The age-herald., 1900-01-28

of small ones the most modern machinery dtsplacing that which was older and econo- mics enforced during depression were con- tinued. with the dawning of prosperity. While the Granby was still unfinished, 1t seems, the Olympia which is to be the greatest of Columbia's mills, was projected and it is now going up. It's capital is I,- 500.000. two-thirds of which has been sub scribed.
 MT. whaiey started out to demonstrate to would-be cotton manufacturers that cotton could be economically manufactur- ed with steam power. This, in commu- nity that had cherished the idea that it must rely upon the power to be derived from Congaree river, needed confirmation. The Richland steam mill proved the cor rectness of the claim. This was also very important thing to the owners of canal by which the waters of the Conga- rec, at great expense and by the construc- tion of elaborate works, were brought into service to develop electrical power. This power was for sale, great deal of 1t, and 1t possessed many advantages over steam. The demons hration of the feasibility of using steam fixed the price of electricity at $15 per horse power per year. At the time that rate was fixed it was the lowest rate ever made for electricity as power in manufactures. To meet needs that seem ed to go beyond the ability of the Canal company the Olympia mill is constructing a steam plant to generate electric power to the extent of 5,000-horse power, and ex- poets to supply not only it's own mill but the Richland, which is to be converted from steam, and a street railway under construction, besides lighting the city streets. The Canal company's plant sup plies 10000 horse power and Whaleys S plant will increase the total supply by 1000.
 Character of Business
 ''To get away from statistics for a mo- ment and deal with the picturesque aspects of the industrial development here, it may be said that a very good idea of the char acter eff the business doing here may be gathered from notes of visit in two lead ing mills. In the Columbia Duck Mill and the Granby Cloth NTH for the manufacture of brown sheetings one may get an idea of the mill work here. The duck mill is a fine structure, close to town and near the Canal company's power house. It has made its name in the trade with its brand of "Aretas,' and its more than 100 different kinds of goods go everywhere that duck is consumed some of it having been ship ped to South Africa. The labor employed in this mill dwells beyond the Congaree river, in another county, that contributes mot to the taxable valuations of Columbia, and so vexes Columbia with impossible suggestions of the wisdom of annexation. Tine labor is white. It lives comfortably, in rows of monstrous frame houses, with differences to thrift and nea atness found even among -millionaires. This duck mill eats up 30,000 bales of cotton a year, as the use of the heavy yarns required for most duck calls for greater supply of the cot ton than is nelessary to make the goods of lighter thread.
 There is some secrecy about the Colum- bia mill. A cotton manufacturer may not enter it. The Columbia people have secrets they do not care to divulge to. rivals, and so the ban is on the door against all visi- tors. It was suspended to let in your cor respondent, and the weaves of the Colum- bta looms were displayed with pride. As to profits, the answer to inquiry was a comfortable smile. Over at the Granby, at present the greatest mill in operation at or near Columbia, there were no secrets. The mIll was open. So was the history. Some of 1t has been related. In the great brick building, securely constructed, something like 900 persons were operating 65 900 spin dles and 1,500 looms, 500 of them Draper looms. The product, one unvarying sort of brown sheeting, was being shipped out as fast as produced, either for export as it came from the looms or for conversion at other points into printed cloths. The labor all white, as is everywhere in southern mills, was described as efficieut. Looking down the long rows of spindles it seemed