The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1899-04-11
TRUTH ABOUT THE SOUTH
WHY IT Is THE IDEAL PLACE TO
BUILD HOMES AND FORTUNES.

L.
Stirling, local physician, in which
he asked why 1t was that the people
OF the South did not make their adj
vantages known to the world at large.
He drew attention to the fact that in
Europe and in the Northern States of
the Union there was widely prevalent
idea that the South was afflicted with
fevers, which rendered it dangerous
for human life. The doctor went on
to suggest that if once this impression
should be removed, there could be no
doubt that vast stream of immigration
would invade our fields and our waste
places would thus be built up.
To corroborate what DR.. Stirling
said as to the impression held abroad
regarding the South, the Constitution
has received letter from a gentleman
IN Wisconsin, which reads as follows:
Editor Constitutional am becoming
quite interested in the South and would
IKE to ask you few questions regarding
business, etc:
1. Are all branches of business well
represented?
2, Are business men compelled to give
long credits?
3. Are the farmers in your vicinity thrifty
and contented?
4. Are rents high?
b. Are mnlarial diseases prevalent there
to any extent?
I am familiar with drugs. dry goods
groceries, shoes. furnishings, etc, and
would like TO locate in a good live town
Would be prepared to invest from $4,000 to
$4,000 In business.
6. Have always heard 1t preached that to
go South was to become indoent, lazy, a
victim of fevers. and, in fact ali that is
dreadful in the shape OF diseases to which
human flesh is heir.
z. Would you think It advisable to come
South with family In which there are
small children?
am tired of our long cold winters.
l.. NIcKERsON.
Wantonia. Wis.
This letter is reproduced in full for
the reason that it comes as confession
of want of information from an intelli-
gent American, living in a State noted
for the intelligence of its people. When
such ideas as limited at by the ques-
tons asked exist among the people of
such State as Wisconsin, it certainly
becomes time for the organs of public
opinion in the South to set forth the
facts, so that henceforth no uncertain
ty may linger in the public mind as to
the South, It's resources and its future.
The writer of the above letter honestly
seeks information, and should be as
honestly met and answered, which the
Constitution proposes to do seriatim
l. Throughout the South there are
metropolitan cities, of which Atlanta
Is fair sample, which rival any of
the cities III the northwest for the
amount of business done, the field
covered and the advantages which they
ofier to the people of the surrounding
country for trade and commerce. In
these cities there are represented all
interests, classes and degrees of bust
ness, and in them may be found prog
porous merchants and even million
aires, who, starting at the very bot
tom, have built up until they have
reached the top scale, in commerce and
society. The rivalry between business
interests is fully as keen and alive to
the necessities of the day as can be
that in the city of Milwaukee, which
IS the metropolis of the State from
which our friend writes.
2. As to business credits, it is not
likely that there can be much differ
ence between the conditions in Geor-
gia, for instance, and in Wisconsin.
In the larger town and cities cash, or
its equivalent, is the rule, while the
opportunities for credit TO those who
are worthy of it are abundant. In
the smaller villages, owing to the al
most complete devotion of our acri-
cultural interests to cotton, which is
crop coming in but once a year,
much larger margin of credit has to be
gwen. This is condition. however.
out of which the people of the South
have been emerging. Within the last
ten years there has been q remarkable
escape from the single crop idea, and
during the present year the revolt
against that idea and in favor of d.
verse interests has grown TO such
proportions that the the time is GER
tainly in sight when Southern farmers
will have something TO sell every day
IN the year, which will bring them
money on delivery. Tn this connec-
ton it is proper TO state that the de-
votion to n single crop is not au out
growth OF awant Of opportunity on the
part of nature, because i'm almost
every section of the South everything
can beraised which is now peculiar TO
the North, in addition TO the great
money crop Of cotton. The ideal goal
TO which our people are now aspiring
is the ability TO supply all human
wants as the first work Of the farm.
making the raising of cotton the extra
or surplus work, which will thus be-
come pure profit in the peck cts of our
farmers.
3. As TO the farmers i'm Georgia.
they are certainly contented and nm
deuiably thrifty, but they have much
to learn in the line Of diversified aQri-
culture. They are people possessed
OF honesty, character and the will to
work, as soon as they nre directed in
the right channels To people from
the North, where the rigor Of the eli
mate is such as 60 force attention 20
personal comfort, the people of the
South may appear TO lag behind, but
the fact is that they have not felt the
necessity of much Of tho extra effort
which nature has forced upon those of
the snowbound regions. Blest with
genial skies, with the almost absence
Of anything like winter, they possess
what not even the hard work of those
| "a the Northwest can secure.
4. Rents are cheaper than they are
IN Iowa and WI 'onsin, according 60