El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-08-03
The Progress of The South.
Dallas News.

i Dallas News.
Richard II. Edmonds, editor of the
Manufacturers Record of Baltimore,
has revised his instructive pamphlet,
'Fscts About the South, and brought
1t down to the immediate present in
scope of tire atment of southern develop
| ment. He shows that at the beginning
OF the civil war. the south was relative
ly the richest and most progressive
section of the country, although It con-
tanned just One-fourth of the white po-
pul alton. According to the census of
property in the United States at that
time was s12 200, 900, 900, and the south
owned "a per cent of it. In 1860
produced by the u south 'D was more
than one-half the value of the total ag-
ricultural products of the country. In
the same year 80 per cent. of the entire
banking capital OF the United States
was in the south, and the assessed val
ne OF property in Georgia was greater
than the combined wealth of Maine,
New Hampshire, Vermont and Rhode
Island. South Carolina was S68, 900, 900
richer than Rhode Island and New Jer-
sey, and Mississippi outranked Connec-
ticut by Sl60, 100000. Then Mr.. Ed
monds estimates the lose and de-
terlora1 1.o ,uciden. to the civil
is put at 81, 100. 900, 900, to which is
added loss during reconstruction of
$500 10000 The loss of hundreds of
thousands OF vigorous men killed or
permanently injured, the loss of pro-
duction during the period of HOSTILE
ties, the south's share of the national
war debt were also considered, and the
total loss, Mr.. Edmonds estimates at
the enormous sum of s., 000, 0(O, 900, So
no n
bined capital of all the national banks 4
in the United States, and nearly aS 4
large as the aggregated capital invest !
ed in manufacturers in the whole coun- /
try. "And to show how the wealth of (
the sections shifted IS result of the
war he cites the figures for the decade Il
from 1860 to 1870. In 1860 the assessed I
$40 l5O, 900, compared with S5, 200, 0OO,-
200 in the entire south. In 1870 Mas
sachusetts had 81, $50, 900 600 and the h
south only 50, 000, 100000. "Such was
the poverty of the south, - he says, sthe \
one state of Massachuse its listed for
taxes more than one half as much prop
perty as all the states of that sc ction
could show" The period of
starting in with 1870
reveals some startli ng figures. And
The compilation of figures is
worth reproduction. The south, Mr..
shows, had In 1880, fifteen
Years after the clos of the war, ST.
700. 0O0, 600 of real. and personal pro-
)erty, and from 1890 to 1890 there was I
In increase in the value of its property
If s3 SOC, DOC. O0O against So, 800 900. 900
n the New Engla nd and middle states
combined. The value of the farm
products OF the south in 1890 was $773,-
700, 900, and it had 33, Is2, OOO, 900 in
rested in agricultural interests,
he gross revenue on the capital be-
ng 4.1 per cent. All other sections !
ON bined had sl2, 797, 900, 600 invested
n farm operations and the product
vas valued at 81 1851. 0OO, 900, or I3.1
Ter cent, little more than one-half as
much in percentage of production as
he south's. The average value per
ere OF all farm products in the south /
vas SIlS: the average value for all the
tates except the south was 1851. The
7as valued at s261, 972. 1923. The
resent annual value of the
outh s agricultural products is not far
rom $1,000, 0O0, 900. Notwithstanding
he decrease Ia the price of cotton, he
avs, the vs'uesofthese products is915O,- il
% 100000 year greater than In 1890,
he census year. AS gratifying as
gricultural DEVELOPMENT has been,
dvancement In manufacturing in dus-1
~ has kept fully abreast with
!. The south had in 1880, 81 ST.
i4,561 invested in manufacture ng.
q 1890 this had increa sed
o 1868, 00S,S The value of the no, M
products rose from S457,45 a. ,
q in 1880 to S917 $50, O45 in 1890. 1t
J stated that the south has practical lv :
aptured the manufacture of cosr, fe :
otton goods and is now entering tb e
cid OF com petition with New Englan d
nd undertaking the manufacture 81 |.
the finer qualities. In Goa H.
nd pig iron it seems destined to :.
lad the world, and. as Mr.. Edmonds
oints out, the magnitude 4
the south's wealth in coal is beyond
Great Britain's entire
bal area covers only 1900 square
lies, while West Virginia alone of a [