The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1895-12-27
spuRr OF THE sPINDLEs.
South Carolina's Rapid Gain An Cot
ton Manufacturing. $50

L
ton Manufacturing. 49,
South Carolina, starting out with Q
population of 200 whites in 1670, and
the raising of cotton on her soil begin
ming over q century later, finds herself
at the end Of the year 1895 standing at
the head of the southern States in the
matter of cotton manufacturing. Com
sidering her size and white population
she may be said to be vary far in the
lead.
1t seems bewildering but it is fact
that during the past year, since tho
agitation of the matter of erecting
mills was recommended here. The
State being among the earliest and
most persistent agitators, SO new cot
ton mills have been projected with an
aggregate capital of 81, 1876, 600. Twenty
of these have received their charters,
which means that the bulk of their
capital has not only been subscribed
but paid in-that work has actually
been begun on their construction, and
In many instances that the mills are
already in operation. These twenty
mills represent combined capital of
SO, ,O25, 900.
The 16 mills that have applied for
charters, having received their COM
missions, but not having as yet fled
the return securing the charters, rep
resent combined capital of $1,47O,-
600. Nearly all of them are backed
by the most solid business men and
there will not be moro than two or
three that fail to start all right.
Tho great feature Of this growth of
ho
that nearly all the capital put into
these mills is home capital, put in by
citizens of the State. They are begin
ming to realize very fully what selfaid
means. In It oil Columbia shows up
handsomely. Her citizens have come
to the front, and the mills projected
here represent an ultimate capital of
nearly million dollars.
Not including the protected mile
which means the entire 36 maat::Sy2n,
above, it WAS some time ago figured
that South Carolina had 838, ,036
spindles and 21,273 looms-40, 600
more spindles than North Carolina and
252, 600 more than Georgia, the next
highest State; that she had 1000 more
looms than North Carolina and 5000
more than Georgia. In none of the
other Southern States during..the past
year has the impetus given to the erec-
tion of cotton mills been anything like
rs great as in South Carolina; SO it is
easily seen that South Carolina ends
this year far in the lead of all the
Southern States.
1t is a pleasant subject to dwell
upon, and it makes the future look
roseate for South Carolina, for she
brings the mills direct to the fields OF
cotton, where all the cost of handling
is eliminated.
Another pleasant glance at the fu-
ture is that while South Carolina is so
rapidly becoming cotton manufac-
turing State, Columbia is to become
the leading manufacturing city. In
very short order now the huge 6,OOOto
5000 horsepower electric plant, utiliz-
ing the great waterpower of the Co
lumbia canal, will be transmitted SO
easily and at such small cost that al
most any point in the city may become
q millsite.
South Carolina at present hasn't as
large a number of mills as several of
the other Southern States, but their
size is very much greater.
1t is notable fact that in 1882, but
little more than a decade ago, the com
bined capital of the mills then in
operation and projected was only $4,-
OS4, 900, not as much as the proposed
capital of the new mills of 1895.
1t is really hard to contrast the
1S1, TAB spindles and the 3,41S looms
the State had in 1882 with the present
figures. The possibilities of cotton
manufacturing in this cotton-growing
State seem unlimited, when it is con-
sidered that the State has an estimated
wnterpower of 500, 900 horsepower. 1t
takes about 5000 of this to run about
200, 200 spindles and about 4, 900 looms.
Figure it up and see what vast power
is as Yet unutilized. Columbis's new
electric power plant will furnish more
power alone than was utilized in tho
whole State in 1884.
The twenty mills which have been
chartered" during the past year are
as follows:
The Lewisville Mills company, Ches-
ter-$75, 900 capital.
The Lockhart Mills, Lockhart,
Union county-$500, 900 capital.
The Richland Cotton Mills, Colnm-
bia-$15O, 900 capital.
The F. w. Poe Manufacturing Com
pany, Greenville-S2 $3.50, 900 capital
Cheraw Knitting Mills, Cheraw--
$4,000 capital.
Saxe-Gotha Mills, Irene, Lexington
county-S50, 900 capital.
Aiken Manufacturing company, All
ken-S SiOO. 600 capital.
Walhalla Cotton Mills, Walhalla--
$75, 200 capital.
American Spinning Company, Green
ville-$125, 900 capital
The Colleton Cotton Mills, Walter