The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-12-22


eral misrepresentation abroad as to the
part that northern men have had in
the industrial upbuilding of the
south. The impression is common. in
the south as we'll as the north. that
Atlanta is Yankee town" and has
largely been built by northern men
and northern money. The Journal
says that the impression is that
Atlanta has ''been built al
most entirely since the war and owes
its resurrection and greatness mainly
to northern enterprise and northern
capital. This is by no means true
The Journal adds:
ATLANTA has a large number of citi-
zens who came to her from the north.
They were welcomed heartily and are
highly esteemed. They have done
much for the welfare and prosperity
of this city. They are among it's
most substantial and enterprising cit
liens and Atlanta is proud of them.
But the fact remains that the At
lanta of today is the product mainly
of southern brains southern enter
prise and either southern money or
southern credit"
In North Carolina in the successful
manufacturing business, the money
and the brains have almost all been
homemade, though there has been an
impression to the contrary. That i'm
preston probably had it's origin in the
fact that until recent years there was
a systematic attempt in many south
ern communities to induce northern
build factories. Finally when every
body woke up to find wheels turning
and spindles humming, they jumped
to the conclusion that men of wealth
in the north had responded to the in
vitation. The truth is that while
many communities were sitting still,
waiting for northern men to start the
ball rolling, there were not few men
among us who, in a small way at first,
We're working along waiting for no.
body, but building up manufacturing
establishments that have given the
State its first place among southern
manufacturing States, the Hollis,
the Steeles, the Odells. the
Fries, the Chathams, the Pattersons,
and others in cotton manufacturing,
and in tobacco manufacturing, Black
well, Carr Duke, Day, Reynolds,
Hanes, Brown and others were not
waiting for outside help, but were
getting rich themselves and bringing
large measure of prosperity to the
State. Their success inspired others
to believe that they could succeed
and every manufacturing establish
ment that has been we'll managed has
succeeded, if it was not hampered with
debt or injuriously affected as latterly
in the tobacco business by the trust.
What North Carolina has done in
manufacturing in the past ten years
is but an earnest of what it can and
will do before the census of 1910.
Now that our home men have de-
monstrated that manufacturing pays
good dividends, it is comparatively
easy to secure stockholders in enter
prises in the south from capitalists
elsewhere, but if southern men wait
for this, the continued development
will be slow. If after the war, Mr..
Holt, Mr.. Odell, Mr.. Steele, Mr.. Black
well, Mr.. Carr, Mr. Duke and other
leaders in manufacturing had waited
for men of large capital to develop
the States resources, would North
Carolina have more cotton mills and
larger tobacco factories than any
State in the South? North Carolina
has a bright future as a manufacture
ing State, but it's future is almost en-
tirely in the hands of it's own sons
and adopted citizens. Whenever they
demonstrate that there is money in
any line of manufacturing, they can
get outside capital to assist in devel-
opment. But in the future, as in the
past, home men must lead the way,
invest their own money and prove
their faith by their works.