The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1896-06-09
Prosperity Of the Southern States,
INDUsrRIAL INTERESTS LOOK
ING UP ON ALL sIDEs.

INDUsTRIAL INTERESTS LOOK
ING UP ON ALL SIDEs. q
Cotton Spindies TO Reach 1000, ,OOt
I'm Number by the End OF Thi
Year-The Southern Peach, Pea
and Watermelon Crops--wester,
Trade Seeking Southern Ports.
Mr.. Richsrd a.. Edmonds, editor O
the Manufacturers Record, who re
centiy returned from trip to the
south, In an interview with reporte,
for The Baltimore News said thai
throughout the entire South there was
marked tendency to Improvement
winch was especially noticeable in its
industrial interests.
Along the Chesapeake and Ohio
and the Norfolk and Western rail.
roads, stretching from Hampton
koads out through West Virginia. he
said, There is everywhere seen a
very decided increase in activity. The
output OF coal is increasing; new mines
are being opened timber lands and
coal lands are being purchased for
development, and the evidences of
Improvement cannot fall to impress
anyone who investigates this territory.
hnas and Georgia, there is no abate-
ment in the activity in cotton mill
6nilding and in the extension of exist
ing plants. BY the end of the present
year the South will have about 4, ,OOC,-
ooo splndles, representing an aggre-
gate capitalization of nearly $125, ,OOO.-
ooO,. against 100000 spindles with a
capital of $61 900, 900 in the census wear
OF 1880, thus showing an increase of
over 100 per cent. in the number of
splndles within six years.
business matters in Atlanta are
showing favorable results, as the out
come OF the Exposition, and statistics
show that moro building is now being
done in the city and of q higher class
Of residences, as we'll vas business
houses, than ever before.
In South Georgia the peach and
watermelon and pear crops are now
SAFE, and investigations show that the
peach crop will be the largest ever
produced In the State. The aggre.
gate value of the fruit crops of that
district for the year is being estimated
as high as $1,000, 900 or $4,000, 900. It
is calculated that the fruit and melon
crop OF Georgia will this year furnish
from 15, 900 to 10000 carloads of freight
to the railroads.
The immigration movement into
that territory is extremely active, and
plans are maturing for considerable
colonization enterprises, in addition to
these already in operation, including
the bringing OF German ahd Scandina-
Wan settlers, as we'll as of the North
ern and Western people. Along the
Georgia and Alabama Railroad, Which
Is largely owned in Baltimore, there
are some half a dozen colonization un-
dertakings, in addition to the Fitz-
gerald Grand Army movement, which
has already settled over 5000 Western
people on the. 100, 900 acre tract of land
for that purpose last year.
Probably the most marked i'm
provement and one Indicative of the
most w1de-rcaching influence upon in
iustrlal matters is seen in the Alabama
ron and coal districts. Birming.,.,.--.aaa "a
is taking decided turn for the better,
and within the last few weeks half a
dozen important enterprises involving
Investments of about half million
lo'iars nave been put on foot, while
TWO extensive steel plants are practi-
cally assured.
{" The Birmingham Rolling-MiI
company, one OF the oldest and largest
in the State, has decided to
build a steel plant with a capacity of
zoo tons a day to furnish steel for its
own works, and this will be construct.
ed without regard to any outside finan-
cial aid. The 100000 steel enter
prise projected by the Tennessee Coal
Iron and Railroad Company is assum-
ing tangible shape, although no time
has been SET for the work of construc-
tion.
The output of coal is the heaviest
in the history of the State and not
the low prices which
still prevail for iron, the production
Is very heavy, and nearly all of the
furnaces OF the State are in blast.
Another notable evidence OF the
general upbuilding of the South is
the trend OF Western trade through
the last nine months New Orleans has
exported 100000 bushels of corn.
against 100000 bushels for the cor
responding time OF the previous year.
New Orleans, by the way, will shortly
be In advance in some respects Of eyery
city in the world in its shipping faci-
lities.
Just be low tho city new shipping
point has been established, where $2,-
600, 600 or $3, ,000,O0 has been invested
In building a grain elevator, cotton
warehouses, four of the most powerful
cotton congresses in the world and
docks and piers for steamship pur-
poses. At this point wharfage is en-
tirely free, thus Offering great attrac-
tions to steamships.
"A belt railroad owned by the same
company connects with all railroads
entering New Orleans. and freight
trains destined for that point are
handled as soon as they strike the belt
railroad with compressed air locomo-
tives, thus avoiding the danger of fire
with locomotives running in and out
between cotton warehouses. This
necessarily brings about great reduc-
tion In the cost Of insurance.
-" Not to be outdone by this move
ment, the Illinois Central Railroad is
spending about 81 900, 900 in the build
ing OF another grain elevator and ad-
ditional shipping facilities, and this
company will also furnish free whar.
fage, so that New Orleans will practi-
cally be free port before the end Of
the year.
" At Galveston there is a heavy
grain movement as at New Orleans,
while at Sabine Pass. Tex, an elevat /.
and other shipping facilities are being
built to be ready for the opening o! u
direct railroad line between that POI
and Kansas City, which will be COM
pleted about September /, and upon
which $4,000, 600 have been expended
in construction work during the last
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