The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1901-01-16
RESOURCES OF THE SOUTH
The Development OF Our Lumber
and Mincra1 Wealth Has Only
Begun.

'Soilh mas only
Begun.
A correspondent of the Manufacturers
record, who has spent a month of travel
and observation in the South and Sonth.
west, hnds everywhere in that part of
inc country q feeling Of prosperity, with
merchants ana manufacturers, railroad
men ana planters, farmers and men who
Wo!k ior DAYS wages having smiles on
thclr faces and money in their pock.ts
and sharing in the belief that never he.
fore has the South been so well of. The
impression prevails that the good times
now prevailing will not end until there
mas Occn a development OF the SOuth's
u approaching the advances
maze IN other parts OF the country. In
~anaiyZing the situation the co~rrespond.
ent gives due credit to ten cent cotton
accompanied by q diycrsifcation of
crops, TO the confidence of the people
porn OF achievement. and to the conse-
Iuent encouragement to greater cxer.
tlon' he gives a glance at the strong
posltlon gained IN cotton manufacturing
and the iron rad and says
But there are other lines i'm which
an important development is DIN on
ABOUT which there is not 50 great popular
knowledge, In railroad building the
south and Southwest now show q prea,
degree of activity, but if anyone will
take even q casual survey of the man of
the section it will become apparent that
railroad building down here is by no
means complete. There arc several
North and out lines Of great impol-
lance, and which probably will meet all
requirements Tor many years to come,
but an examination will show large
areas wholly devoid of transportation
facilities. And yet in many OF these
sections there are vast forests of the
nhcsL timber, minerals OF great variety
ana commercial value, and land which
when cleared will make as good farms
as lie outdoors. Already there are nu-
merous undertakings on foot in the way
or building small branch lines to Omen
up tracts OF thcc character named and il
10 evident that here will be Il rich field
Tor development work by both railroad
constructors and real estate operators
lake niisslssippi for instance. or the
lihG OF the railroads there arc thousands
ana thousands of acres OF timber which
Will cut from 10000 to 10000 feet to the
acre, and when cleared they will produce
u minimum OF a bale of cotton to the
acre, as wei rs other crops. These
lands may be bought for from SO to $50
per acre. Tho SOIL is an alluvial dcposit
and like the famous black lands of
Icxas, Which now bring from $50 to $50
per acre, these lands can be worked for
y2ars without using any fertilizers.
y inc IDLE timber lands of this section
alone, II seems TO me, offer opportuni.
ties for almost illimitab.c profitable
operations. The distance between the
development Of any one Of these South
western states II the conditions which
prevail in Massachusetts, for instance
reveals the reason why the South is to
day pointed out rs the section above al
others where the young man, seeking q
location, will find more opportunities
II IN any other part of the nation
There Is 50 much to do down here. and
the rewards are so certain and so ri h
there is n disposition to wonder why an,
ambitious young man will remain in
the oycrcrOwdcd East and North, where
conditions arc fixed and opportunities
Tor original, individual effort growing
less every year, while in many parts OF
this country a most primitive conditions
prevail, and a development work re
mains to be done which it will take gen
e%rations to accomplish.
While on the subject of timber lands
| must record an astonishing change
which has occurred since | was down
mere about live years ago. At that time
TIMBER lands were almost n drug in tho
rca' estate market and any mount OF
good lands could be bought for some
where around So an acre. Now one has
to hunt for bargains at anything les.
that 50 an acre. Lumber men from
Michigan and Wisconsin have comc in
apd bought up tracts by the tens OF
thousands OF acres, good yellow pine
lands are being but i~nfrequcntly Offered
and prices have jumped up to at lcas,
100 per cent all around. Five years
ago the red cypress men, who were then
feeling buc over the dull condition oil
trade, agreed with a promoter TO sell out
their holdings, plants and all for 81, 900,
OOO, TO day these same people, who
compose about 80 per cent of those
engaged in the red cypress industry ant
own at least that proper ion of tn,
available ~mcrchantablc +, d cypress tim
Der standing, would hardly sell for $25,
100000, and red cypress timber lands
which could be bought for So or less
then, are snapped up now at $l2 pei
acre"