The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-05-09
THE NORTHERN SETTLERS CON
vENTIOy.

The Conventions of Northern Settlers
In the Southern States, held this week
at Southern Pines, N. c.. was one of the
most important meetings that has been
held In the South, If not In the country.
and 1t will have great bearing on the
future development OF the South. not
only in attracting attention TO the many
advantages that are opened up to the
settlers seeking home in any of the
Southern States, but In the drift of capt..
tai seeking investment where the bsst
possible profit on the same can be Sc
were delegates from every Southern
State, who represented settlers from
nearly every other State and Territory
OF the Union. They were men who have
been residing in the South for years.
some since the close OF the civil war.
All bora favorable testimony not only
of the great material advantages of the
country, but of the hospitality, the con-
servatism, the patriotism and the pro-
gressive spirit of the people of the
South. Some of the speakers were en-
thusiastic in their eulogies of the man
hood and womanhood of the South, and
that much as they loved the States of
their birth, they freely admitted that
they had for their adopted home a
stronger affection.
The speakers at the convention re-
viewed the wonderful progress of the
South in all branches of industrial and
agricultural pursuits. No other sec
ton of the country had kept pace with
her Her Industrial development was
while the value of her manufacturing
plants in 1880 was S257, 2i4,S17, the CEN
sus of 1850 placed the value at s659, 000,-
| $40. gain of 1876 per cent; that while
her manufacturing product In 1880 was
s457, 454.777, in 1890 it was S9l7, $50, DAG,
a gain of 100 per cent, against GO per
cent. in the rest of the country; that
while the wages of factory hands in
| 1880 was s75,917, All, In 1890 they reached
1922, us, sos, gain OF nearly 800 per cent.
In cotton manufactures II was shown
| that while as late as 1890 the amount in
vested in cotton factories was S2l ,916,-
| 000 in 1894 the capital invested was
| S10T, 100000, a gain of nearly 500 per
cent; that when there were only $50
| cotton mills in 1890, there were 425 in
| 1894, and when they worked G67. S54
spndies in 1890, there were 3,O23,00O In
1894. In railroad mileage the South
had built $4,000 miles since 1850, and ex-
pended in construction 5000, OGO, 600; that
in the production OF pig iron it was
shown that in 1880, while only S97, 3O1
tons We're produced in 1898, the produc-
ton was 1,567,000 tons, and that while
in 1880 she produced 60iSO 900 tons of
coal, in 1898 her production was q, 00O,-
600 tons. 1t was pointed to with pride
that no other section could compare
with these marks OF progress.
All in all the convention was a great
success, as its suggestion was a splendid
inspiration. 1t was gratifying to know
that Norfolk and this section of Virginia
was well represented, and that Nor
folks prominence and DEVELOPMENT as
the great commercial port and city of
the south was recognized, especially so
In the prominence given to her in the
organization and business of the con-
Vention One of her settlers was the
Secretary of the convention, another was
on the Committee on Business, another
on that Of permanent organization. and
another was selected as Vide-President
Oh the association. The effort should
now be made to have the next conven-
ton at Suffolk, and to have Norfolk well
represented at the exhibition Of the in
dustries Of the South at Chicago