The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-01-01
TIE soUrlI's ACHIEVEMENT.
General Summary of the Most Inpor-
tmnt Rmsiness RcNieM E.Ner EinnMu


Baltimore, Dec. 3lJ--In a general
summary OF the business prograss of
the South during the past year the
Manufacturers Record says:
The year jus. passed has been rme
which for all tmc to come viii be noted
i'm the records of Southern prugrclss as
one CT the most importan, periods in
the business history or the South. II
mas been Il year free from speculative
activity, and Il year in which there was
no hurra.h or booming business seen in
any part of the South, but in all this
great territory thcrc has been n solid
substantial foundation laid for greater
CROWN than was ever benlre seen In
,l ,ne nouth, IL not In any other part of
the country. Standing on, consplcu-
ouSly In history will be the Atlanta
ENp@!ttion, and the results which inu.;t
necessarily flow from chat undertaking..
The greatest good from the Exposition
Will be the stimulation into iucrea $ ..d
ac'iVity OF the people of the entire
South. Quickened into livelicr rea!iZa-
tion of the uneQuahled Gpportll.i.iec
which their section affords, stiinula; ;ei A
by what has been accomplished in AT
iahta ana elsewhere, the effect ~ che
tNpCEit4on VIII bc To double, possibly,
quadruple The aggregate energy dis
prayed III the active upbuilding Of the
whole south by the people of the South
the broadening influence OF such an cx-
position upon the people of this sec
clon, the education of which is already
had. cannot be measured. Ii marks not
simply new period from which the in
duSir!al history of the South must dat q
lut II marks a new period in blyutcr
spirit of patrittism for oar entire land
Possibly the most important in Tho
Industry of the South for many wears
was the recent award TO a southern
ShipDuilding concern of contract for
Two battlcships L. cost $i,50000o. No
thing which has occurred. excepting The
ATLANTA Exposition. has more fully en-
phasiZed the growing lpowcr of the
South in the business interests of the
country.
The Newport News ship-yard now has
on hand an aggregate of over 81 900. 900
worth of work-an amount which might
justly be regarded as OF great inngni-
tudc for even such n concern as the
Cramp Ship-building Company.
The revival of the iron business dur
Ing 1893 put into operation many idle
furnaces, made a heavy increase in the
output of coal and iron and AT the close
Of the year the production of iron and
the output Of coal is At "a heavier rate,
than al any former time in the history
OF the South. With all of it's iron and
kindred and interests on a basis now
acknowledged throughout the world OF
the most solid and enduring character,
the future of these industries in the
South is far more promising than dur
ing the boom period OF Il few years
past, WHEN the world at large had not
comprehcHdcd the magnitude and the
solidty of the mctallurGical interests of
the South AT the close of TIL. wear
arrangements are being completed for
blowing in several other furnaces, which
have been undergoing repairs.
The tide OF population. which for n
year or more has been slowly turning
Southwark has Swclied during the past
twelve months to great magnitude
Throughout the North and Yves: thous-
ands of people are turning Southwark.
and the outlook indicates that within
the next few years as many settlers
wient into the Northwest fifteen or
twenty years ago. when that country
was being opened up to civilization
The old year has wiped out many Of
the scares of business disasters follow
ing the panic. clearing away much OF
the uncertainty and given the South
an opportunity to demonstrate to the
world the inherent SuundncSS of all its
business interests and 10 prove and
have this proof everywhere accepted
that no section of this or any other
land offers such phcnomenally favora>
BILE conditions for the support of a great
population, the development of indus
trial interests and the creation OF
wealth In brief such has been the re.
cord of 1S9a. The new year opens with
every assurance that despite the ln-
certainty which overhangs the co,ln-
try because Of financial affairs and OF
the Venezuelan situation. the South at
least will move steadily forward. and
In 1896 will show even greater advance
ment than It's record for 1895.