The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1900-03-01

saying that we have not already even
fairly entered upon the great indus
trial boom ahead. In the shipyards
of Norfolk and Newport News there
are now orders for eighteen months
ahead. In Camden there is under
construction the largest shipyard in
the world, and the great Scott ship
yards of the Pacific coast. that turned
out the Oregon, are now being en-
larged as rapidly as possible to meet
the enormous orders in hand.
''1n 1896 there were one thousand
vacant houses in Wilmington, Del.
To-day there are one thousand ad-
ditional houses being erected for the
use of the increased force of work
men. In 1896 there were forty-eight
per cent. of the population of New
York City unemployed. To-day there
are four and half per cent. of the
same population unemployed.
A BRIGHT PROSPECT.
81 bring these evidences of general
thrift back to the South in it's various
departments of industrial develop
ment, and without touching the pos
sibilities involved in the project of
the Isthmian Canal, or without touch
ing upon the political complications
which, if they may be more compli
Gated under the new order of things,
will yet be interesting, come to the
main fact that the South is at the
threshold of a development of which
| believe it does not dream, in which,
as | said before, the chief factors will
be the economy of land built upon
the individualizing of the foreigner
as citizen, upon the high grade of
cotton fabrics turned out by your
mills and upon the relation of the
railroads to these different classes of
interests.
S. A. L. MANAGEMENT.
Il believe there will be under a new
order a plenty of freight and passen-
gers to insure good dividends for the
systems of railroads now traversing
or about to traverse the South. Hav-
ing made my journey by the Seaboard
Air Line, my attention has naturally
been directed to it's intentions, it's
possibilities and to the recent strug-
giles through which it seems to have
passed in order to effect the consoli-
dated line from New York to Tampa
and thence to Cuba. While knowing
little about the details of these mat
ters, do not hesitate to say that the
young president of the Seaboard Air
~
with the carrying out of his plans as
proposed, will have established his
status in the front ranks of the worlds
fnanciers.
During my journey it was my
good fortune to meet with the vice
president of the Seaboard Air Line,
Mr.. Z. St. John, by whose courtesy
was facilitated in many ways in my
study of the Southern industrial sit
uation. do not know much about
railroads, and, therefore, am unable
to speak of this remarkable man from
a technical standpoint, but l have
mentioned his name because it recalls
and illustrates the phase of the sub
ject upon which have touched above.
A QUESTION ANSWERED.
..In this connection I would re-
mind you, in reply to a question
which you asked little while ago, as
to why this white element had not
been attracted TO the South before
now, that l think the main reason for
this lies in the fact that the men who
have devoted years of study to the
immigration problem were not in the
South, but in other sections, especially
the North and Northwest.
Il have heard during my Journey
that Mr.. St. John was one of these
men. | have been SO impressed by
the rapid influx of immigration along
the territory traversed by his line
that / have taken time to inquire into
the methods by which he has brought
about such result.
II have been told that he spent
over thirty years of his life in the
West and Northwest on the great
Rock Island road, and perfected a
system through which Minnesota and
other Northwestern States are to-day
populated by thrifty, breadwinning
citizens, the plain, hardy population
behind the city of Minneapolis having
forced that city forward with astound-
ing rapidity to the position of one
of the greatest jobbing cities of this
country. l believe, from converse
tion with others, that the South has
been a great gamer even from Mr..
st. Johns short sojourn Of the last
five or six years in that section.
THE SOUTH AND WEST.
What he did for Minnesota and
the West he is now doing for the
! South. and while not wishing to make
any unjust comparison Qor all the
| railroads in that section are doing a
great work., he is the only man with
whose methods l am acquainted who
is pushing forward this great work on
the most scientific and effective basis.
But in this comparison with the
Northwest the South comes out great
gamer. for its products are eighteer
to twenty-four hours nearer to the
great marts of trade than are those o.
Minneapolis and Duluth.
'.In Mr.. Williams and Mr.. St. Johr
is. in MY judgment, combination o
the South and West working in har
mony toward the real upbuilding o
that section, which is at once unique
and interesting. not only to the rail
road, but TO the financial onlookers o
this country. The officials of thi
road have been most courteous to M
in every way, and they seem to hav'
been selected with reference to thei