Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1895-11-03
OUR 1npusrR1AL pnvR1oPMENr.

In the November number of the North
American Review appears an article by
Governor Oates of Alabama upon the
Industrial Development of the South. :"
The article is in fact confined to the in
dustrial development of Alabama, and
while 1t furnishes no new facts is very
entertaining reading for those who are
not familiar with this state. 1t will no
doubt attract very general attention, as
it sets forth the condition of Alabama in
very handsome terms. The governor
alludes to the various towns in which
industrial works have been established
and furnishes a compilation which is
very flattering, and altogether true. In
his opinion the condition of our farmers
is much better than it has been for two
years past. While they are not more than
making expenses generally, he thinks
that they are getting out of debt. AS to
the short crop Of cotton the governor
says:
"A shorter crop insures higher prices
and brings him more money in the aggre-
gate for a crop which cost him less to
produce than that of last year. 1t is bet
ter for him. The condition of the south
ern farmer has greatly improved, and is
well calculated to bring to him content
ment and happiness. Low prices for cot
ton hurt none of them except such as
are in debt, and are being eaten up by
interest running against them. They
want to realize the greatest number of
dollars for their toil--any kind of dollars
which will pay their debts An under
standing of the whole financial question
consists mainly in a proper understand
ing of interest. But the number of south
ern farmers. who are hopelessly in debt
is greatly diminishing, and the present
good prices for cotton will bring them
out"
We cannot indorse the governors idea
that a short crop is better, under any cir
cumstances, than a full crop. If the
farmer gets more for the short crop we
must not overlook the fact that he plant
ed and plowed and rented land for
larger crop and that his loss by partial
failure of his crop is barely met by the
increased price. And we must bear in
mind also that good part of the increase
in price is realized not by the farmer,
but by the commission merchant and the
Wall street gambler after the cotton has
left the plantation.
The governor calls attention to the
mineral wealth of this section of the
state as follows:
THE mines, furnaces, mills, foundres
and factories, with but few exceptions, at
Birmingham, Admission, Talladega, Shelf
field, Florence, Gadsden, Jasper and in
Bibb Shelby and DeKalb counties, are
now in active operation. The natural re-
sources are eXhaustless. On one side of
Birmingham there Is a mountain of iron
ore over fifty miles long, on the other side
a vast field of coal and nearby another
mountain of limestone for fiuxing. Thus
nature placed there in touch with each
other all the materials for the manufac-
ture of pig iron, without limit, cheaper
than 1t can be done anywhere else in the
world. There are three coal fields in Ala
bama-the Warrior, the Cahaba and the
Coosa-whlch together contain coal
enough to supply the entire world, at the
present ratio of consumption, for a period
of $50 years. Accurate surveys, made by
competent geologists demonstrate that
the amount is even greater than this es-
innate.
1.-The success of one more experiment,
which is under way at Birmingham and
Bessemer. will develop and indescribable
mine of wealth; that is, the manufacture
of steel from the pig iron made there.
Many tons of the pig iron have recently
been shipped to Pittsburg, Pa, for ex-
pertinent, and the report is that it makes
a good quality of steel The greatest
profit is always realized from the finished
product.
1.-The Tennessee Coal and Iron company
is perhaps the largest corporation en-
gagged as it's name indicates. 1t did not
close operations during the panic but
its stock ran down in the market to a
merely nominal figure. Now it is quoted
at As cents on the dollar 1t EMPLOYS 1000
men and does an immense business. The
Sloss company also survived. 1t owns
several furnaces and the coal mine at
a n lnt CT.
profitable business. There are many
smaller enterprises of similar character
in that vicinity.
"At Admission, before and during the
war, there was one iron furnace known
as the Woodstock furnace Now there
are two new ones and two more on the
same vein of ore in the neighborhood of
Talladega. A first-class quality of char
coal iron is made at Admission, and dur
ing the war when the ports of the Con-
federate government were blocaded so
that we could not obtain guns from
abroad of any description this iron was
shipped by rail to the foundry and gun
shops at Selma on the Alabama river and
cast into cannon"
Speaking of the fiourishing county of
Cullman, Governor Oates says:
"Cullman. on the Louisville and Nash
vile road, south of Morgan, the county in
which Decatur is, was supposed to have
such poor soil as to be worthless for
agricultural purposes. John J. Cullman
brought colony of his countrymen--
Germans-there after the war and set
tied them in the woods. They had to
build their homes and clear up the lands
Today that county is filled with beauti-
full little farms. and thrifty, industrious
farmers. Within the county more grapes
are grown and better wine from them
than in any other county in this state"
The governor concludes his very inter-
esting article with a few remarks on the
silver question, comment upon which We
reserve for a future occasion. Altogeth-
er, we thank the governor for this inter-
esting contribution to magazine whose
influence is so potent for good.
PIG IRON PRICES.
According to the figures furnished the