The age-herald., 1901-12-28
Alaban1a,s s Wonderful Progress

From the Memphis Commercial-Appeal.
 The wonderful progress made by the State of Alabama in the last two years promises to make of that State the Penn Tylvania of the South in the course of a lew years. A census bulletin recently is- yued gives a comparative summary of the number of manufacturing establish ments and the per cent of increase from 1850 until 1900 In 1850 there were all told 1928 establishments. as against 5602 in 1900. Using round numbers there were s3.O00.000 capital invested, as against $7O,- DO0.00 in 1900. In 1850 4O00 wage-earners were employed, against 52,000 in 1900 The total wages paid in 1850 was $1, 900. .0OO as against $15.O 900 in 1900. The value of the products. including custom work and re- pairing in 1850 was $14.0Oo. a against ss2,- 900 in 1900. And so throughout the entire list astonishing progress has been made and the greater part of it has been made In the last twenty years.
 Commenting on the wonderful showing presented In the table Chief Statistican North says:
 Although Alabama is an agricultural State, table shows that there has been a remarkable growth in the -manufaettr- Ing and mechanical industries during the half century. The population increased during these years from 771, ,623 to 1,S28,- 597, or 137 per cent, while the wage earn CTS employed in manufacturing estab- lishments increased from 1886 to 52,902, pr 971.s per cent. This growth of the wage earning class has been very mark ed in the last two decades particularly In the decade 1880 to 1890, when the in- crease was 21oS per cent. as compared with an increase of 19S per cent. in total population. In 1900 the average number of wage earners in manufactures consti- tuted 2.9 per cent of the total population Rs compared with eight-tenths of 1 per cent in 1880. But probably the best indi- cation of the importance of the wage earning class is afforded by the greatest number employed at any one time dur ing the year. In 1900 this was 76,931 or AZ per cent of the total population of the State.
 The rapid growth of the manufacturing industries of Alabama during the last twenty-five years is due to the utilization of the States rich mineral resources which were neglected in the earlier years of the century. The development of the iron industry and of coal mining has stim- ulated variety of manufacturers which are centered in the Birmingham dis trict, in the northern part of the State where the mineral deposits exist The @N
 any extensive use of water power of the State on the Coosa, Tennessee and Talla- poosa rivers. although on the Tallapoosa near Montgomery one of the largest wa ter power plants in the South has recently been constructed It is noteworthy that the great development of manufactures in the northern part of the State has taken place largely without the advant- ages of navigable water for the cheap shipment of products. For years efforts have been made to connect the Birming- ham district with tidewater at Mobile bay by means of a canal and the con- struction of locks on the Warrior river. Of the five locks projected three were completed in 1S95, and a route for the canal has been survey by engineers of the United States. It is estimated that water communication with Mobile would reduce freight charges on iron 80 per cent
 Men who have passed the meridian of life recollect when Alabama was a stran- ger to manufacturing and it will be diffl- cult for them to realize that the manufac- ture of iron and steel Is the most impor- tant industry in the State. employing more han IS per cent of the wage earn