Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1900-12-28
BASED On INDUSTRY.
CAUSE OF THE GROWTH OF THE LOW
ELL OF THE SOUTH.

Marvellous Expansion of Cotton
Manufacturing In SOuth Carolina.
spnrtanburE's Progress How "a
Thriving City Grew.
The growth of the cotton manufac-
turing industry in the south in recent
years has been by Laps and bounds,
and nowhere is this more apparent
than in Spartanburg county, 5. G.,
sometimes called tie Lowell of the
south.
Uninformed visitors may be disposed
to smile at the adoption of the de-
scription, Lowell of the south" Low
ell does mol smile at il. for this is the
great cotton manufacturing center of
the south, the country that has set the
example which other counties are fl
lowing with advantage and great prof
it. Augusta, Ga, talks with pride of
her 100000 spindles; Columbia. with
! scarce five years experience in cotton
manufacturing in real earnest also
boasts Of 100000 spndles and Il prom
iSe of speedy increase; Spaytanburg
county calmly shows the record Of ~
cotton mills, capitalized at SJ.llO.2 2O).
with 4l0,G40 spindlcS and l2.4J4 looms
turning into cloth about 2J0OOO bales
of cotton each year.
Each mill is history in itself of the
progress of the Industrial movement in
South Carolina. But all of them ac-
| knowledge an influence, the wisdom
and sagacity of a leader who pointed
out the way with a confidence, fore
sight, energy and ability that entitle
him to the honor in which his men,
DRY is heidi. L. Converse. n Nir,
! ginan. born in 1898. who was the
pioneer in cotton manufacturing in
that par. of South Carolina.
These great mills have made Of a
once diminutive but pleasant town n
large and thriving one, with n future
that must be full of comfort to tn So
who choose to settle down here almost
under the shadow of the hills of the
Blue Ridge 10 1870 the population
was 1910. In 1890. after the develop
ment of cotton spinning and weaving
had begun. it had increased to 300.
Judging 10y the public school attend
ance it is now considered a mody,atc
estimate to put the population at IL
600. With the influx of builders, of
mill operatives. of persons Interested
in the direction of new enterprises. all
sorts of business have marched along
until now the number of wholesale
houses is impressive, and the increase
in the number of churches and schools
and the quality of all such structures
tell of the prosperity of the mills run
ming night and day, and of the share
that the people of the town have in il.
The natural attractions. the scenery.
the water supply, the health statistics
invite more comers from the mountain
and the lowlands. The statement that
more than 1000 houses have been built
in the last year ought to convey m
idea Of the activity prevailing in this
bustling little city, with its quaint, old
fashioned. irregular public square. or
namented with IL fine bronze statue in
honor of Morgan, the patriotic ritlaman
of the Revolution. The stores are
many and well stocked Along the
street are seen many mountaineers
the tall. athletic men OF the type found
in eastern Kentucky and Tennessee
and you are told that there has been
q greater infusion of them in recent
years than before the industrial era
set in. The schools are not only in
good buildings. but are said to he a
efficient as the best in the south.
A short drive from the center of the
town to he eastward brings the visitor
to Converse college, an institution
, broadly established and literally en-
dowed by D. f. Converse, the gentle
l man whose enterprise encouraged anC
; guided the recent development of Tx
. cotton manufacture in this part OF
South Carolina. Within certain lim
it's it is an Independent institution
1t is Christian, but not denominational
and the founder took great pains tha
' his intentions should be carried out
The situation and grounds are superb
Upon the highest spot in Spartanhurg
elevated 100 feet above the sen level
with so acres of ground about the
establishment and commanding vi "
; of the nearby Blue Ridge that is cX
{ quisite, there are fine brick buildings
T. costing S120.00O that are complete II
every detail. The main building is 40(
feet long and 100 feet deep and con
tains 175 rooms. Converse college l.
exclusively for girls. There are $;
other excellent educational institutions
In Spartanburg.
Public spirit is asserting itself il
Rpartanburg ]. G. Darlington. th
proprietor Of The Herald, who cher
lshes worthy ambition for the town
predicts that it will not be long befor
the many evidences of awakening en-
terprise will be crystalli2ed in i'm
provements that will add to the com
fort of a place greatly favored by ma
ture. Hitherto there has been so mucl
concentration of interest in the con
struction of mills that there has beel
little attention given to municipal i'm
provements. For the sake Of business
in it's closely built up main street Spar
tanburg must soon have pavements |
Is promising to be rich. 1t cannot af
ford to be wastefully economical.