The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1900-04-25
FACTORIES IN
NEW ORLEANS.
III. City the Ideal Site for Industrial
Enterprise,
Possessing All the Advantages for a
Manufacturing Center,
IN the Way of Location, Labor, Pro1-
unity to Products,
And Means of Transportation by Land
and Water,
Resides a Climate Permitting Work
the Year Round.
Many Large Plants Have Already
Been Established,
And Their Success Points Moral to
the Country's Capital and
Energy.

Now Orleans Is an ideal city for man
ut9cturing purposes.
This has been demonstrated by the sue
oos.fnI operation Of hundreds of indus
,ries here. but few of these have been
developed 10 the extent that they have
N some Of the great manufacturing cen
ters Of the east and north.
Tho essentials for a manufacturing city
gro nearness Of the raw material, cheap
ne. satisfactory labor and good mar
ket
That New Orleans possesses these qual-
LEGATIONS in a superlative degree none
can DENY. Those who have essayed to
utIIize them in the proper manner, and
with proper display of judgment. can
testify.
According to the last census there was
Invested in manufacturing enterprises In
New Orleans $26, 100000, in 1870 plants.
These gave employment to 2o,43l peo-
pie who drew wages aggregating Sll,-
U0g5O a year. The cost of the mate
rla!s manufactured was $2s, ESQ, 900, and
the value of the manufactured product
was S4S, SEQ 900,
II is now time to take another census.
In The past decade there has been won
derfu stimulus given to industrial de-
yelopment IN this city, and 1t Is safe
to say that the aggregate capital in
yesed has been increased at least 30
Der cent, and that the number of people
earning their living through them has
nearly doubled.
Rut this industrial awakening is only
In its beginning. The possibilities for
New Orleans are very great, and the
In iprh
ufa.turer> have not met with the en-
enlargement they deserved at the hands
Of the local trade, but they have had
The energy and the enterprise to place
ton with other manufacturers. and
thereby demonstrated the quality OF
their output. and the fact that 1t can
be turned out cheaply. New Orleans
Is near raw material of every descrlp-
ton. and what is not at our doors can
be brought here by the ships Of the
word. which land at our wharves. Wood
Is shipped north, to come back here in
The manufactured form. to ornament our
offices and homes. Cotton is sent 10
And SO On down the line. Tons OF cork
ind rubber are imported through New
Orleans, and shipped north and east;
10 come back here in the manufactured
form. Why should not the vast amounts
spent in freights be saved. all condl-
lions being equal: But conditions are
No. equal The advantage, in many in
stances, rests with New Orleans, and
The men with the money have been slow
10 see H.
But that some have seen it and profited
thereby Is shown by the record OF the
nanutactories which do exist here. the
people are beginning TO realize that New
Orleans cannot live forever and pros
per on is commerce alone. Heretofore
that has been the mainstay of the Ores
cent city. But industry Is needed. ana
me industrial development goes on apace.
II has he"n comparatively slow. But
IN the past year or two there has been
q little qc'pleration, brought about in
measure by the demonstration of what
this same Development has done for the
great manufacturing cities of the east
and north. We have here in New Or
iedus industries The same as those which
have made those other cities great. show
Ing That they can thrive here on limited
capital and little energy. What glorious
opportunities exist, with the use OF album
GaAt capital enterprise and sound judg-
Appended is a reference to some of
The leading successful New Orleans in
t,usIfIeS The cotton mill Industry Is
treated in special article elsewhere.
BOOTS AND SHOES.
The manufacture Of boots and shoes is
an Industry that has developed remark
soy In This city in the past fifteen years.
ana while there are less factories here
now than there were some few years
plCA, the output Is very much greater,
Ssu me, quality has steadily improved.
HtW Orleans made shoes are known all
rT me south, and large quantities are
sAp,r(td to several European countries,
, Tnu even Australia; 1t is an industry
ttsat Is evidently only in it's infancy, and
u II has reached such proportions at
tb e present time. 1t is easy to imagine
'lr possibilities Of the future.
me manufacture of shoes by improved
Wgg,aods was begun in this city in 1884,
SAen plant was erected by local firm,
e@,Tgtiy as an experiment. 1t was an
apartment which proved successful from
us mrlpiency The trade of the south
nov, pfieans gave 1t their hearty sup
p"r. and the industry thrived The sue.
.rt pl the first venture naturally re
sim ,ga IN more capital being put int
v u1t, number OF factories was fifteen
r,iHnai an aggregated capital of nearly a
p nt.l"n aud half The grades originally
SATIN satin Were good line of machine-se
r rDa,e iabor; which all of the factories
S%a,p39yed, became more skilled in the
AIMING OF the delicate machinery, the
may Of the output was steadily i'm
T os Tue point of vital Importance
Ia Ia 20 meet eastern competition In quail
a. ana price. The successful operation
is one number of large plants here now
m. oItnce of the fact that they have
doid Only met 1t hut driven il out of this
In ~ good many instances.
fa,l me fierce competition of the pass
baro vars many of the smaller factories
mt te :, heen absorbed by the larger ones
tlo,ttnne working capital of the remaining
He S, mas been materially increased ovel
hos iigsresate before. while the output
oeeh Increased threefold The in
use 70 n output Is largely due TO ths
erea s gl improved machinery and the in
earl SKIN OF the operatives. In tht
pni, Auys an operative doing piece worl
average from ten TO fifteen dozeI