The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-04-15
sourHERN Will BUILDING.


There was held in Columbia, 5. c., the
other day something in the nature of
jollification meeting. Ii was attended by
prominent South Caronnians and a num-
Der of cotton mill and machinery manu-
featuring men from other states The
occasion was in celebration of the compile
ton of the great Olympia mills, one OF
the largest, if not the largest cotton man.
ufacturing plant under one roof in the
United States. The mill will operate 1o4,-
900 spindles, consume 1900 bales Of cot
ton per annum and turn out upwards of
100000 yards of cloth. In equipment it
is distinctly modern mill. Power Is
generated by steam but (; Is applied
through the medium of electricity. The
different sets of machines are driven by
individual motors, thus doing away with
the long lines of shafting and betting and
a consequent loss of considerable per-
centage of power. When a set of ma
chimes is not in use, the motor driving
that set will be cut out. There viii be
no running of a lot of machinery,
while it is doing no work, as in the case
OF the old steam or water-driven plants
where shafts and belts solely are employ
ed for transmission Of power, and whore
the stoppage of one set Of machines means
the stoppage of all. AS a modern mill, it
appears, the Olympia is a model en-
bracing every labor-saving and coal
saving device. It's owners are sure that
they nave in it a dividend-paying invest
ment.
One of the best things about the Olym-
pia is the fact that it is the creation of
local brains and largely of local capital.
1t was born in the brain of South Caro-
lima engineer, and through mis- energy
brought to perfection. He convinced South
Carolina capitalists of the advantages of
his scheme. and when that had been done
he had no trouble in convincing outside
capitalists that il would be a good thing
to put their money into. The faith shown
by the home people had preponderatinG
weight with the outsiders. This Carolina
engineer. by the way has been the means
of bringing not less than sixteen cotton
mills to South Carolina. With indomita-
BILE energy. and the willingness to put his
own money into the mills he proposed,
he has had the satisfaction of assisting
his state TO become one of the leading
cotton manufacturing states of the union
He has, of course. prohted by his per-
spicacity and enterprise; but not to the
extent that Columbia and the state have.
What we wish to cali especial attention
to is the fact that these mills have
sprung up in South Carolina-and they
will make her rich and prosperous-as
result of the self-help of the Carolinlaus.
They did not sit down and wait for some
body else 10 come in and develop their
resources. They took hold themselves
and demonstrated their faith in their
claims to advantages over other cotton
manufacturing sections. And when the
outsiders saw the natives ready 10 back
their judgment and claims with their
money, there was forthcoming an abund-
ance of capital for the construction Of
the mills. Columbia is rapidly becoming
the Lowell of the South" upon which
fact we heartily congratulate her. We
wish by the way, to see more of the
spirit that has given her a splendid cot
ton mill system displayed in Georgia. We
need a good deal of it in Savannah.