Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-07-28


by Mr.. X. II. Edmonds, editor OF the
Manufacturers Record Of. Baltimore.
The author shows that at tho time the
Civil War began ths South as a section
was the richest and most progressive
part Of the country, although 1t bad
only one fourth OF the white population
Of the Union. According to the consus
OF 1860, the assessed value OF the entire
property in the United States at that
time was sl2. ooo 900. 900, and the South
owned Al per cent OF 1t. In 1850 the
value Of the crops produced by the
South was more than one-half OF the
value Of the tnial agricultural products
Of the country. In the same year 30
per cent of the entire banking capital
of the United States was in the South,
aud tho assessed value of property in
Georgia was greater than the combined
wealth of Maine, New Hampshire,
Vermont and Rhode Island. South
Carolina was SOS, 900. 600 richer than
Rhoda Island and New Jersey. and
Mississippi outranged Connecticut by
sl60, 600, 600.
The Civil War, It is estimated. de-
stroyod property 10 the South Of tho
value Of ~, 100, 900, 900, aud the recnn-
structiou period caused further loss
of $500, 600, 600. Add to this enormous
destruction tho cost of the war, the
hundreds OF thousands of vigorous men,
killed or permanently injured. tho
South's share OF the national indebted
ness. and the total, says MIR. Edmouds,
would sum up an aggregate loss of
80, 600 GOO, COO sum eight times
greater than the combined capital OF
al the national banks in tho United
Statss, ami nearly az large as the
aggregate capital invested in manu-
features in the whole country. To
ahow how tho wealth Of tht ssctiuns
changed hands az the result of the
Civil War. it il only necessary to cite
tho figures for the decatle from 1850 to
1870. In 1850 the assessed value of
property In Massach useits was s777,
100. 600, compared with S., 200, 600. 900
in the entire South. In 1870 Massa-
chusetts had 81, 800, 600, 600 and the
South only So. o00, 900, 600. Such WAS
ths povarty OF the South that the one
State OF Massachusetts listed for taxes
more than one-half az much property
as all ths States OF that section could
show.
Despite the crushing loss OF property
and the disadvantage under which 1t
labored for many years after the close
Of tbs war, tho South has been
atcadily, even il slowly, moving to the
front again. In 1880 it had 81, COO. :
600, 200 Of real and personal property,
and from 1880 TO 1890 there was an Ia
crease in the value of its property Of
So. 500, 600, 600, against s3, 300, 900, 00O
in the New England and Middle States
combined. The value OF the farm
products of the South in 1890 was
s773, 600, 600, and II had 49, 1872, 900, 600
invested in agricultural interests. the
gross revenue on the capital being "a.
per cent. All othsr sections combined
had sl2, 1871, BOO, 900 invested In farm
operations and the product was valued
at 81, 6s7, 900, 600. or 1871 per cent, a
little more than one-half as much In
percentage Of production Bs the
South's. The average value per acre
of all farm products in the South was
81. IS; tho average value of all the
States except the South was &C. 81.
Ths grain production of the South ia
1895 was valued at s261, 972, 1923. Mr..
Edmonds estimates ths present annua
value of the South's Hgricultura
products at $500, 900. 900. Notwith.
standing the decrease In the price Of
cotton. he says, the value of these
products Is $50, 600, 900 year greater
than In 1890, the census year.
The industrial advancement of tn,
South has bsen equally gratifying. II
1880 1t had s257, 244, 56l invested IL
manufacturing. In 1890 this had in
creased to 5000, 00S,S17 Tho value O
the manufactured products rose from
s457, Asa, TT in 1880 to s917. $50, 045 Ii
1880. The South has practically cap
tuied the manufacture OF coarse cottor
goods and is nav entering the field o
competition with New England ant
undertaking tho manufacture of th,
finer qualities. In coal and pig iron |
seems destined to lead the world, and
as Mr.. Edmonds points out. the mag
nitude of the South's wealth in coal i
beyond computation. Great Britain
entire coal area covers only 12, 00
square miles, while West Virgins
alone of number OF coal prod ucinl
States has 1G. 900 square milos of Goa
fields. MIR. Edmonds considers tina
conservative estimate OF the tota
value of the mining and manufacture,
products OF the South for 1897 woul,
, BIO over 81, 200. 600. 600. making, witt
agricultural products, an aggregate O
over 50, 100, 600, 600 Of industrial an,
, agricultural products for last year.
The railroads Of the South have bes
powerful factors in its development
, aud eince 1880 more than 2S. 600 mile
Of new road have been built. In nature
resources the South is without an squal
, II haH iron ore and coal in unlimite
D supply, and pig iron can be made q
. smaller cost than anywhere in til
: United States. More than one half c
. tbs standing timber OF the Unite
States is in the South. Climate, so
and mineral resources fit 1t for bot
agricultural and manufacturing great