The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1899-03-03
The South is Booming.

"The conditions ruling in the
Southern States just now are most
interesting and unusual" said Mr..
e. +. Huhlein, of B. L. Avery d
Sons, who recently returned from a
Southern trip. "Owing TO the
large cotton acreage planted last
year and a good growing season,
about the largest crop ever known
resulted. The consequence was, In
connection with large stocks of
old cotton on hand, accumulating
from several good.sized crops, the
price of cotton sunk TO five cents,
and for a time almost to four cents
last fall while the crop was being
picked and rushed to market. The
very low price figured out loss for
the growers, especially for the poor
tenants and "share-croppers," some
of whom, finding that at the low
prices they would have nothing due
them, having already 'lived up"
more than their share of the crop
would bring, and seeing that they
could not repay the amounts advan-
ced to them while making the crop
became discouraged and abandoned
the picking. Thus with an unusual
ly large crop in the field, there were
fewer plckers than usual. Many
poor fellows left their crops and
went over into Louisiana, where
there was big demand for labor in
the cane fields, and worked for cash,
instead of picking out cotton that
involved them in loss. The lum-
Der mills and the revival in other
industries also attracted considera-
BILE labor from the cotton fields.
Then ensued a long spell of bad
weather, with rain or cold prevent
ing any picking being done during
the greater part of the past winter.
cit is estimated that out of the
crop that appeared to be over ten
million bales, nearly one million
bales have been blown and washed
into the ground by the weather and
probably another million bales re-
mains on the stalks unpicked at this
time. Owing to this curtailment of
the crop and revival of the cotton
goods business the price of cotton
has risen to about six cents, and
planters are now getting as much
for stained cotton as they obtained
last fall for the best grades.
"The roads were so muddy that
not a wagon reached many country
towns for weeks except on an emer-
gency trip, and business has been
restricted in consequence. Planting
preparations for the new crop are
far behind, and many planters are
wrestling with the question of plow-
ing under the cotton remaining in
the fields or of trying to have it
picked out.
Notwithstanding all of this, the
South is in first-rate financial condi-
ton, and few days of good spring |
weather from now on will set things |
a humming. The cotton crop was
economically made; the sugar crop,
though disappointing, was tolerable,
while the grain crops were good and
brought good prices. Cattle brought
fine profits into the country. The
Southern lumber and pig iron in
dustries are booming as never be-
fore under an unusually brisk de
mand with rising prices.
"The Southern States will diver
sify crops more generally than ever
attempted, putting in largely in
creased acreage of grasses, forage
crops and small grains. No country
on earth has the vitality and wealth
that the Soulh has, nor, all the cir
considered, anything
like as much pluck and push either.
"The hard freezes recently have
probably killed out the yellow fever
germs; the merchants are In good,
healthy condition; the people are
out of debt, and with
cotton acreage and plenty
Of corn and diversified crops to be
pitched now in a few weeks, all will
be lovely"