The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1899-03-15
AS Seen by Northern Eyes.

the well.known inanc =, has recently
made tour OF the So1th in company
With Mr.. Richard NJ Edmonds, of the
Baltimore Manufacturers Record. 10
this tour be visited most of the Southern
States East asd West of the Mississippi
river The special object 10 the visit is
not stated. but as Mr.. Searles has be-
come President of the American Cotton
Company, which is Interested in the
establishment of the round baling cot
too. we presume this mad something
to do With it, the object being 30 take
observations of The cotton fields, the
present methods Of procedure, baliDg,
marketing, warehouse facilities. ETC., 10
all of which his company is more or less
interested. it's object being to revolu.
,ionize the present methods. As far
as We learn By reading Mr. Searles is 8
man of close observation, of fne business
capacity and has been remarkably suc-
cessful in tho management of the enter
prises With which he has connected him
self, and hence the South has been con-
graduated upon the fact that he has
turned bis attention to the South as an
inviting field for enterprises.
On his return home be vas met BY q
representative of the Baltimore Sun and
asked his impressions Of the South as he
had seen it on his tour. After giving
his opinion of the climate. natural re-.
sources, etc., as be had seen and learn
ed Of them, be said:
tGiven these resources, and with q
favorable climate and productive soil,
both Of which the South enjoys, there
ought not to be any limit to the possl.
bic profitable development. of that
country. If Englaud could create its
enormous iodus:ria! interests. based
largely on imported cotton and iron ore,
and spending. as she does, about
$3.50. 600, 900 a year for foodstuffs if
New England, With but few natrral
advantages. could, by the great energy
Of its people and the force of ciroum.
stances, build up its marvellous indus
.fial prosperity, based upon imported
coal, imported iron and imported cotton,
what may weeDos expect Of the South
new that it has fairly entered upon the
broad development of It's mineral
wealth and its cotton aud lumber
manufacture
"a careful study Of the business
condi.ioos Of that whole section, Of the
spirit Of the people, of the splendid
progress already made in cotton
manufacturing, Of the truly marvellous
iron aud steel making advantages, as
illustrated in Birmingbam-and re-
membering that while Birmingham il
necessarily destined to be one of the
worlds leading metallurgical centers.
there are many other poioss where iron
aud steel can be pro6tably manufae-
tu.ed. thus giving assurance Of the
upbuilding of many other iron cities as
the work of development goes on
remembering all these facts, the
thoughtful student Of business condi-
sious must see that the South has an
exceedingly bright future.
"The progress Of that section seems
to be we'll rounded. with steady
upbuilding 10 cotton and iron maufac-
turing, and now Birmiogham is
preparing to take dominant position
in steel-making. The two great steel
plants nov under construction at
Birmipghan will, I understand. cost
about 81, ,5oo.o 600 to 5000. 600. As
factor in building up that city aud in
creating diversity Of manufacturing
interests, these steel works will
probably be of more value than
everything that Birmingham has up to
the present time accomplished in iron
matters. We found q very marked
activity in cotton mill building, aud in
Alabama learned of the closing OF q
contract by the Merrimac Manufae-
turing Company, Of Lowell. to build as
Huntsville ono Of the largest cotton
mills in che world This plant, go I
Was informed. will have 200, 600 spin
dies, bleachery and print. works and
will, believe. be the frst priot works in
the South. 1t will probably cost over
$4,000, ,000.
',In all parts of the South the cotton
mills we're reported as profitable and
crowded with orders The splendid
cotton duck mill at Columbia, s. c., is
Que Of the finest mill plants | have ever
eseo, and its electrical equipment is
superior to that of any mill with which
l am familiar 10 New England. Its
general manager stated that it coald
sell double its present output, the
demand for its goods coming from ali
parts of the world. La North Carolina
| found that one county bad twenty
two cotton mills in operation. with five
more projected. 10 that county toe
e.-n.,I,.a eo;d ~ Ia On ,,oenoroue