The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1894-02-09
THE S0UTH'S RES0U8cEs.
Mr.. Pat Walsh on the Material DeveIopmest
sF the Southern Staies:

At the annual banquet of the Mer.
chants and Manufacturers Association
of Baltimore, Mr.. Pat Walsh, editor
of the Augusta (Ga.) Chronicle, in re-
sponse to the toast ".Fhe Press" said:
| 1.-The great mission of the press is to
devote its best efforts ~ the develop.
ihent Of the material resources of tho
country. Speaking for the South.
am confident that our section affords
the best field for Investment and de-
vclopmcnt. The war left us improver-
! ished, and reconstruction did lis worst
TO dispirit our people and to invert the
the pyramid Of civilization.
:, 'In our days IF defeat and disaster
the city of Baltimore md the State Of
Maryland were never lacking in symp-
athy nor wanting sing.-s+ls.antial~ - aid.
We can never forget the generous
assistance rendered the South at all
times by the people of this city asL
state. VINO have eyer been true 10 the
grent principles Of civil aud religious
liberty and the rights of the States.
"Upder adverse political conditions
the South has made commcndable pro-
gress IN agriculture, mioing, manu-
facturcres aud railroad construction.
Whei 1t is remembered that the era OF
reconstruct iuu did not terminate hutil
1877, her advancement in the period
of sixteen years has been the most re-
markable in the history of this or auv
other country. For twelve years after
the war political affairs in the South
were 80 unsettled by federal iuterfer-
oncc that progress ia mining and man.
ufnctIrercs was retarded
81 know that this Is not the occasion
to quote statistics, but Icannot refrain
from giving few facts that will serve
to to illustrate the development of the
South H.
"The c"tt2.. crop yicids Annually
E50o, 100000. In twenty seven years
the cotton crop alone of the South hos
enriched the world and added 50, ,OO0;-
OOO, 600 to its aggregate wealth.
'Eobcrt L. Porter, superintendent
OF the United States census. is author
Ity for the statement that the South
leads the United States and, indeed.
the civilized world, with it's wealth of
timber. Forty different varieties dre
found in sufficient quantities to Gu
umerate in the ccusrs. More than
opc-half of the South is covered with
forest, 207, 147,O50 acres being the
estimate. The same authority adds
1T IL not certain that even the iron
mines of the South arc more valuable
Than he: forests. The annual yield
in lumber is 81 900, OOO.'
"The States of Virginia, Tennessee,
North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and
kentrcky abound in iron and coal and
6saic.
in mining pursuits. TIGs:e d oT 6oat
familiar with the subject do nos. IF,
hate to predict that the States named
will become the most successful iron
and steel-producing districts of like
area in the world.
'In 1870 the United States produc-
ed $1,000, 900 tons of Eitumiuous coal;
in 1890 the South produced nearly
100000 In 1870 the product OF
iron ore in the United States was s.
lG3, S39 tons; in 1890 the South pro-
:lnccd 2,917, 500 tons of iron ore. In
the Southern States twenty establish
mcnts report Of cost fthe manufacture
Of iron at from sS. So to Sl2 5Oper ton;
IN the Northern States seventy estab-
lishmcnts report cost Of manufacture
from $1,000 to $50. 90 per ton.
'Not only is the South rich in cot
ton prodnctio ,s aud in coal, iron aud
timber, but in the production of com,
wheat, On!s, tobacco, suga-, molasses,
hay, rice, fruits, potatoes and other
good crops her fields yield m Income
of one biIlion dollars n year.
The Sonth's progress in making
| cotton irto cloth has attracted the at
scntion OF the cor1try. The growth
| y this industry has bcca something
phcnomcnnl. There were those who
'ontcrdcd that this industry would be
, failure, because they alleged that the
climatic conditions were unfavorable
20 spiLuin9 cotton and because of it's
eDcrvat;ng effects upon the operatives.
But ihoac fnl!acious ideas no longer
aXirt. There is nothing that succeeds
ike success. In the parlauce of my
| friend. Rev. Sam Jones, tbe South
mas got there Her mills are ruruirg
| eleven hours dny w'rtcr apd sum
ner. They never shut down OH ac-
,Ount of the wcather or strikes or dull
! times. While 1000, 900 cotton spjDd-
es were idle in the East for q rortion
Of last year, the cOtton mills in Georgia
md the Carolinns were running on
| 'ull time aud making aeney. in 1880
he South had Invested il cotton factor.
es S22 900, 600 and consumed 234, 900
oales of cotton; in 1890 she bad in.
rested over $6i 900, 900 and consumed
,early 900, 900 hnirs; IA 1898 she con
mmed IA, 900 bales of Gotten. and the
'apital invested lad increased pro-
oortionately. The manifest destiny
or cottonspinniIg is the removal of
ibis industry to the cotton fields of the
South
Georgia has the largest area of any
State east of the Mississippi, being
'O,O 900 square miles. In 1880 the as.
iessed value of The whole property sub.
ect to taxation was $25l 900, 600; j1
1893 the assessed value had increased
10 S452, ,C00,00 This is exclusive OF
1870, 600, 900 o: railroad property which
Is exempted by charters from al