The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-05-10
The Future OF the South.

Senator PATRICK WALSH of Georgia
gathers . large body Of impressive statis-
tics to show the development OF the South
ern States since the close OF the civil war. and
to indicate the far greater progress which
will result In the future from the further
utilization Of their natural resources.
The South Is now producing as much coal.
iron ore. and pig iron as the entire Union
produced In 1870. yet the development OF its
mineral riches has only begun. Mr.. Ed
WARD ATKINSON has declared that an OBJ
server standing on the top of the highest
peak Of the great Smoky Mountains. would
find In radius of seventy-five miles the
future iron-produclng region OF the United
States" West Virginia alone has 10000
square miles Of coal. or 1900 more than all
Of Great Britain's. OF the total forest area
Of the United States. or All. O00. 900 acres. the
Southern States have more than one-half. or
ali. 100000. More than Al per cent OF the
land Of the South Is wooded. and In the va
riety Of Its timber 1t Is unequalled. It
offers practically limitless opportunities for
horticulture and Horticulture. with decided
advantages over the North so far as climate
Is concerned. Its incompatible richness as
a field for cotton raising enables 1t to pro-
duce annually a crop OF the enormous value
OF $500 000. 900. besides SAT. 900. 900 worth Of
oil. cake. and hulls from the seed. The
value OF its other agricultural crops aggre-
gates more than one billion dollars annually
Even the low price Of cotton has had It's
compensation In driving the farmers into q
more diversified agriculture. which has en-
abled them to withstand the recent hard
times. IF this enforced economic policy
continues" says Senator WALSH, opti-
mistically. "the Southern farmers will be-
come the most independent and progressive
people In the world"
The manufacturing development OF the
South since 1870 has been no less remark
able. The cost OF making iron there. with
the ore. coal. and limestone found close
together. he estimates as more than one
third less than in the North. He predicts
the speedy coming of the time when. with
sufficient capital and greatly increased
population. the South will lead the world
In cotton manufacturing. 1t already leads
in the coarser fabrics. In 1850 the South
manufactured only lO.5OO bales OF cotton:
In 1898 the amount was 7I4.OOO. The capital
In cotton mills was only 2.OOO. 900 in 1880;
in 1894 II Is estimated at S97. 100000. Mean
time the value OF the product has increased
from s2l 900 900 TO about $4,000. 900. More
over. the business depression which caused
the shutting down OF so many New Eng
land mills during the past year had no such
Injurious consequence In the South. With
the exception OF q few yarn mills dependent
on the New England demand. all the
large mills in the South on cotton goods"
says Senator WALSH. "were running on
full time during the dullest year in the his
tory OF the country"
The South. with such unparalleled ad-
vantages and opportunities so extra
ordinary. Is described by the Georgia
Senator as 1.-THE garden spot OF the
world" and the richest in undeyeloped
resources OF all sections OF the United
States" and he expects that when peo-
Pile generally wake up to the understand
ing Of this truth the current Of capital and
population will flow thither in a mighty
stream. Nature has provided the wealth.
and all that Is needed Is money and labor
TO make use OF 1t. II . population
as great as the whole Union now
contains were added 10 the Southern
States. there would be plenty OF room Tor
all. The area Of the State OF Georgia
alone Is almost as great as the whole area
OF the New England States, aud compare
lively a small part Of 1t is really developed.
signal as has been the prosperity Of that
fortunate state during recent years. Ara
BILE land. convenient 10 waterways and rail-
roads. capable e ptSdaeiAg cotton. corn.