The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-10-12


ing CT diseouHting to date according to
tie experts. mel themselves in the bust
ness, think the following facts certain:
Material Progress.
In the IS yeas from 1880 to 1895 the
number CT manufacturing establish
ments in the south, exclusive OF Della
ware, Maryland and Missouri, increased
from 81, 5G5 to Sc, 500, the capital in
vested from S179, 336. 900 to $3.50, 00Q,-
900, the employees from 215, AGO to
$50, 900 and the wages paid from SG2,-
14S, 672 t. about $500, 600, 600. In 1880
the total coal mined in this section was
1888, 1876 tons, while this year the gen
tlemen named think the amount will go
near to ten times rs much, OF which
nearly oue-half viii bs from West Vir-
ginia. Many other interesting state
ments do these gentlemen make, but
most Of them are not of a nature to be
verified by any means at command. For
instance, the total value Of farm prod
ucts in 1880 was &G11, G99. 145, accord
ing TO the census, and this year tho op-
timists think it viii be so Per cent
greater il value, while the pessimists
hasten to add that if prices We're good
it would be 100 per cent greater, as the
product is certainly doubled. At the
same time they differ even more radi-
cally Gil this years cotton crop, one
school asserting that it isn't an ounce
over 6, 500, 900 bales, and the man who
sells for less than 10 cents will live to
kick himself, and the other that it is
nearer 5000, GOO and the man who does
not sell while it is up will be sorry.
But as neither party can prove any
thing let Us, as AlonzO Altisonant said.
''anchor to the immutable past and rot
soar into the illimitable regions of Ill
ira wires. ?"
Interesting as the exhibit is and i'm
portant in material point Of view, I
confess that I am still more interested
in the great fact that since the war
| southern writers have literally created
an indigenous school of literature. In
digenous it certainly is, and that beyond
all question by any critic. It is unlike
any other literature and simply could
not have been produced apywher else
but in the highlands Of the central
south. That remarkable California lit
erature which began perhaps as early as
| 1855 and eliminated in Bret Rarte,
] 41Cul1C0 4IuilOIu diitl lttClI COulCI4 pDEd-
ries was not more racy of its native soil,
/ but of all that, be it noted, no Part was
! produced by native Californians, while
| OF this every line is by men and women
born and reared among and inspired by
| the scenes they describe. A score Of
years ago Judge Tourgee, author Of
1.-The Fools Errand," etc, predicted
that in 80 years after the war closed
literary sympathy, or rather the general
tone of the most popular literature,
would be in favor of the Confederates.
He probably drew that conclusion from
| the historic commonplace that there are
always more romance and sentiment
about the lost cause, if the defeated
have fought long and we'll, than the vic.
torious, as with the Irish Of 1851 and
the Scotch Jacobites. Be that as it may,
it is a palpable fact that Thomas Mel
son Page, Joel Chandler Harris, Rich
ard Malcolm Johnston, Amelie RiYes
Chanler, "Charles Egbert Craddock, -
Frank Z. Stanton, Henry Clay Fairman
and many others have kindled here a
fame which has startled the world and
by retrospect cast a halo of sentiment
and glory upon the grave Of the dead
Confederacy.
st the Exhibition.
All this is a long way from the Cot
ton States and International exposition,
which I am supposed to be seeing and
describing, but despite the rapid prog
ress the exposition is still not quite al
its best, and when l walk through it
see at every turn such cheering proofs
of progress in sections of the south
visited many years ago that in the re-
Prospect l forget the present show.
Early in 1881 I travelled nine weeks
in the central south, and at the end re-
| corded q nrOnhecY that this section-ths