The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1901-04-24
Creating Business,
BILL ARP.

Creating Business,
We have received phamphlet is-
sued BY the Southern Railway, giving
in detail the growth of textile mills
along the lines Of that system during
the gee. ;;ss: ended, eo5eshe. with an
enumeration Of all the textile indus
tries now located in, the same terri
tory. The pamphlet is interesting,
not only in its showing of the really
remarkable work which this road is
accomplishing io building up the sec
tion which it covers, but vastly more
80 in the revelations OF possibilities
which await che application Of similar
principles to other systems. The
Southern has long been noted sc- the
persistent policy it has followed in
this particular. Since it's reorgeniza-
tion it has been the best friend the
South has had, and while the work ac-
complished oannotbe classed as phil
anthropic. great deal Of it has been
for the benefit Of the South in the sh-
straot, rather than. for direct profit to
the Southern system as a corporation.
Tho phamphlet in question shows that
during 1900 no less than "a new tex
tile mills and kindred Industries were
located along the railway, with an
equipments Of I 1857 $50 spindles aud
20, 1856 looms. In addition number
OF estt tblished concerns increased their
equipment, several of them erecting
new mills, while others replaced old
machinery with new. In addition to
the mills enumerated, Is other textile
mill buildings are in various stages of
construction, and several companies
have been organized for the purpose
of beginning work this year. In all
the total Of mills now numbers over
900, with an equipment Of III, ,6l9
looms and 4,463, ,493 spindles. This
may be regarded as tedious enumera-
tion, but the lesson it conveys ought
not 90 be lost on railway managers in
general. The territory traversed by
the Southern six OF eight. years ago,
omitting . few centralized points, was
regarded as most unpromisiug in gem
eral prospects. Yet the nanagera Of
the system, by sheer persistence, have
80 changed oonditions-tha the proper
ty today is regarded as one. Of the
most promising in the country. OF
course railway systems have always
tried 60 attract business, but FOR per-
fecsion Of detail the Southern is easily
in the lead. And what this road has
done, others, even in thickly settled
regions, will be forced to do in the
future. Heretofore the trunk lines
have been content 20 handle the busi-
ness that came TO them. With rare
exceptions they have ignored one Of
the most potential features in the up
building of their traffic. The maxi
mum Of business that the trunk lines
will handle has not yet been reaohed !,
but In the eastern sections, at least,
future increases will DO smaller than
in the past. Why should the roads
accept this rs an inevitable feature2 Z.
Any one Of the great lines, with an
Intelligent bureau working with dis
sinct purpose, can create for itself new
traffic quite out Of proportion to that
which it may receive in the ordinary
course Of events. A bureau such as
described could give to manufacturers
information rs to the best location Of
certain industries; it could tell them
where freight rates were lowest, aud
| ia endless ways dive t to it's own ter
ritory arevenue that might insure
certain returns in dividends. The
most vital point in railroad operation
4 is supposed to be tha scientific hand
Hing of oftranaporsation, bat second to it
fought to be an Intelligent application
to the work Of guaranteeing steady
volume of transportation to handle,
land in that particular q golden oppor-
tunity has been neglected. The sue
cess of the Southern road in establish
ling on an average two textile mills a
week alonE ita liness during .ho E sui; i;
i year 1900, should open The eyes of
j other railway managers. The NJ r.
4 FEnaacisr.