The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1894-06-06
The South the Coming Field.

The South the Coming Field.
The opportunities aud the advantages
the South presents as a field Of invest
ment for capitalists are now becoming
pretty generally understood in the
North, where the commercial and
financial papers especially have done
much to throw light upon this question.
Not long ago We quoted some extracts
from the Boston Journal of Commerce
showing the advantages presented by
the Sonth as a field for the cotton
manufactures, and giving some Of the
reasons Why the South was making.
aud would continue to make, such rapid
progress not only in the number Of mills
erected but in the advance 10 the manu-.
~facture Of finer grades Of goods which it
was at q time, and until quite recent
", thought could not be successfully
made in the South, for the lack of
experience aud Of skilled labor. We
herewith present an extract from the
United States Investor, giving some of
the reasons Why the South is to be the
coming field for the investment Of
capital. After comparing or rather
contrasting the West, which until quite
recently was the favorite field for invest
ment, aud the South, it says:
"Bnt leaving the West entirely out
of the question at this time, the time is
fast approaching when the South will
be a favorite field for the investment Of
Northern capital. The New England
and Middle States have for a long time
been in the position of old countries.
having more accumulated wealth than
they could employ at home. Al out
let must be found for this Not only
for this reason does the South promise
to be au attractive field for investment
but for another which may not, on the
first glance, be welcomed by a large
part Of the population of the North.
We refer to the fact that, 10 the opinion
Of good judges, many industries now
carried on 10 the New England aud
Middle States can be more advanta-
geously prosecuted in the South, or
nearer the supplies Of raw materials.
In pursuance of this idea. certain
Massachusetts corporations have recently
asked for increases 10 their capitalize
ton for the avowed purpose Of erecting
plants in the South.
The South had q good cotton crop in
1893, and fairly good prices we're OBJ
tanned for it, in contradistinction to the
exceedingly low prices which farmers
in other parts Of the country have been,
aud are getting. Therefore a business
revival may be looked for 10 the South
as quickly as anywhere else. aud this
fact Of itself, to say nothing of its special
inducements to investors, is likely to
command the attention of the possessors
of money throughout the entire country.
Comparatively speaking, the South
is iu better condition to-day than many
other sections Of the country. 1t had
its "boom," but the collapse occurred
some years ago. and as business has
been conducted on conservative princi-
ciples ever since then, the panic Of
1893 was much less keenly felt in that
locality than elsewhere. Consequently
the feeling of encouragement is not as
great there to-day as 10 the West aud
North. Then, too.
This is the statement of an outsider
whose views are not colored by sectional
partiality, who surveys the situation
from a business standpoint and With the
eye of a business man. The same thing
emanating from o of our own journals
might be suspected Of being the utter.
apce of sectional bias rather than of
cool, deliberate judgment, based upon
facts.
We have long held the opinion that
the South is and will continue to be the
most inviting section Of this country,
not only for the capitalist who seeks
safe and satisfactory investment, but for
the workman who desires to get a foot
bold in life, making a comfortable liv-
ing and work up in the future. It is
not an colorado where a man may fancy
be can dig up a fortune 10 a week, or
End r. v;thont d~;oeino hnt FIR him WIN
is content With reasonable gains on
money invested in legitimate enter
prises, or for him who tolls with his
hands and is thrifty to save, there is 90
section Of this country which offers
greater if as great inducements. The
speedy fo~rtune.seeker might possibly be
disappointed, as many have been in this
and as they have been in other sections.
The mau who makes a fortune quickly
generally does it either by a lucky
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