Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-11-21
Egyptian.

Their log cabins have been changed to
pretty little cottages such as you may see by
the hundreds. scattered around every big
cotton mill center of the south. They are,
1t seems to me. more happy and better sit
lated than the factory operatives of the
north Thy are equally intelligent. and
the Mill men tell me that the supply OF
labor is practically unlimited.
In sOlle places the factory employees are
saving money. Some of the mills have
Swings banks connected with them. and
business has generally improved in the
cotton milling centers. 1t Will. l believe,
continue to improve, and today there is no
part of the United States in a better finan-
cial condition than that through which l
have been travelling. The increase in the
money thrown into circulation by such
means is enormous. In 1850 the south had,
in round numbers. $257, OD00O invested in
different kinds of manufacturing. BY 1850
the capital stock had increased to six hum
dred and fifty-nine million dollars. The
gain during this time was thirty-six per
cent greater in the south than in the rest
of the country, and the increase in the
wages paid was greater than the increase
in the capital stock. In 1880 the factory
hands of the south got about $4,000 900 in
wages. and IN 1880 they received more
than SOD, 100000. or just about three times
as much. AT the present time the south
has in round numbers about five hundred
cotton mills and the amount of money in
veste! in cotton manufacturing is, l am
told. in the neighborhood of one hundred
A Visit to "a Big Cotton Mil.
The cotton factories Of the south are
fitted out with the finest of machinery
They are equipped with the latest inven-
items, and everything that will save cent
is bought without regard to cost. 1 went
through the big mill at Spartanburg
The plant cost about $500 600. and it covers
several acres of ground. 1t has three
stories, and every bit of 1t huns with ma
chinery. Much of the cotton is brought d.
rectly from the gin to the mill and in this
case there is no freight to pay Other cot
ton is shipped in from the plantations near
by. and today great part of the cotton
used in the factories Of this company has to
be imported. Let us follow one of the cot
ton bales through the factory and see 1t
turned from lint into cloth. The bale is
first broken open. and the cotton Is thrown
upon an endless chain or belt, which car
ries it up through the mill. breaks it I'D and
picks 1t to pieces. 1t is passed through
machines which take out the dirt. run
through great rollers. which separate the
little strands Of the lint put them together
again and finally leave them Joined almost
into yarn. The cotton finally comes from
looks like cotton batting Handle 1t now
and you. will find that it is much
firer and whittier than when it was
IN the bale. 1t next goes to the card
ing machine. where it Is run through
wheels, or cylinders. covered with wire
teeth. These teeth are so fine that there
are thousands Of them on a square foot of
surface. They brush and comb the cot
ton as 1t goes through them, and 1t comes
out finally in the shape Of a seemingly end
less strand, or rope. Of soft yarn. This
rope at the beginning Is bigger around
than a mans thumb. 1t is almost an inch
in thickness. but 1t Is as soft as down. II
passes from these machines on through