Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-11-13
STRICTLY BUSINESS.
REMARKABLE GROWTH OF TIE
sourws roks1cy COMMERCE..
A G GENERAL IRPRGYENENT.
Many Southern E'1cerprises Havs
Resumed Operations, and Otherr
Are Preparing to DO ss-Ncw Pros
jects-PoiitIcs Esche,yed.

BALTIMORE, November i2.-The Manu-
facturers' Record. in It's review OF south
ern business conditions says: The re-
markable growth Of foreign commerce
through southern ports Is emphasized by
tbe arrangements that have tust been
completed for the establishment OF dlrecs
steamship lines from Norfolk, Charleston
savannah, and brunswick to Europeaa
ports Five years ago only three southern
ports had direct steamer lines TO Europe
the shipments from other ports bein1
made by tramp steamers. Now clever
southern ports have established regula,
lines 10 various British and Continentaf
ports. The magnitude Of this business "a
Illustrated by the fact that one company,
operating a large number OF steamers
has engaged much OF their cargoes
through the whole winter and up IA
March, and another company. operating
from Norfolk, has about fifty or sixty
steamers engaged for carrying general
cargo business this winter. This great
Increase in foreign exports Is building or
southern seaports. and giving TO them an
much activity and prosperity az has here
toiore prevailed in tho industrial centres
OF The South.
Following the general Improvement
since the election, large number ot
southern enterprises have resumed opera
uons, and others are preparing TO do 80.
Among the most important ones In these
two classes reported during the weell arc
the Ashland steel Company and the Nor
ton Nail Works. at Ashland. Ky; tho
Baltimore Tin-Piate Company, employing
200 hands, and the Wheeling Iron and
Steel Company and Whitaker Iron Com
pany, Of Wheeling. while other enter
prises have increased the number OF their
hands from 1900 to $500: the Kanawha
Woollen Mills, Of Charleston, w. Val
the Maryland SILK Mills, Of Hagerstown,
the cotton-duck mills. near Baltimore:
the Galveston Crex) Rope and Twina
Mills employing 100 hands: the Fostoria
Glass-WorNs. AT Moundsville, ". Va. 800
men; the'Avery Plow-W Works Louisville.
KY, ~ additional men; the Louisville
WoOllen-Mlls. 300 operatives; the Bear
Grass Woolien-Mnls, 300 hands: the How
ard Harrison Iron Company, OF Bessemer.
Ala, which puts on full force; the Bir-
mingham Rolling-Mill. 1900 mer; the Gate
City Rolling Mil. Gate City, Ala. gO1
men, and a large number Of other indus-
tries throughout the South
Among the new enterprises looking Ia
the development OF business interests IN
the South reported for the week are
number Of railroad undertakings; a $780,
900 company, organized in the West when
has purchased GOO acres Of land In Texas
for improvement and colonization. in con-
nection with manufacturing enterprisesi
a Chicago company organized 10 purchase
10000 acres Of land in Alabama for coloni-
Zation; sales OF several large tracts OF
timber land for development; a Sl5JOa
cellulose plant at OwensborO', Ky;
$4,000 knitting-mill company at un,ou
Point. Ga. a 100000 electric light and
power company at Fort Worth. Tex.
Many enterprises projected some months
ago and delayed by the political excite
ment are now being taken mp actively
with u view 10 securing capital for immc-
date construction. Some OF them have
capital already pledged. contingent upon
the election, and these will be carried
forward promptly. Reports 10 the Manu-
facturers' Record from all parts OF .thd
South show a very hopeful feeling and
determination 10 bend every possible en-
ergy to the material advancement Of this
section. the newspapers very generally
urging the people 10 drop politics for ths
time and give attention TO the advances
ment of material interests.