The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-12-06
THE COTTON INDUSTRY.
Past History, Present Importance and
Future Development.
Yorkcille Enquirer.


interested in any other one thing as
they are in cotton. Upon this staple
principally is based all that our State
has achieved in an industrial way
during the past one hundred years.
and Notwithstanding all that may be
said to the contrary, our hopes are
based principally on this staple for
the next hundred years to come.
To point out any considerable busl'
ness in this section, or for that mat
ter, an individual living, which does
not come in whole, or in part, from
the cotton industry, would be diff
cult. There are numerous handsome
residences and large business houses
throughout this section, to build
which cost much money. The money
was paid by the owners of the build
ings; but it is not difficult to show
that it came to them originally through
the cotton fields. There are nImer-
GUS banks scattered through this
country, all with more or less capital
derived from cotton production. There
is not big mercantile establishment
within fifty miles that was not built
up mainly by cotton producers. The
cotton crop pays the salary of the
preacher, the fee Of the lawyer and
doctor, and the subscription to the
newspaper. OF course there are some
few commodities that have value in
dependent Of any direct or indirect
connection with cotton; but they are
so few and unimportant that to think
out and establish their claims would
be tedious undertaking. For in
stance firewood-a natural resource
is sold for money to private indivi-
dual who gets the money with which
to pay for it through some connection
with the cotton industry, and with
chickens, eggs, cattle, etc., the rela-
tion is the same.
The importance Of cotton, there
fore, in this section cannot be overes-
timated. Upon it depends the indus
trial, social, religious life and progress
Of the people, and in the development
Of the industry all are equally interest
ed. Formerly our people were inter.
ested only in cotton production; out OF
late years it has developed that they
are as greatly interested in cotton
manufacture, and it is now developing
that they are just as greatly interest
ed in cotton consumption. Generally,
the question has net been studied Or
fully comprehended in all its bearings;
but the history of the industry has
now developed sufficiently to. greatly
aid more thorough understanding Of
it from strictly practical self-interest
point Of view.
Previous to the invention Of the
cotton gin, just before the year 1900,
gold or silver money was an exceed
ingly scarce commodity in South Caro-
lima. The little that came to this
State came after indigo, rice, turpen-
sine and few other commodities that
were furnished in very limited guam
titles. But the invention Of The cot
ton gin changed conditions, not only
in South Carolina but in all the South
esn States where the soil and climate
we're adapted to the production of cot
ton. The industry grew rapidly SO
far as production was concerned. At
first the price was good; but there
was no market of any consequence ex-
cept in England, and as production
increased, prices went downward.
This downward progress was not ar
rested until the building Of cotton
mills was commenced in America.
The cotton production Of the South
in 184445 was 1884, SOB bales. Of
this $685. bales were exported,
and only about $50, 900 were manufac-
tured in this country. The price
that year was only 5.63 cents pound.
The next year American mills in
creased their manufactures to 422, 600
bales and the price went up to 7.87.
The crop that year, however, was
about 100000 less than for the pre-
vious year; but 10 years later the
United States manufactured 100000
bales ont Of q 3, 3,0OO,0O0 bale crop, and
the producers that year, 1854-55, got
20 80 for their cotton. So with the
increase of American spindles, the
price went on up until 1860-61, when
the United States manufactured $780,
600 bales out Of 100000 bale crop,
and the cotton growers got l3. 10 cents
a nonnd.