The age-herald., 1900-03-26
THE PROGRESS
 OF THE SOUTH Industrial Agents Think This Year a Record Breaker, COLON|ZATIp" SEASON OPENS ForeigneLs e Settling in All the
 thern States.
 s RAILP COMPANIES AT WORK
 c The Various Lines Through the South Are Working Hard Towards In- dustrial Development in the
 Several States
COMPANIES AT WORK
Chicago, March 25.-The Times-Herald to-

Chicago March 25.-The Times-Herald to- morrow will say:
 '"The colonization season has been vigor- ously opened by the railroads which ex- tend into southern territory, and the work of building up the south commercially IS to be earned on this year on scale hith- erto unknown. Industrial agents declare that the year promises to be a record breaker for immigration to southern states and for the location of factories and in- dustries Activity In the phosphate mines, renewed interest in the cotton industry, the discovery of the value of cassava as a money making plant, the knowledge that the railroads have countless sections Of unoccupied and fertile farming lands, to- gether with the renewed prosperity or the entire country, has made new possrplhtles for the south that were little dreamed or several years ago.
 ''The work of the Illinois Central road is a fair example of the boom that Is now on. Up to the present time the road has ex- oeeded last years record of new factories located along the line by 80 per cent This remarkable showing has been made despite the fact that the months of April May and June have always proved to be the best months for prosecuting this work. ''In Kentucky Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee there have been established a large number of new cotton, paper and sawmills and creameries. Some of ths roads whose agents declare that the rise of business Is exceeding all expectations are the Plant System, the Louisville and Nashville, the Mobile and Ohio and the Southern railway. The Louisville and Nashville is doing an unusual amount of work in developing phosphate lands in Ten- nessee and In colonzing farming lands and disposing of timber lands in Alabama and Florida. ,I
 The Cassava Plan ations
 "Cassava plantations becoming nus merous in Florida, and especial attention is being paid to inducing people to engage in this new industry. The fact that from this plant can be made starch and glucose of fine quality, and that as a fattenins agent for stock it has no equal, is engag'
 ing the attention of northern farmers.
 'In Virginia, North Carolina. Alabama and Georgia the Southern railway is locat- ing large colonies, and thousands are talk ing advantage of the homestead seekers excursions, which are run every first and third Tuesdays in the month. Over thre< hundred families have been located thif spring between Danville and Richmond. Al High Point, N e., there have been estab- lished twenty furniture factories; at Rome, Ga., new basket factory, and at Knox vile large hat and woolen factories At Huntsville, Ala, another large colony has been located, and many are visiting the 1 peach belt with view of engaging in that | industry.
 | '"The Plant System is developing its 1 phosphate fields and locating factories and colonies all along its route. At the present time it has all of this class of business it can attend to, and it is expected that the rush will cqntinue throughout the sum- mer. Several of the roads are watching
 with eager eyes developments in the Cuban and Porto Rican situations, with view to heing in the field for colonization purposes. | One or two roads have already made plans | for large business in Cuba, and when mat | ters become settled there they expect to | get all the business they can handle"