Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-12-22
WASHINGTON THE GATEWAY.
Increased Travel to the South and the
Industrial Development.

Correspondence st. Louis Globe-Democrat.
The annual migration to the southwark
is on. Those who have never participated
in 1t can hardly realize what this flight
from the north means. Washington Is a
good point from which to view the move
ment, because 1t is a kind Of gateway for
those who come from the New England
and middle states. Early in November the
"honk," "honk." of the wild geese headed
toward the Gulf of Mexico is heard over
the capital At the same time the travel
ers en- route in the same direction and for
like reasons are to be seen passing
through. All through November and De-
cember this movement continues. By
Thanksgiving day 1t is at its height.
March and April are the return months.
Then the reverse movement is seen.
All OF the way through Virginia and the
Carolinas there are sights strange to north
ern eyes, stranger still to eyes that knew
the route as ii was a few years ago. Peer
ing out as the train rushes southwark one
sees suddenly outlined, looming up in the
darkness, IL Ii Is after night. great build
ings with electric lights flashing in hum
dred windows, like So many huge eyes.
When the war closed a colonel from the
north built beside the railroad at Green's
boro' a rambling collection of wooden
sheds. located therein n twenty horse
power engine, on the side of which he
painted "Emancipator." or something of
-
working machinery. Then he felt prepared
to furnish AK helves for the nation and
at the same time to solve for the south
not only its Industrial, but its social and
After valiant struggle this colonel closed
his AK helve factory and returned north
with large stock of information about
"A FOOLS Errand."
The rambling sheds of boards still stand
beside the track at Greensboro. The seed
OF the ak helve factory was long fructify
ing. but the harvest has come at hast.
While the train stops at Greensboro the
traveller looks out upon factories of solid
brick walls, tall chimneys, railroad spurs
and the evidences of Industrial develop
ment. Those who came a quarter of a CEN
fury after the colonel had gone away
profited by his experience They worked
upon the line of industrial possibilities he
had discovered: they didn't allow social and
political considerations to become compli-
Gated with business-at least, not to the
naked eve,
From time to time there is put forth
summary or new enterprises in the south
me hgures are surprising, but the fac
tories, alive with their manifold machinery
are more impressive. Take for an illustra-
ton the growth of cotton manufacturing.
That is only one feature of this develop
ment. colonel X II: Spencer. formerly
lawyer in st. Louis. is now connected with
a baltimore bureau which gives attention
to this Transformation. Colonel Spencer
seys there are today 2l5 cotton factories
in North and South Carolina.
You mean in the entire south% was
suggested. ~--a ..-
NO" said he, II mean in the two Caro-
linas. 1 know ii, because / had occasion
to open correspondence with all cotton
factories in those two states recently. That
led me to prepare a list. The number was
a revelation to me. So far as cotton man.
ufacturing in the south Is concerned. the
census of 1880 is out Of date. When that
&c nsus was taken We had 2Jf cotton mills
In the south representing an investment of
S6l ,Oo,Oo Now we have 495. with n capt.
tai of s97.OOO.OOO. nearly half of which is
invested in the Carolinas"
Colonel Spencer might have added that
this week sees the beginning of a new
cotton mill in North Carolina which is
heralded as the largest In the south.