The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-09-30
TENDENCY TO IMPROVEMENT.
The Importance of Manufacturing Up
buiIding Apprcciated i'm the south.

binding Appreciated in the south.
BALTIMORE. sept. 29.-SpeciaL-A gem
eral survey OF the business situation OF
the whole South shows a very marked
tendency to improvement and noticeable
interest in all sections in the develop
ment OF Industrial affairs. il Is doubtful!
il the importance OF manufacturing up
building was ever more fully appreciated
hv this section than at present, ana
while there is an entire absence or any
disposition TO boom efforts. there IS a
steady broadening OF the whole indusuiai
life. with an Overwhelming interest on
the part Of the people of all classes, VINO
recognize that the doubling OF the manu-
featuring interests OF the South wouid
mean the doubling Of the opportunities
for profitable employment and the douD'
ling OF the wealth of the whole section.
I'm every direction the attention tha'
these subjects are receiving from the
press and the people is most notlceauie'
and one Of the most gratifying features
OF the whole situation is the diversity Oh
development now under way.
An examination OF the Industrial and
business affairs Of the week as covered
bv the Manufacturers Record. shows In
creasing activity I'm numbering operations
and I'm the development OF oil fields IN
Texas and West Virginia, in tho building
of cotton mills and the enlargement or
established mills i'm the rapid extension
of work on the great steel plant az Biz
mingham. and I'm the wide diversity OF
Industries based on the development OF
tho south's raw materials. Tn Texas the
Corsicana oil field. which Is attracting
such general attention. is employing con-
siderable capital a report from thassec'
ton puts the present productive capacity
of the wells in operation az 5000 barrels
a day. with a refinery under construction
10 have a daily capacity OF 1000 barrels.
II is possible that these figures viii not
DE fully reached for some time. but they
indicate something of the extent OF this
new oil development
Reports from the West Virginia lumber
ing regions show greater activity than
has existed for many months, while IA
the Central South tho construction OF
cotton mills is represented by tho organ
izatiOn Of three or four new companies
To- build mills of 5000 spindles and up
wards. with large number of establish
cd mills adding new machinery.
I'm Birmingham. additional contracts.
aggregaung 500 900. have been let during
the week for work on the million dollar
steel plant. all contracts so far let stp-
ulating for completion carly next spring.
Reports Of net earnings Of railroads for
July show that Southern roads, as COM
pared with the same time last year were
doing much better than any other roads
In the country. the total increase In net
earnings of Southern roads for the month
having been 1895 per cent. while the next
largest gain was in the Middle and West.
ern States of only 3l6 per CENT, num-
Der Of other sections showing an actual
decrease.
I'm the Southwest there is considerable
/ activity ln railroad construction. and the
Manufacturers Record is officially adj
vised that 1900 tons of steel rails have
been purchased for the Choctaw * Mem
phis railroad. which is TO extend from
Little Rock, Ark through the western
portion OF the State. a distance Of ll
miles. To IS also advised by the Chief
Engineer of the Mississippi Hamburg q
Western railroad that this lire is TO De
built across the state OF Arkansas a dis
lance OF 80 miles. of which 40 miles are
now partially completed. These two lines
alone represent nearly 800 miles Of new
road In that State and 10 this might Doe
added a number of shorter lines under
construction.
There IS a very noticeable increase I'm
the arrangements that are being made
for the development OF export business
from Southern ports, and particulars are
given this week of schedules that have
been arranged for nine different steam
ship lines 10 run direct 90 Manchester
ENGLAND. from Galveston Port Arthur
New Orleans, Brunswick. Mobile Charles
tOn Newport News and Norfolk This
steamship service has been arranged for
the purpose of carrying cotton direct
from Southern ports 10 Manchester. using
the Manchester ship canal and 10 is prob
able that this Increase in steamship ous-
mess viii very considerably facilitate the
export of Southern iron, the foreign sales
of which have lately been limited only oy
the ability 10 secure freight rates 90 Eu-
rope.
Among the announcements or new IN
dustrial enterprises during the week were
the following:
a $1,000 flour mill al Fort Payne Ala;
$4,000 stave company at Hamburg,
Ark. "A $1,000 gin company at Forrest
city. Ark. $1,000 gold-miniug company
at DlhIoncga. Ca. $4,000 springfield man-
uacturlng company at Atlanta. TIA, O.
-0g-spnlle cotton mill 40 whitehall Ca
l $1,000 telephone company at German
town. KY. 10000 irrigation company ai
Alexandria La.. $1,000 basket and box
factory at Cambridge Md, $4,000 tele-
phone company at Bel Air Nd. $1,000
telephone company at Meridian. Miss
$1,000 improvements 90 cotton mill ai
stouewau. Miss. -0.M0-feet lumber mill
~ Denny. Miss; 5000 spindle cotton mill
no Chapel HILL ~ c.; 50o0-spintle cotton
Mill at Edenton. y. c.; % combined gin
and cylindrical baling compress plants
reported as probably 90 be established in
South Carolina, knitting mill OF 2o1 dozen
capacity at Newberry. 5 c.; 81 600 lum-
Der mill company mt Columbia 5. c.,
$50. 900 -four and meal mill AT Memphis
Tenn: 100000 water works company az
Palestine. Tex. 1900 barrel OH refinery al
Corsicana Tex: $1,000 electric light and
motor company at Mckinney Texas
$4,000 sewerage system az Gainesville
Texas: lj-ton ice factory az Newport
News, Va; vehicle factory al Lynch
burg. Va, with an annual capacity of
5000 vehicles; 500 90 OH company and
a Sl00000 mining company al Charleston
w. v. $4,000 oil and mining company al
New MartInsville. w. V. and the develop
ment OF q 1000 horsepower az Kanawha
Falls, w. Va. by a New York company