Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1899-06-01
THE SOUTH'S ADVANTAGES.
A R0SEATE VIEW OF THE -UTURE-AS,
T0NlSHlNG FIGURES. i...,
GENERAL BUSINESS OUTLOOK.
The Revolution Through Which We Are Pass,
Ing Is Wlde.Reaohing In Its Influence.

| SShoial Hi"HaSeF VI Gue ManuIaC-
turers' Record of Baltimore, is gone
rally looked upon Us one of the best
informed men in the country on tho
general commercial status. ..
In discussing the general business
outlook for the country Mr.. Ed
monds said last night
owe have entered upon an era in
business and commercial affairs with
which there is nothing in all our
history to compare. The revolution
through which we are passing is the
most reaching upon the worlds
affairs that has ever been known.
Before the civil war and after it.,
even up to about 1890, we were busy
developing continent. The OPEN
ing up to civilization of the great
West, the building of about $4,000
miles of railroad, which VIC have
done in the last 40 years, the crea-
tion of our vast industrial interests,
now employing from 100000 to
100000 hands and turning out an
nually between $l2,000,000,O0O and
sl5,000,000,000 worth Of products,
or about four times the total annual
value of all our agricultural products,
were tasks sufficient to employ our
cnorgy and capital. No other nation
ever made such record, and we
may we'll afford to boast of what we
have done.
"But what We have accomplished
is only an indication of our future.
Until about four or five years ago
we were not counted as factors in
the worlds commercial affairs, ex-
ccpt as an exporter of grain, provis-
ions and cotton. To-day wo are the
dominating power in the worlds in
'lustral activities. We are fixing
the price for every ton of pig iron
and steel rails which the world is
consuming. 1t matters not how dis
tant the country, nor how great the
undertaking, American iron and
steel set the price which all other
producers must meet or else lose the
business.
GA few years ago we were import
ing an average of about 100000
tons n year of iron and steel. Now
the conditions are reversed and we
are exporting as much as five years
ago we imported. Our bridge build
ers arc capturing contracts in Africa
and Asia our locomotive shops are
exporting almost as many locomo-
tivcs AZ they are supplying to our
railroads ; our metal and woodwork
ing machinery makers are finding an
ever expanding market in Europe,
in the Orient and in Africa.
"Ihese arc new conditions. They
are 80 revolutionizing in their effect
that we have scarcely had time to
comprehend their full meaning.
Within five years we have become a
creditor nation instead of a debtor.
The balance Of trade in our favor
the excess of our sales to foreign
countries over our purchases from
them during the last three years
amounts to about 81 500, 100000. In
all our history we have been q debtor
nation to Europe until now, when
Europe is largely in debt to us.
awe have had little or no part in
supplying the worlds demands for
manufactured goods, but now we are
crowding our old world competitors.
England stands amazed at our pro-
gress and German iron makers find
their own home markets invaded by
our r'''ucts. In IS years England
has ma> oprogress in iron produc-
tion, hor ,tput of 100000 tons in
that time being practically the high
est point reached, while We have
doubled our output and against Eng
lands 100000 tons of pig iron will
this year produce 100000 to H.
100000 tons. The opening up of
Africa and Asia, the development of
Of great navies and the new use to
which iron and steel are being put
make the world hungry for iron and
steel. Consumption is everywhere
increasing at marvellous rate, and
until China in the distant future de-
velops her iron and coal resources
the United States must of necessity
snrr!y the greater part of this in-
crease. Whether China will ever
become an important factor in the
worlds iron interests need not con-
Germ this generation.
"ln this mighty advancc-the most
marvellous that the human race has
seen--an advance which must affect
the destinies of every country, there
may and likely will come hating
nnriplo rbo,n x,,;lt l., AZ .