The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1900-03-02
South Carolina Cotton Mills.

South Carolina Cotton Mills.
South Carolina hls already in opera
tion most Of the largest cotton mills in
the South, or rather, she has a larger
portion of the larger mills than any
other Southern State. During 1890
there were chartered in this State TWEEN
ty-six mills, with a capital stock Of 81
6oO, 600, and of these, sixteen were com
p!eted. Other sixteen mills, already in
operation, have been enlarged to the ex-
tent of several millions of dollars. maxi
ing total investment in cotton manu-
facture during the year of 9,O79, 600.
While most Of this new capital came
from other sections, much of it was fur
nished by home people who had already
realized from similar investments, or by
other home people who wished to share
in the profits the sum accruing to such
investments. 1t will not be long before
South Carolina will be near the front as
a cotton manufacturing State. Alre ady
nearly all the cotton grown here is man.
utactured at home, which gives a home
market for the product Of the soil and
ut the same time more than doubles the
value of that product before i: leaves
the state, besides furnishing employment
to thousands of wage earnerS. Time
was, and not 80 many years ago, when
the main effort of thousands of South
Caroliniaus seemed to be to get out of
the State; to go to Texas or some other
new territory. 1t is now exceedingly
rare to hear OF any sucN movement, as
labor is plentiful for all who are willing
to work and there is no inducement to
frN ole hnr . E,,l al
man who is able to work, unless he is
an imported tramp, and the acreage OF
cotton must be increased or South Caro-
lima must depend on her sister states to
furnish the raw staple for her mills.
And there is no unhealthy 'boomn
about this; the growth in manufacturing
enterprises is steady, conservative and
sound, supply following demand in it's
natural order. The best proof of this
is that there is 10 difficulty in disposing
Of the product of the mills; and another
proof is that careful and discriminating
capitalists from other sections do not
hesitate to invest in South Carolina cot
ton mills.
Mr.. d. a. Tompkins, of Charlotte, n,
g., who is dealer in cotton mill ma
chinery, is interested in several cotton
mills, and Is probably as well informed
as any one in tie Sonto as to the status
and prospects of Southern textile manu-
acture, has recently given out an inter-
| view bristling with the facts ard figures
which go to prove that the time j, not
far distant when the bulk Of the cotton
crop will be manufactured where it is
grown. His figures are asfollows: The
South has now in operation 5000, 600
spindles, Willie New England has 13, ,OO0,-
QUO. There is practically no increase
in England, while the South will need
at least 100000 to equip the mills
to be completed this year. AS the en-
tiro output OF spindles in the United
States is only about 2,500,000 a year, it
will be seen that the South is already
absorbingsmost Of them. The increase
of new mills i'll the South will hardly
fall below 1000. 900 a year any year du-
ring the coming decade, 50 that by 1910
the South will have some 25.OO0,O0 in
operation and on this side of the water
there will be altogether more than in
England
SOUTHERN COTTON GO TO CHINA.
Not long since freight train pulled
out Of Spartanburg with over SlOO. 900
worth of cotton fabrics, b)und for the
market Of China. A large number of
the mills Of the South are making goods
for the China or Eastern trade.
NEW MILL AT CAMDEN, S. c.
The DcKaio Cotton Mills, Camden,
S. 9 just charts red, will at once begin
work on the proposed plant. Capital
stock 5000 600. The equipment will DE.
| 10000 spindles and the machinery will
be operated by electricity.
THE EIGHTH MILL FOR GREENvILLE,
The Monaghan Cotton Mill, capital
$500, 600, has beel. chartered at Green
vile, s. g., which makes the city's eighth
textile plant. The equ pment will be
$4,000 spindles and the work of construc-
tion will begin at once.
IMPROVEMENT AT LoCKuART, S. c.
The branch railroad from On's Cross.
ing, on the Southern Railway to the
Lockhart Cotton Mills il nearing compile.
tion. This will not only provide an out.
let for the product Of the mills, bnt for 6
fine section of exceedingly fertile country,
The water power at Lockhart ia one oi
the finest in the South and will proyid,
ample motive power for necessary in
crease in the capacity OF the mills, which
vii follow the completion of the railroad
Tie company is capitalized at $3.50, ,O0C
AID operates % 900 spindlss and 800
looms.
MILL BUILDING NOTES.
New contracts have been let for milk
at Anderson and at Enoree, s. G. Worl
will soon begin On these new mills.
1t is reported that Theo. Il. Bedford
or Pottsville, Pa , has made arrange
ments to establish Il knitting factory il
| GreenViila g g. IIa will ool,nrnno