The Savannah morning news., 1901-04-18
THE MANUFACTURING SOUTH.

4
| The meeting of cotton manufacturers
and Others in Charlotte, N c., to-day
under the auspices of the Manufacturers
| Club of that city, is an event Of interest
to the whole country. and especially to
this section of it. Members of the Nation
al Cotton Manufacturers Association,
| from New England and elsewhere. will
be present, as will also number of dis
| tinguished public men including the Chi
nese minister at Washington. Southern
cotton manufacturers are especially anx-
ious for a resumption Of trade with China,
and are eager to learn more of the
wants and habits of the Chinese, therefore
Minister Wu's address will be received
with marked attention.
The facts and figures that will be ad-
duced at the meeting will be apt to as
tonish the distinguished Chinese states
man, and no doubt also many of the Wis
itors who have not kept close track of
the industrial progress of the South. They
will show that the manufacturing South,
which has reached considerable proper
tons and is still growing rapidly, has
come into existence practically within
quarter of a century. Twenty years ago
there were less than $50 textile mills of
all kinds south Of the Potomac river. and
they were all small affairs. 1t has
been stated that the new census will
show more than 800 mills in the
South, with more than 100000 spin
dies, while arrangements have been
made to add 100000 spindles to es-
tablished mills during the present year.
competent mill man and promoter re-
Gently made the statement that an av-
erage of Is per cent. of the stock of the
Southern mills is owned by Southern men.
He was speaking with especial reference
to the cotton mills in Georgia-which
state has added about 80 new mills to
her total in two years-but said he was
sure that it would apply as we'll to about
every other state of the section.
Nor are cotton mills the only manufac-
turing plants that are being established
in the South. The Southern Railway re-
Gently published pamphlet showing that
along its lines there were wooden mills,
flour mills, furniture factories, tobacco
factories, wooden and hollow-ware fac
tories, stove and pillow works, harness and
names works, etc, as well as cotton mills
1t is to be borne in mind that the machin-
cry in practically all of these mills is new
and of modern labor-saving designs. They
are prepared, therefore, to enter into com
petition with mills making similar pro-
ducts In any section of the country or
the world at large.
During the past twenty years, while
! the manufacturing interests have been
growing so steadily and in such crafty
ing manner, the increase in railroad mile
age in the South has been keeping pace
In 1880 there We're 1910 miles of track IN
the South. In 1900 there were 1887 miles
of track. In the former year the South
produced about $4,000 tons of pig iron; in
the latter year the production of pig
iron was more than 100000 tons. Twenty
years ago Birmingham was unknown; to-
day it is a great iron and steel center;
Charlotte and Columbia were unimport-
ant little communities in the matter of
commerce; now they are manufacturing
cities of note, containing as they do the
most modern and efficient cotton mills in
the country, and one of them the largest
cotton mill plant under one roof in the
world. These things show how the South
is prospering. and what she is doing-for
herself.