The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1899-02-24
COTTON FACTORIES IN the SOUTH

Friese. vice president; j, W. Lehman,
secretary, and Jno, l.. Patterson, sup
erintendent. This is q single story
brick building, 100x400 feet size and
has 500 spindles, and will put in zoo
more soon. 1t is running sixteen car
ders and 100 looms, but will increase
the latteI to $50, 1t has 200 operatives
and runs night and day. 1t has twenty
to thirty tenement houses ror opera
tives, who pay twenty five cents per
room per week The mill makes sheet,
ing, drills and yarns, size 10 to 4O's. 1t
is operated by 250.h horse power electric
ity generated t6 12 miles away on the
| Yadkin river. There can be 10 better
evidence of the prosperous condition of
the North Carolina cotton mills than is
found in the fact that the Friese mills
are being increased. Mr. Friese is Il
banker in Winston, and is capable Of
knowing what pays, and puts his money
in these plants. Like other North
Carolina bankers, these Friese brothers
are large mill owners and operators.
Let us examine closely another
GOOD COTTON FACTORY TOWN
such as Gastonia. Gastonia twenty
miles southwest of Charlotte, on the
Southern Railway, has 5000 population
two banks, four cotton mills, two sash,
blind and door factories and one coffin
factory, with two travelling statesmen,
who travel and sell in eight southern
states.
The growth of Gastonia attests the
value Of cotton factfries as country and
town makers. The first mill, the Gas
tonia Manufacturing Company. was
ereted here in 1885, when there were
700 people The town growth in popu-
lation has been from 500 in 1880 to 1916
in 1869, and to 1886 in 1905 and to $500
in 1893. The second, the Trenton Mill
was erected laSQ. The third mill, the
Modena, was erected in 1895, and the
fourth, the Avon, was erected in 1897.
The fifth mill, the Ozark, was organiz-
ed Jyn. II, with fl25,ooo paid in, with
Geo. A, Gray president, and Jno. l..
Love, vice president; r. +. Lankin sec
retary and treasurer The Gastonia
Manufacturing Company's mill was
capitalized when it started at $50, 0OO,-
900. but since increased to $500. 900.
The officers are Geo. A. Gray, presi.
dent and John T. Love, secretary and
treasurer
The Avon Is capitalized at $50, 900,
with the same roster of officers as the
Gastonia. This mill began with 5000
spindles, and at the eud OF the year in
creased by surplus profits to 10000
spindles. 1t has a 400-hor power en-
gine, 200 looms and two lappers and all
modern equipments. 1t has $50 opera.
tives and thirty -fvs nice tenement
houses. which 1t rents at 70 cents per
room per month. Mr.. Love who is con
nected with these thre. mills is also
stockholder in the Tuckaseege Manufac
tnring Company, near Mount Holly. of
which he is vice-president, and is also
banker in Gastonia.
Mr.. Love thinks that cotton mills
should do well in Louisiana and Mi.sis.
sippi, and does not hesitate to say good
words about the prosperity of the cotton
mill industry, and says that Gastonia. :.
population and wealth are the effect of
manufacturing development He is
broad-minded, liberal man, and believe
If anyone desires information, that Mr.. |
Love would answer letters along that
line. It is a singular coincident that
presidents Of banks and mills are nearly
always centered In one man. Every
town have been to has its bank off.
cials connected officially with one to
nve COTTON mills. u do not know wheth.
er the banks have made the mills, but !
am disposed to think that on the other
hand, the mills have made the banks
What town in Louisiana. Of $500 popu
lation, has two banks, ane of them
national bank? The Modena Cotton
Mills was capitalized at $4,000, has
Just increased the sum to $I20. 900, with
L. l.. jenkins, president, J. d. Moore
secretary and treasurer. Mr.. jenkins
is president Of the First National Bank.
The Trenton Cotton Mill has $4,000
capital, with J. s. Falls as president
and g. w. Ragan as secretary and
treasurer.
These mills all combined have 1900