The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-12-25
AWAEENTNG OF THE SOUTH.
Economic Conditions Prevailing Pros
pertty i'm Sight.

We are now witnessing a general awak-
enlng in the South 10 the truth that upon
the economy Of time energy and money.
its future depends. Less time Is W. ed
I'm grooming and grumbling about the
scarcity OF money and the mismanage-
ment Of the government. UnwOnted ac-
tivity prevails on the farms, in the Wiz
lagos, the towns and tho cities, and every
energy - spent in weil-directed effort
to force the New South into the place 10
which its natural advantages eniltle II.
The price Of cotton is low very low.
but cotton alone no longer forms the
backbone OF the South IL is staple.
II is true, but so are wheat. oats. corn
and tobacco and 40 temperate is the cli-
mate and so fertile the soil either or all
can b. produced in abundance. diver
s.hed crop can he raised by every farm
er. and the wise one does not now rely
solely on one article OF produce.
Another truth has come home Where
the raw material is produced. there it
should be manufactured, the country
saving 10 itself thereby not only the pro-
ducer's profit. but that also or The man
ufacturer. Particularly should this De $50
where there Is such an immense water
power free from ice throughout me year.
The Southern mill inds a market just
as readily as the one in the East.
Just as cotton does not form the back
bone of the South, neither IS 70 solely de-
pendent upon its agricultural or manu-
featuring resources.
Rich mineral lands are being developed
and the wealth that has for ages liii
hidden is now being uncarthed. Coal
iron and other OF the base metals are
now being mined in well paying quanu-
ties. and this industry has now become
one OF the most important.
Its timber lands are also source ol
large revenue. and the pine from me
low lands and the poplar, walnut ana
mahogany. from the mountainous res. IONS
are important articles OF export
Taken as n whole the South is rlcher
I'm natural resources than any other sec
lion OF the United states. lleLtt' uul
bor riches are yet undeVel0ped. Energy,
noonle and capital are required Given
these. her natural resources VIII 90 '"o
This fact was recognized by northern
capitai az the time the Souilerh h1lW'l
COMPANY was formed and TOOK cohliu' %.
manly five thousand miles OK poorly anu
I'm many cases non-pay.ns proper ues
Realizing that the payment or olviuchus
depended AS much upon the los'eIln5 %.
evistine industries and the deVclopW'H,
~ the country contiguous 20 IT'S hhes ana
its connections as upon the ecohoiHlc
management Of the property anu lnt,
the Scuth's first ana most impo' tal' -
no means ~ ranid and convenient iiah-
ett AMI communication with the COM
merclal centres OF the East North ana
West work IN this direction was lihine-
diately begun. ,..--.,,-
millions were spent In ,bettermenla
Tracks we're lined up. new sieei laiu t,.I
iron bridges superseded "oouDn. ..
engines were built ana me-" o"ia ,.t Fan.
into service Closer relations WIN 'D"
Meeting lines were established. anu eve"
NV tbe good resulting thereirom IS ap-
parent. ,,-.,..s q ,.os+ibried
Pullman train OF the most moo .tu IN r.
runs daily between New YORK, ,,..,',.+,
mia Baltimore, Washington ana anna
and New Orleans. This train "hicn WI5
a. fret run at a loss. now pay ", .."-
,han any train IN the world ruhHin7
through between equally distant I'luI',,
II carries n dining car and Us 80 7PI-P.
that almost every business cen.l. D" 80
eo,,tb ia reached without cha4r7 IDt
s,.e,oo one sleeping car runs pel",eu
~ work. and Nashville VIA @1HpFi.'''
t,ov,,iiie and Chattanooga; anotHer Uc-
t,,oen New York and tampa Va 80
io,,c Columbia. Savannah ana Jar N'D"
,iiie. another between NtW iDIS 81, 1..'
NNI,'n',o,,,hfs via Atlanta. Admission ana bit-
Nl.i,,t -, while the main BODY OF the
.t5 rrns between New YORK ana new
5 U.,o,,'s, yia Atlanta. Montgomery ana
Mobile. .o,ed,,ios the gov
ernynent has officially adopted the tast
NroU" which u operated dally between
eastern and southern ana soutnWes'eii,
cities. for the rapid tranSporlatlo" vi
mail btween those points .,,
TO encourage local trade ana traNel m
,,urnerable local trains are operated on
convenient schedules on tho various OWL
sions of this great system
And in the winter. geginning ms sea
son for instance, January liLn. ths
"Florida limited" Is operated daily eN-
cent Sunday. between New YORK ana :,
Augustine. and carries special cars 20 ana
from Aiken and Augusta. This masi.lh-
cent train has. by rs convenient ana ,uA-
urious service induced many wealthy
capitalist 20 undertake wnat Woulu o.ll.'
u,tse have been a dlsagreeable or even
rrobihltive trio Of a thousand miles -
escane tho rigor OF a northern winter.
T,he excellent service and fast schedules
~ the Southwestern Limited and me Fast
Mau have been influential In carrying
,ao,,ia destined 10 Mexico and the Pacific
s,cna through the South who would ofner-
,,.tsa have gone via the more dirct route
Tbese two trains. combined Win tAe
T-lorida Limited have acted as WONDER
~ stiuf,lus 10 travel through and into
the South. and, as an increase OF ltaN-
aiiers through a section so favored means
y rronortlonate increase IN self-appointed
advertisers and In investors and settlers.
tbe oufcome Of the policy OF the manage
mont Of the SOuthrn Railway cannot nut
he favorable In the extreme. not only 20
a. ovvn stockholders. but also 20 every
man living south OF the Mason & Dixon
line. ,. 49,.
great future lies before it-Phiadelphia
Record