The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-01-11
MUCH PROSPERITY
IN THE SOUTH
Great Activity Shown in Railroad
Building.
MORE BRANCH LINES NEEDED.
There Arc Thousands OF Acres OF Tins
H-bcr Land That Should &c Tapped
and Opened Up 10
the World.
fsncc;al pispnteh 70 The Timcs. }

{Spec!ai Dispatch 10 Inc iiiht'-'
BALTIMORE, Ian. 10.-A correspondent
NJ mo Nanufacturers' Record, who has
sncn1 y month, OF travel and observation
IN the South and Southwest, tnds cf-
erywhcre In that part Of the country d
feeling of prosperity, with merchants anu
1nanuf a cturcrs railroad men ana Pla"l.
ers farmers and men who work Tor Gays
wages having smiles on their faces ana
money in their pockets. and sharing IN
.bc hnlief that never before has the
south been SO we'll of. The impression
prevails that the good times no" pre-
yailing will not end until there has been
q DEVELOPMENT of The South S resources
approaching the advance made IN otheF
parts OF the country IN analEzinS the
situation the correspondent gives due
credit to ten-cent cotton, accompanied
by a diversification of crops, to the con-
Hdcncc of the people born of achieve
,ncnt and to the consequent encourage
ment 10 greater cIeTion, he gives a
glance at the strong position gained in
cotton manufacturing and the iron trade,
and says:
..i2,.t there are other lines i'll which an
Important development is going on about
which there is not so great popular
knowledge. In railroad building the South
and Southwest now show 4 great degree
of activity. but if anyone will take even
n casual survey OF the map OF the sec
ton il will become apparent that rail-
road building down here is by no means
complete. There are several north and
south trunk lines of great Importance
and which will meet all requirements
for many years to come. but an cHanin%1-
ton will show large acres wholly devoid
of transportation facilities. And yet in
many OF these sections there are vast
forests of the finest timber. minerals of
grea. variety and commercial value. and
land which. when cleared, viii make as
good farms as lie outdoors
Already there are numerous undertake
irsS on foot IN the way o. building small
branch lines to open up tracts of the
character named. and ii is evident that
here Will be a rich field for development.
work by both railroad Constructors and
real estate operators. Take Mississippi
as an illustration. Off the line of the
railroads there are thousands and thou
sands OF acres Of timber which will cut
from 10.0ta 10 2o.0nt feet TO the acre, ard
when cleared they will produce mini
mum OF baie Of cotton TO the acre, as
well as other crops. These lands may be
bought for from Sc to SO per acre The
sol is an alluyial deposit, and like the
famous black lands of Texas. which
now bring from $50 TO $50 an acre, these
lands can be worked for years without
using any fertilizers
IDLE TIMBER LANDS.
The idle timber lands of this section
alone. it seems to me, offer opportuni-
lies for almost iIlimitabEe profitable OPP
crations. The distance between the de
velopment 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 a
location will find more opportunities than
in any other part of the nation. There is
so much ito do down here, and the re-
wards are certain and 50 rich that
there is a disposition To wonder why
any ambitious young man will remain
in The oNtrcr9wled East and North, where
conditions are liked and opportunities
for original individual effort growing less
every year, while in many parts of this
country almost primitive conditions pre-
vail, and development work remains
to be done which it Will take generations
TO accomplish.
While on the subject of timber lands
/ must record an astonishing change
which has occurred since l was down
here about five years ago. At that time
lands Were almost a drug in the real es-
tate market. and any amount Of good
lands could be bought for somewhere
around 81 acre. No one has to hunt
for bargains at anything less than So
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 are being
but frequently offered, and prices have
Jumped up at least 100 per cent. all
around.
Five years ago the red cypress men.
who We're then feeling blue over the
dull condition of trade, agreed with 4
promoter To sell out their holdings. plants
and all for $7.e0oooo. To-day these same
people, who compose about so per cent.
of those engaged in the red cypress in
dUstry and OWN at least that proportion
of the available, understandable red cy-
press timber standing, would hardly sell
for s25,onAo1n. ard red cypress timber
lands which could be bought for Sc or less
then are snapped up at ST. per acre.