Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-08-24
The Coming Convention to Be Held
in This City.
DEVELOPMENT OF The SOUTH
That is the Object Of the Big
Affair.
B OOMIN THE ATE s


Of southern men residing in the District for
the purpose Of making arrangements for
the holding in this city next week Of
having for its object the de-
velopment of the south, was held in parlor
10 of Wizards Hotel last evening. The
meeting was quite largely attended. and
while no business of more than ordinary
Importance was transacted, much was done
which evidenced that the coming conven-
ton will be an undoubted success. Third
Auditor Samuel Blackwell Of Alabama pre-
sided, DIR. w. e. Murphy of North Carolina
acting as secretary. After the minutes of
the preceding meeting had been read and
approved, the chair announced the appoint
ment of the following committee on halls
and rooms: E. e. Campbell, Alabama; Z. s.
Ferry, Arkansas; Lamar Cobb. jr., Georgia;
w. +. Copper, Florida; John NJ. Carter,
George w. CASTLE. Kentucky;
+. b. jones. Louisiana; s. w. E.. Peguer
Sterling Ruffin, North Carolina; T. F.
Brantley, South Carolina; Park Marshall,
Tennessee; J. r. Hamilton, Texas; j. {.
Virginia; A b. Wells, West Viz
ginia. and w. Z. Rogers. District of Co
lumbia.
Manager Hugh II. Colquitt of Georgia of
the reception committee then stated that
he desired to squelCh the impression which
ndQ SOUGHT 10 Oc CIcdtcu III CcTtdih tclS
to the effect that the convention would be
slimly attended. He had reason to believe
that 1t would be one of the largest attended
conventions ever held in this city. The call
for the convention had created a great
amount of enthusiasm throughout the south,
and hundreds of replies to the invitation
to attend had been received from the lead
ing men of the south. Most OF those in
vited would attend, and those who found
themselves unable to do so had promised
that they would do everything in their
power to promote the object of the proposed
convention. Mr.. Colquitt then read a num-
Der of letters in reply to the invitations
sent out which. he explained. had sub
stantiated all that he had said. The first
letter read by Mr.. Colquitt was from Prof.
n. r. Pratt from Mississippi, who Is known
as the father of the phosphate industry OF
the country. Prof. Pratt wrote that he
would probably attend the, convention. and
IL he did would tell Of the phosphates of
Florida and South Carolina. Ex-Governor
Lee of Virgsnia wrote that he
would probably attend. as did Senator
Walsh of Georgia, Robert NJ. Douglass of
North Carolina. son of Stephen A. Douglass,
Mayor Robert l.. Meyer of Cuthbert. Ga.
William II. Green Of the South
ern Railway system. Charles s. Estes. one
of the cotton kings of Augusta. Georgia.
and many others.
Booming the States.
Reading the letters created great enthusi-
asm among those present. and the meeting
then resolved itself in a sort of a love feast.
delegates from the different states depict
ing in flowery and glowing language the re-
sources of their respective states. Mr.. d.
H. Yancey of Florida explained that in
fruit phosphates, tobacco. timber and fish
the resources of Florida were simply un-
limited. The climate was one of the most
perfect known, and despite the general i'm
preston the state was the healthicst In the
country. There was more area in Florida
adapted to the raising of sugar cane than In
the whole island of Cuba. AS good a grade
of cigar tobacco was now being raised in
Florida was raised in Cuba, and here
after there would be no need Of importing
Havana cigars.
Mr.. L. Q. c. Lamar of Mississippi stated
that the resources of his state are princi-
pally agricultural. But at the same time
there were great timber resources. The
state stood next to Texas in the amount of
cotton raised and In the production of thor
oughbred horses was rapidly attaining a
prominence hardly second to that of Ken
lucky. The dairying interests of the state
are also very important. AS for the wooden
products. the state suffered, as did most of
the other southern states, from a lament
able lack of railroad transportation, and
Mr.. Lamar pointed out that that was one
of the great drawbacks to the progress Of
the south.
The resources of Virginia and of West
Virginia were stated by Messrs. NJ E.
Vowles and T. F. Barrett respectively The
former SAID that in Virginia the birds sang
sweetest, the trees grew the taIlest, the
skies were the bluest the air the purest and
the women the fairest in the world; in fact
Virginia. he said, was Gods own land, and
he could not but feel for those who were
so unfortunate as to be compelled to live
elsewhere. Mr.. Barrett said that West
Virginia ships S.OOO.OOO tons of coal annu-
ally and was the third coal-producing state
In the country. In iron, Oil and timber Its
resources were inexhaustible, ana he ex-
planned that Gov. McKorkle would read a
paper before the convention Illustrating the
resources of the state
MI. M.O. Bradley of South Carolina stated
that his state enjoyed an uneQualed climate
and Its winter resorts were known the
world over. The state was strictly an apri
cultural one, and, while leading the south In
.ne manufacture of cotton, was second in
tne country. From the phosphate Industries
the state receives an annual revenue of
s<1tWo The state was also famous for ;ts
carry vegetables, which were shipped bv
i1St Irelsht over the whole country
me day OF the bowie knife and the six
shooter In Texas, explained Mr. w
ieids or that state, was long past and the
soclety OF the state row compared favora
~ r Win mat or any otter. The resources
Vi eNas Were such as to make a Coxeyjte
an impossible thing in the state Land. the
richest IN the country could be had there
!or sl-p an acre. and the purchaser would
oe gwen tnlrty or forty years in which to
ay for 1t. Horses and other stock were no
ohger bred in careless, haphazard way.
but that industry was given the greatest
-are and consideration, and the manifest ra
suits had followed
other gentlemen briefly told of the re-
sources OF their respective states and II
was decided that at each meeting of the
committee the states would be called that
delegates from them might tell of the re-
sources and capabilities of their respective
states. Upon the suggestion of Mr. Lee
LiIscomb, 1t was decided that each state
organization chould have prepared and
printed for distribution throughout the
country pamphlets setting forth the re-
sources of their states. The meeting then
adjourned, to meet this evening at the same
place.
The Program.
The committee has prepared the following
1raft of program of the convention: Three
sessions each day from 10 am. to p.m., 3
TO p. m. and 8 to 10 pm.
After the addresses of welcome on the
morning of August 30 the afternoon will be
devoted to addresses on a government build
ing for permanent exhibit for two hours,
nom 3 10 > pm, by Alexander Anderson,
Senator Patrick Walsh, John Joy Edscn
and Maj. E. e. Gordon.
The timber resources Of the south will oc-
cupy the remaining hour of the afternoon
session, with Walter H. Turner of the lum-
Der company of that name In Baltimore,
Jackson salisbury of Maryland, the presi-
dent of the Sullivan Lumber and Milling
Company of Pensacola. Fla, the president
Of the Southern Lumber Association and