.
| know of furniture factories in the
South which during this last depression
have been working not only full time,
but half time extra, and l have been
shown net results that would be aston
ishing to furniture men in the North.
What holds true of this character of
industry holds true of the majority o
woodworking industries. A numbe,
of manufacturers in the North have
very crude ideas as to their safety il
the South, believing they will be
looked upon as interlopers and treated
accordingly. How erroneous tina,
opinion is and how unjust it is to the
South can only be demonstrated by
people of the North visiting tina
section of the country. am happ,
to say that of large number of people
who have gone South during this last
eighteen months to look for new home:
and also for places in which to locate
their plants, there has not been al
exception but what they have CONF
back thoroughly we'll pleased will
their treatment, and have universally
said, in the language of some Indian;
men who were recently in the South
that "they felt more at home afte
twenty-four hours acquaintance thai
they did with great many of thei
own townsmen, where they have beer
, thirty years.
E. 1t only needs the location of som'
!, well-known citizens from differen
+ portions of the North in the South t.
, have this feeling entirely dispelled ant
, 10 have them work as they do to hav
their neighbors and friends to g.
r South with them. So far as the pos
sibilties of manufactures doing we'll il
, the South, l am thoroughly convinced
, that the business that can now pay il
the woodworking States, taking int
consideration the high price of timbe
and its scarcity, with the same energ,
. and knowledge of the business applied
, in the South, would produce yer,
much better results, for, in the opinion
of a practical man from Indiana wh'
has thoroughly looked over the situa
ton, "the opportunities for making
money in the South are fully as goot
. as they were in Indiana forty year
ago." He has assured me he will no
only locate himself in the South, bu
will try to get all his friends to locat
there as WE'LL