The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1901-01-24
RESOURCES on THE SOUTH.
The Development of Our Lumbe 4
and Mineral Wealth Has On1 y
Begun

Begun.
a correspondent Of the Manufacturers
Record, who las spent month of travel
and observation in Tho South and South
west, fluids everywhere in that part Of
the country feeling Of prosperity, with
merchants and manufacturers, railroad
men and planters, farmers and men W no
work for days wages having smiles on
their faces and money in their pock is
and sharing in the belief that never be.
fore has the South been SO well Off. The
impression prevails that the good ines
now prevailing will not end until there
has been development OF the South's
resources approaching the adva nces
made in other parts of the country. In
analyzing the situation the correspond.
cnt gives due credit to tCn.cent cotton,
accompanied by a divcrsilcation of
crops, to the confidence Of the people
ri Of achievement. and to the consc-
qucnt encouragement to greater cXcr-
ton. Hc gives glance at the strong
position gained in cotton manufacturing
and the iron trade and says:
But there are other lines in which
Al Important development is going on
| about which there is not SO great popular
| knowledge In railroad building the
| south and Southwest now show grca'
| degree Of activity, but if anyone will
take even q casual survey of the map Of
the section it will become apparent that
railroad building down here is by no
| means complete. There are several
North and South lines Of great impol
tance, and which probably will meet all
requirements for many years to come,
but All examination will show large
areas wholly devoid Of transportation
facilities. And yet in many Of these
sections there arc vast forests Of the
finest timber, minerals Of great variety
and commercial value, and land which
VI hcn cleared will make as good farms
AS lie outdoors, Already there are nu.
mcrous undertakings on foot in the way
Of building small branch lines to open
up tracts Of the character named. and it
is evident that here will be rich field
for development work by both railroad
| constructors and real estate operators
Take Mississippi for instance. or the
! line Of the railroads there are thousands
| and thousands Of acres Of timber which
I will cut from 10000 to 10000 feet to the
| acre, and when cleared they will produce
4 minimum Of bale Of cotton to the
| acre, as well as other crops These
| lands may be bought for from $6 to SIC
per acre. The SOL is an alluvial deposit
and like the famous black lands Of
Texas, which now bring from $50 to $50
per acre, these lands can be worked for
years without using any fertilizers.
"The Idle timber lands Of this section
alone, it seems TO me, offer oppO' tuni-
ties for almost illimtab,c Profitable
operations. The distance between the
development Of any one of these South.
western States and the conditions which
prevail in Massachusetts, for instance,
reveals the reason why the South is to.
day pointed out as the section above all
others where the young man, seeking
location, will find more opportunities
than in any other part Of tho nation.
There is SO much to do down here, and
the rewards are SO certain and 50 rich,
there is a disposition to wonder why any
ambitious young man will remain in
the 0vcrcrowded East and North, where
conditions arc fixed and opportunities
for original, individual effort growing
less every year, while in many parts Of
prevail, and development work re.
mains to be done which it will take gen
crations to accomplish.
"Whilo on the subject Of timber lands
| must record an astonishing change
which has occurred since | was down
here about five years ago. At that time
timber lands were almost y drug in the
rca estate market and any amount Of
good lands could be bought for some.
where around $G an acre. Now one has
to hunt for bargains at anything less
that - an acre. Lumber men from
Michigan and Wisconsin have come in
and bought up tracts by the tens of
thousands Of acres, good yellow pine
lands arc being but infrcqucntly offered
and prices have jumped up to at least
100 per cent all around. Five years
ago the red cypress men, who were then
feeling b'uc over the dull condition of
trade, agreed with q promoter 10 sell out
their holdings, plants and all for $1,000
000 To day these same people, who
compose about so per cent of those
engaged in the red cypress industry and
own at least that proper ion of the
available merchantable r. d cypress tim
Dor standing, would hardly sell for $780,
100000, and red cypress timber lands,
which could be bought for sc or less
then, are snapped up now at $12 per