The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-01-06
A YEAR OF PROGRESS.
GOV. EVANS REVIEWS THES T TUATION
FORA TRADE JOURNAL.

Natural lAdvantsges--Write An Account oi
What Has Been and is Now Being Done
for South Carolina.
The following is an advance sheet
from the Manufacturers Record for
Jan. 1:
EXECUTIVE CHAMBER, |
COLUMBIA, S. c., Dec. 81. I
Editor Manufacturers Record:
1t would be impossible for me to
give your readers in 1000 words an
idea of the material resources or the
industrial and business progress and
prospects of South Carolina.
So rapid has been her industrial
progress for the past six years that a
book could be easily filed with the
enumeration of the numerous and va
ried industries. The results OF the
war and the severer results of the fl
nancial policy of the national govern
ment have not been without their ef-
fects upon our people and the material
development of our industries. They
have taught us to practice economy,
live. at home and build up our own
industries.
South Carolina is more favored in
her topography and climate than any
other State in the Union, and it is due
to these influences more than ady
other, that her industries have pros
pered while those of her sister States
have languished. The State has been
divided by nature into three distinct
sections, with natural boundaries:
1. The hill, or up country, as it is
familiarly known, begins at the Blue
Ridge mountains and continues to the
sand ridge extending across the State
from Aiken to Chesterfield counties.
This section abounds in mineral de-
posits, iron, gold and silver and lime
stone being found to the most profta'
bic extent. Its water powers are suf-
fcient to turn the wheels of the facto.
ries of the world. The streams come
bounding from the mountains, and
the fall is so great that dams are un-
necessary in most instances. The cost
for maintenance per horsepower is
less than $50. This section has gone
forward naturally with more wonder
full strides than the rest of the State,
and it may be truly designated as the
manufacturing section of the State.
Cotton manufacturing is our princi-
pal industry, and there is not a facto-
ry in the section that has not paid
dividends ranging from 8 to 80 per
cent. to its stockholders, while the
mills of the east and other States have
been compelled to shut down on &C.
count of the great depression in such
products. The advantages of this Sec
ton are apparent. The streams never
freeze, the laborers can work in their
shirt sleeves IL hours day with per-
feet comfort all the year round, and
the cotton is brought from the fields
directly to the mills. The cost OF liv-
ing is cheaper, and may say better
than that gained by operatives in the
east. Our operatives are all native,
patriotic citizens, and strike has
never been known in the State. In
the last six years South Carolina has
increased the number of spindles from
300, 900 to 100000, and enjoys the
honor of ranking first in the South in
cotton manufacturing. Our mills are
engaged principally in manufacturing
the coarser grades of cotton goods, but
the mills now being constructed are
putting in machinery for the manu-.
facture of the finer grades, and 1t is
only a question of time when this en-
tire industry will be monopolized by
our section of the country, because we
can do it cheaper, and the average
Yankee has very little sentiment when
the Question of dollars and cents in.
tervenes.
There is a great field in this section
for bleacheries: not a yard OF the i'm
mense product of our mills is bleach
ed in the State. This seems anomalous
and is only explained from the fact
that cotton manufacturing has been
so profitable that our people have been
content to employ their capital in this
channel alone.
That such an enterprise would be
profitable goes without saying, If only
to supply the home mai ket. We man
ufacture our cloth, ship to New York,
where it is bleached, and then buy it
back again, thus paying freight two
WAYS, whereas a home bleachery
would save this expense and necessa.
rily drive the eastern one out Of the
market. This is our easy and good
natured way, however, ard we con
tinue to pay the tax in order to let our
eastern brother live. Our cotton mills
are largely owned by our own people,
and it is mistake to think that this
rapidity of development is due to out,
side capital. Most of the mills are
built on what is known as the install
ment plan, thus enabling wage earn
ers and laborers to become stoclkhold-
ers and interested in the success of the
enterprise. Many of the small accounts
in our savings banks have been thus
converted, and in every case to the
great advantage of the investor. The
conversion of our electric power bids
fair to further increase our manufac
tories within the next year or two.
There is nearing completion in the
city of Columbia the largest electric
power plant south of Niagara falls,
and 1 believe the only cotton factory
plant run entirely by electric power
is in this country, and is owned large
/ ly by the same stockholders. In &c
days this 10000 horse power station
will be running mills in this city
There is another company developing
the immense power on the Catawba
river, and contracts have already been
entered into whereby the mills of the