The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-10-03
THE EAcToRY's THE THING.

It has been pointed out by many jour
mails already, and The Post is among the
number that the most pronounced growth
IN population during the past ten years in
the United States has been In the man
ufacturing or Industrial cities, 1t appears
now that the phenomenal growth OF Mem
phls. which has leaped to third place
among purely Southern cities, Is but an
ctier confirmation of the general story.
The Commercial Appeal OF that city in
last Sundays issue gave some interesting
ard instructive facts in the direction In
dicated. Among other things on that line
ii said:
But few men have kept up with the growth
of Memphis udustrially. But few men know
tnat within the last few years millions OF
dollars have heen invested 10 factories, aud
today the money so invested Is paying a
II the average citizen were told that about
slS and half million dollars were invested
IN MANUFACTURING enterprises of tho various
kinds in the city OF Memphis and that the
city had jumped from about $50 manufac-
torlet If 1890 to little short Of 1000 In 1900
ne would scarcely believe it. Yet this too,
J. feet certMrsy there are not less than
sm manufacturing concerns in the city OF
Memphis at this time and the amount Of
capital Invested Will amount to at least
S. 500 600.
Tho Commercial Appeal does not con
tent itself with general statements but
presents a table of the industries that
have swelled the present totals so far be-
yond those OF ten years ago
New Orleans Is a commercial or trading
ans shipping city rather than an Industrial
center. The per cent OF increase i'm New
Orleans for the past decade was 1852: OF
Memphis 5s.e5. Take Mobile and Blr-
mlngham in Alabama for another illustra-
t.1n The formers percentage was 1919,
while the mill and factory city OF Bir-
mingham ehowed an increase OF 47.07, in
the East and North the same differences
are found in the rate OF growth OF cities
OF the same State, and in nearly every
Instance the more rapid development has
been OF the industrial centers. There A.
the separate municipality OF South Omaha,
Neb, for example, with It's factories and
packeries. II shows an Increase over 1890
OF 222 per cent Omaha proper showed
a decrease. The little New Jersey cities
that are almost exclusively devoted TO
manufacturing present record breaking
figures of progress.
When we see Southern cities like
Charleston with 1.55 per cent increase,
New Orleans with only is, Nashville with
6.l7 and yet others ranging from these
nsures up TO but two in the whole South.
Houston and jacksonville, with over 60
per cent increase. while towns In New
Jersey, Massachusetts and Rhode Island
run far higher and exhibit far greater
prosperity. we must conclude that either
one OF two things Is certainly true-that
greater attention to Industrial life is
causing these Eastern towns to distance
Ter more favorably situated Southern
eh'es or else the census Is being DELHI
srntely manipulated to increase the pop
ulation Of tho North and reduce the show
ing for the South
But In attempting 20 determine between
the alternatives mentioned we are con
fronted with the differences which have
list been pointed out between the South
ern cities themselves. Il looks. Indeed
Ike an emphatic demonstration that II "a
Industries. manufacturing plants, that
build cities most rapidly.
Communities that contemplate entering
the great race for pre-cmlnenco IN 1910
can make a note OF this and govern them
selves accordingly. Land new local In
dustries,