The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1894-06-06

w aSnUStOu, DditiHiul0 "''' ~"
York, many Of them men of nstlonal
at Columbia, next
morning, Gov. Tillman and a dele
CATION from his State joined us. The
ride in perfect May weather, with
IDLY companions, through the new
fields Of corn anil cotton, and flying
past towns and villages, many of
them shabby and sleepy looking, but
some giving signs Of the new life and
progress, was delightful. At Au-
gusta, ne were taken in charge by
the members of the Young Mems
Business League, of Augusta, who
showed us every possible courtesy
during onr stay, and Whose enter
prise and efficiency speak volumes
for the New South %
Augusta, next to Savannah. is the
Oldest town in Georgia, having been
founded by Gen. Oglethrope in 1873.
l doubt if there is anywhere in the
South city that cmbodies SO much
of the best, both Of the old and new
South. 1t is on the Savannah river,
at the head of navigation, and in the
older portion Of the city there are
Bload and Greene Streets. running
parallel with the river, each being
$50 feet wide with four rows of glo-
rious old elm trees extending two
miles in each street, and forming
with their interlacing boughs wide
arches Of perfect green, through
which flow the streams Of modern
life. The majority Of the homes arc
of old fashioned Southern type, low,
frame buildings, with spacious YER
andas and balconies, covered with
wisteria and other vines and flowers.
There arc miles of magnolias, and the
most glorious flowers seem to bloom
perennially. The city has popula
ton of about 10000 now, and the
large factories in the suburbs, and
the modern blocks and homes are In
striking contrast to the old order OF
things.
Augusta led the Southland, in
deed, the world-in the percentage OF
increase in manufacturing establish
ments from 1880 to 1890, this being
according to the U. S. census 633
per cent. In the same period Rich
mond increased only 43 per cent. and
Louisville 81 per cent Augusta now
has eleven cotton factories alone, num-
boring 21S,000 spindlcs, employing
about 5000 operators, and paying
about one million and half dollars
in wages every year This marvel
GUS increase in its business has been
made possible by the digging of a
seven mile canal from point above
the rapids in the river through the
city, which supplies the power to run
all the machinery of all kinds in the
city. This canal cost about two mil
lion dollars and the city now derives
a revenue of 100000 per annum
from it. and furnishes power at about
one-nintll tho cost Of steam.
Space forbids my giving mare
than a mere outline Of the proceed
ings of the convention. The details
were published in the daily papers of
the country from day to day. 1t
was a SPLENDID body of earnest and
thoughtful men, assembled ip q cause
of the first importance to our section.
Old conysntion-goers in the South
said they had never seen more rep
resentative body Of men than the
three hundred delegates there assem-
bled. All the Southern States, as
far west as Arizona, were represent
ed. The most conspicuous feature
of the meeting was the presence of
SO many of the leading railroad man
ayers Of the South, all ready to work
in harmony with each other and
with the constituted state authorities
in increasing the wealth and popula
ton Of the South,
The working plan adopted by tho
congress to secure immigration was
that each county shall form local
immigration society, the presidents Of
which shall select State board, who
shall collect the reports from the
local officers of the amount, quality
and price of lands for sale in their
respective counties, and the number
and character Of immigrants desired,
and these reports shall then be refer
red to the executive committee of the
congress, who are to arrange fer per-
manent immigration agents, both for
this country and Europe. The rail
roads arc to co operate with these
boards. Those who have worked
with these questions say that in the
South the trouble has always been to
get land for sale and not to sell it.
This plan will result in finding out
what lands can be bought and then
bringing desirable purchasers direct
)y in contact with the owners. The
sentiment Of the congress was qnani-
nous against promiscuous, er upde,
sirable immigration. The various
States were urged to cooperate by ag-
riculturc and immigration bureaus,
and the national congress was urged