The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1900-01-04
The progress Of the South for the

way as TO surprise those who have NOT
made the facts and figures matter Of
study.
When Henry w. Grady made his IA
nous apeech North some years ago on
the new South. which electrified the
country, because Of its eloquence and
the grand prospect Of this part Of the
country in the future, the South had
not, except to a very limited extent,
entered upon an era Of progress. but
the straws pointed in that direction
and the people exhibited an earnest de-
sire for It,
,.A As that period most Of the products Of
the South were shipped to other parts to
be manufactured prices were rnremuner-
alive and the producers were dishearteu-
ed and discouraged Our inexhaustible
deposits Of iron, coal and other minerals
lay in their beds unmolested by the
miner. and what we consumed war
obtained from other points. principally
from Northern States
This state Of things was not TO con"
tinue. The progressive men Of the
South sought out capitalists and urged
them to either settle in the South or
invest their means in manufacturing,
mining, railrosding aud other enter
prises, with the assurance Of their CO.
operation, both in means and brains, TO
make their investments paying institu-
tions Capitalists were eager for such
investments for their idle millions. and
thus an unprecedented tide Of capital was
turned to the South, investments fol.
lowed that proved profitable to both
the capitalists and the country, and an
era Of unusual prosperity followed
There investments progress and prosper
ity can probably in no other way be
better understood and appreciated than
by comparing the present year with
some year before the investments above
referred to were made. We find this
comparison already made in the Man
ufacturers Record which we use below
The comparison is the year 1899 with
the year 1880. nineteen years apart
In 1880, the wages paid to factory
hands amounted TO SO, 900, 600 10
1899, the wages paid &c the same class
of operatives amounted to $500, eco 900,
more than four times the amount in the
former year. The grain produced IN
1880, which shows the product Of the
field, was 43l, 900, 900 of bushels. In
1899 it was 1856, 800 900 bushels. The
railroad mileage in 1880 was 20. 800 miles
while in the present year 1t has
reached 90, 900 miles. In 1880 the num-
Der Of bales Of cotton consumed IN
Southern mills was 2S3. $50, .. while in
1898. 80, a part Of two years, the number
was , 3S9. 600. In 1880, there were 81,
900 spindles operated, while in 1899
the number was increased to 8. 600. coo
Nineteen years ago there were 700, OOO
tons Of phosphates mined. In the last
year the number was 1000. 200 The
capital invested in manufacturing
in the South in 1880 amounted to
$257. 900. 600. In 1899 it had increased
20 one billion. The capital employed
in the manufacture Of cotton. seed oil
in 1880 was So 500. 900, which by 1893
was increased to forty millions. The
coal mined in the. South in 1880 was
5000, 600 OF tons. In 1899 the number
of tons was forty millions. The cotton
crop increased from 3. $50, 600 bales in
1880, to 800 900 in 1898 49, The val
ne of manufactured products in the
South in 1880 was s457, 400. 900, while
in 1899 it increased to one billion five
hundred millions. In 1880 the pig
iron produced by the South amounted
90 S97 900 tons. 10 1899 it amounted
to 2, 800, 900 tons, and the quality Is
said to be equal to any and superior to
most any other iron produced in the
country. The capital invested in the
cotton mills in the South in 1881
amounted to twenty-oue millions five
hundred thousand In 1899 that In
vestment had been increased TO one
hundred and twenty-five millions.
Thus it will be seen thst the money
in manufacturing institu'
lions in the South and the products OF
those manufactures have increased In
nineteen years over two billions Of dol
lars, while the products Of phosphates'
iron and coal alone have increased
over thirty-seven and quarter millions
Of tons.
And yet the fields not fully occupied.
There are splendid openings for manu-
featuring and mining that will yield
large returns to those who have the
capital to invest and hearty welcome
and cordial greeting await them.