The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-01-11

CHICAGO. Jan 11--Hon- Hoke Smith.
OF Georgia. who was Secretary Of the In
terror under President CIeveland's second
Administration. was a speaker al the han
quet Of the Chicago Real Estate Board
here last night The growth Of the South
was discussed by Mr. Smith and he drew
a glowing picture OF Industrial conditions
III that part IF the country. MIR. Smith in
Opening said:
u wish 10 thank the business men Of
this wonderful city for giving me an oD-
portunity 10 speak TO them upon a subject
near to my heart but were I Il describe
what I see the early years of the present
century have in store for the South, cen
merciaIly, il would sound like . fairy tale.
Never before have material interests so
attracted the attention of our People
Never before has such confidence been felt
as to The future Never before has there
been such cause for confidence
Following are some OF the facts given
by Mr.. Smith:
Fifty years ago the manufactures Of
the world used $500 600 bales Of cotton
Last year they used nearly $4,000 600
bales. thus making the enormous Increase
OF consumption in fifty years Of 200 Ter
cent The cotton fields Of the South fur
he manufactures OF the world. II 1880
| there were $50 cotton factories in the
South; IN 1890, 264, and in 1870. 663 The
percentage of increase Of SDindles and
looms largely exercised that Of the num-
Der OF factories.
The strength CT the South as pro-
Queer of pigiron has been conceded for a
number Of years past. Carroll D. Wright
has shown in a statement of the compare
tive cost between districts N the United
States that there is an advantage OF 50
per ton IN favor Of the South The price
OF pigiron IN Europe and America today
/ is fixed b. Southern furnaces. The pro-
/ ductioD Of piEirou in the South has in
/ creased since 1880 from 39G.39l tons TO
/ 2. 6s0573 toas.
/ The coal fields OF the South cover Co.
! coo square miles. Seven times as large
as those OF Great Britain More than those
! of Russia Great Britain. France. GeTma-
! ny. and Belgium combine l. The standing
{ timber Of the South IS aho equal IN Faiue
! 20 that of the balance of the Union
Concerning The commercial history Of the
/ South Mr.. Smith said:
AT the beginning Of the last century IN
! every line Of enterprise, agriculture. min
/ ing. and manufacturing the South vas the
/ entire equal of tie Northern States I
( have myself been surprised. on invesci-
/ cation to find the attention which at that
tine was given to manufacturing and min
! ing. Even in the Southern colonies iron
| making was an important industry
/ 1T Is surprising 10 see what was az
! compIished IN spite Of The drawback of
/ slavery during the ten years from 1850 TO
/ 1860 IN 1860 the farms of the South were
! valued at 81. 30e. COO They had increased
I from 1850. s., geo, COO
The development Of the Sou prior to
/ 1860 had been swept away by the war and
+ by the subsequent conditions incident 20
! the reconstruction era. The resources Of
! the South in 1880 had been scarcely touch
/ ed. and the marvellous percentages Of
/ growth which / predict for the next ten
years are due, in large part. TO the fact
/ that the development Of natural resources
/ is still in its infancy.
| The most marked progress Of the South
/ in all its history has been that of the past
two years. The farmers do not now rely
| upon cotton as an exclusive crop. In 1898
| the South produced 80. 351 246 bushels of
| wheat, 490, go. 976 bushels Of corn and 5SI-
! 022, GOO pounds OF sugar IN 1897 the South
/ furnished II per cent Of the hogs raised
| in the United States. IN one locality in
/ Florida the freight upon the vegetables
| grown from %. eco acres amounted 10
| $5S5.000 in a single year; in a single day
| from one locality in Tennessee 153 car
| loads OF Strawberries we're shipped, which
| paid in cash oYe- $4,000 4 large county
| of Georgia is given over almost entirely
| TO the peach culture. and the profits Of
! one orchard owner during the past year
/ were 800, GEO.
| Dwell. then, upon the agricultural
manufacturing. and mining opportunities
| in the South. realize that every facility
/ exists TO develop them with nothing re
! manning 10 check them and the CONNER
| cial future of the South IS before you It
| is entitled by natural resources 20 q place
/ equal to that occupied by the Eastern and
| Middle States ard in a few years more Il
| viii occupy an equal place. Then the
| three sections as one viii grow all Jogeth-
!