The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1897-01-16
.AN ENTHUSIASTIC aovERNoR.-
He Evidently Bolieves In the Natural Adj
vantagss OF ms own State.

He Evidently Believes In the Natural Adj
vantages OF MS own State.
Nowhere in all the republic can
more prolific response be lad from the
soil to the intelligent cultivation OF
man. Nowhere can FER water, Q
more genial climate. or summer skies
be found to bless contented homes"
These words were spoken 0 Alabama
by her enthusiastic governor, JosephF-
Johnston, in his recent inaugural d
dress, and one not living there, is Tempt
ed to believe il all when that fol-
lowsG Gov. Johnstonas he enumerates the
resources and capabilities Of his states
with an area Of but little more than
$4,000 square miles, says M. John-
ston, "there Is no territory Of Ike size
in the known world so prolific IN he
variety Of its resources; were a wall
erected around our state, cutting ok
all access, we could produce within u
borders everything necessary for the
comfort or convenience Of man. Great
veins of iron ore and seams of coal put
at our command almost boundless Tev
sources in fuel, iron and steel. Spleen
did forests of yellow pine here stand
ready to build homes 70 rmillions of peO-
pie. Building stone and marble, fire
clay, kaolin and lime exist in great
abundance; walnut, maple. oak, cher
ry, ash and other hard woods, await the
hand Of man for manufacture or tbs
adornment of our homes.
"In the production Of pig iron we
take rank as the fourth state in the
union; in iron ore, third; in coal we
stand fifth; in the production Of cot
ton, fourth, and in its manufacture,
fourth.
"In lumber we are near the head of the
list.
sit would be unjust should / fail to
include in u minerals copper, lead.
graphite, mari and gold; indeed the
only mineral that we seem to be with
out and to want most is silver.
Leaving forest and mine and coming
to our fields we find that they produce
generously cotton, corn, wheat, rye,
oats, tobacco, rice and the grasses, and
here is the home Of the pear, the peach,
the grape and all small fruits. Vege-
tables are grown With great success,
and this industry is steadily develop
ing. Our splendid rivers, the Alabama,
Cossa, Tallapoosa, Warrior, Cahaba,
Bigbee and the Tennessee are the liquid
arteries Of the commonwealth, fed by
innnmerable creeks, all fruitful in pow
er to convert our raw products into
articles of merchandise.
"Over 1000 miles of railroads tra-
verse our state from north to south. and
east to west, furnishing quick transpor-
tation to market for our products.
"When we come to our climate we
find that the Giver of all good things
has not stayed His hand, and that He
has blessed us with opportunity to la
Dor 12 months in the year without det-
riment to health or comfort. Indeed,
we can scarcely appreciate the bless
ings we enjoy in this respect when
compared with less favored regions, for
even now we are seemingly unconscious
that roses are blooming in our gardens.
and the fragrant air is sweet with their
perfume.
1.-THE Piedmont region Of our state
shows that it's average Thermometer in
summer and winter corresponds almost
exactlyw witt that of Berlin and Hamburg,
whilst Mobile and the lower partof the
state correspond largely with the cli-
mate of Frankfort-on-the-Main, and
Garlsruhe. The average temperature
for the whole state shows about 40 de-
grces Fahrenheit for January, IS for
July and 60 degrees for April and Oc-
tober.
"Ourstreams aboundin fish, our woods
are fragrant with flowers. and our
beautiful seaport supplies an abundance
Of fish and oysters for all our people,
Nowhere in all the republic can moro
prolific response be had from the soil
to the intelligent cultivation of man!
Nowhere can purer water, a more genial
climate OF SUMMER skies be found 70
bless contented homes.
''These are u opportunities. Theses
the substantial groundwork upon which
q great commonwealth can be erected
OF course all Of this was not said with
out a direct object. and continuing he
pointed the way in which his dream 81
a great commonwealth could be re-
allied. This for citizens of the state
both actual and prospective. We wonder
If the same, or similar, wise things
might not be said Of many another
state, highly favored by natural re
sources md dormant wealth, Of our
great union.
sThis is the age of industrial de-
velopment, and to that task the legisla-
tor and citizen should bend their ener.
gies and weary not in well doing, When
we consider that we are now c~ultivating
and utilizing less than one-third Of
these resources, and that the other two
thirds produce taxes only, 1t behooyes
: us to invite to our borders and give gen
erous welcome to men and money to aid
in awakening these dormant re
sources.
sour pig iron should be melted and
our cotton spun and woven at home
thus giving greater employment to Ia
: Dor and establishing home. markets fol
our agricultural products.
, 'sThe smoke OF our factories shoAls
: be found rising in every county, ant
our furnaces, like pillars Of fire, SHOULD
: light the night.
|, 'The production Of grasses and tn.
raising Of cattle should be stimulated