Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1894-07-25
Facts Showing the Industrial Develop
ment of the South Since 1880.

ment of the South Since 1880.
A few days ago the Southern Exchange
association held a meeting at Baltimore,
at which r. II. Edmonds, editor of the
Manufacturers Record made speech on
The Industrial Progress of the South
Since 1880" The speech so impressed the
association that the officers were instruct
ed to send copies of it to all Southern COM
mercial bodies, transportation bodies inn
migration companies, Industrial organiza-
tons. and other corporations. Truly did
the South rise PhoeniX-like from the
waste created by the war, a victory only
possible under protection.
The following interesting facts as to
what protection has done for the South
are taken from Mr.. Edmonds' speech:
t'The North, stimulated into great activ-
ity by the war. found in the opening up of
the West field for all its surplus capital
and energy. creating an era of develop
ment that up to that time had never been
eoualed in the worlds history. The yigOr
with which the business was pushed may
be Judged from the fact that about one
sixth of all the Scandinavians in the
world. or 100000 out of 100000, are
now living in the Northwest.
Under such conditions what has the
South accomplished? Is it able to show
one-half or even one-fourth of the prog
ress made by the country at large? Not
only can it show this, but it can prove
by census figures despite all these disad-
yantages, a rate of growth unequaled by
even the West. 1t has demonstrated to
the world that in iron cotton and lumber
to whether the South can compete with
other sections, but it is a question as to
whether other sections can hold their
own against the South. Southern cotton
mills practically monopolize the coarse
goods trade and are rapidly pushing into
the production of finer goods. Alabama
is today making iron at less than $3.50
per ton. and able experts have lately re-
ported that the Carolinas can produce
the best grades of BesSemer iron for steel
making at less than So ton. In 1880
the South had total farm assets of 81
$4,000. 900; by 1890 they had increased
to So, 1872 900, 900. an increase Of 81 per
cent, while during the same period the
increase in all other states and terri
tories was only 80 per cent. In 1890
the South's farm products were worth
S713,OOO, 600, or gross revenue of 24.l
per cent. on the capital. All other sec
tons combined had $12,797 10000 in
farm operations. and the product was
LOST 100000, or 1871 per cent. gross
revenue. Thus the South's farm inter
ests yielded in the capital invested nearly
81 for every dollar yielded IN other sec
tons.
Turning from agriculture to manu-
featuring we find that in 1880 the South
had a manufacturing capital of $257 ,00O,-
600 which by 1890 had increased to
1868, 100000, a gain of 1876 per cent,
while the gain in the entire country was
only 120 per cent. The value of the
South's manufacturing products rose
from S457 100000 in 1880 to $917, 000,-
900 in 1890. The wages paid to factory
hands increased from $75 100000 in 1880
to 1922, 100000 in 1890. The GOTTEN mills
of the South represented an Investment
in 1880 Of $21, 100000. Now over $97,-
! 100000 is invested in Southern cotton
mills. AS late as 1886 Southern mills
| consumed only one-fourth as much cot
! ton as those Of New England-now they
use one-half as much. Cotton seed was
a waste product fifteen years ago; now
nearly 300 cottonseed oil mills represent
an investment Of about $4,000, 900. II
| 1880 the South mined 100000 tons OF
coal, in 1890 nearly 2S0O0,000 tons; il
1880 the South made 397 900 tons of pig
iron: in 1893 nearly 100000 tons.
The same people who ten years age
were producing $1,000, 000,0C0 a year
are now by reason of being more fully
employed able to turn out nearly $500,
100000 year more than they were theI
1OiDU